298 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



June 



mill was bought on our promise to pay 

 $12.50 within three months. Testing 

 showed that sheet water existed at a 

 depth of 14 to 20 feet in the coarse sand. 

 A well was dug and a large amount of 

 water procured; a pump that should 

 have thrown 7,000 gallons per hour 

 would not keep the water off the diggers 

 while finishing the well and walling the 

 same. Success was crowning our ef- 

 forts. Next a reservoir was built, 100 

 feet in diameter, the walls being a com- 

 plete circle and 4 feet high. This was 

 soon filled from the work of the never- 

 tiring windmill. The pond was too 

 small, but work could not be resumed 

 until we had rain, as we needed every 

 drop of the water. As soon as rain re- 

 lieved us we turned the water out of the 

 reservoir and dug it from the inside 

 until we had the banks 7 feet high. 

 This again proved too small, and another 



reservoir was attached to it on the rear 

 from the well, with walls 7 feet high and 

 300 feet long, making another pond 100 

 feet square, the first pond forming one 

 side. 



The following winter the third pond 

 was dug, still to the rear of the second 

 and of the same size. The need of so 

 many ponds was to preserve all the 

 water that could be pumped during the 

 winter or when the rain relieved the ir- 

 rigating. The mill can thus be kept 

 running all the time, whether wet or dry 

 weather. By having so much water 

 stored we are able to handle 40 acres of 

 nursery stock and keep it growing dur- 

 ing the severest drouth. These ponds 

 were made to hold like jugs (except 

 from evaporation) by puddling one hour 

 per day for two weeks. This was done 

 by using a drag to stir the mud. Stir- 

 ring the water keeps it muddy, and the 



TYPICAL WINDMILL AND RESERVOIR FOR IRRIGATION. 



