350 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



July 



sluice hose of oiled duck with lateral 

 ports in it, each extending over a short 

 apron to avoid deep washing at the 

 points where the water is applied. 

 These ports open directly into the fur- 

 rows to be irrigated, a few being opened 

 at a time, then closed, and a few more 

 opened further along until the entire 

 field has been watered at one end. The 

 sluice hose may then be moved out to 

 the limit reached by the water of the 

 first operation, the same program is re- 

 peated, and the whole piece of ground 

 is watered according to its needs. He 

 states, as a result of experiments, that 

 well water is apt to be richer with ni- 

 trates (plant foods) than water taken 

 from streams, but found that by stirring 

 up the mud and muck of decayed vege- 

 tation in the stream from which some 

 of the water was pumped, much of this 

 silt could be deposited on the ground, 

 improving its quality, its fertility, and 

 making the water spread better and go 

 farther in the furrows. 



Mr. Patch's experiments brought out 

 man}- practical points of this nature, 

 and though they were undertaken with 

 this end in view rather than with the 

 idea of trying to prove the value of 

 irrigation, which he was already sure 

 of, they bore out his belief by giving a 

 75 per cent increase in yield of straw- 

 berries, and would have given a much 

 greater percentage if strawberries rather 

 than knowledge based on experience 

 had been what he most desired. 



The descriptions of actual working 

 plants given above show that the idea 

 for irrigation in the humid regions is 

 far beyond the stage of the mere propa- 

 ganda and well into the realm of real 

 practice ; yet it must be admitted that 

 the practice is spreading slower than it 

 should when its manifold benefits are 

 considered. There is little real value 

 in urging the merits of irrigation, for 

 its merits should be well known. 



In the humid states the question of 

 the water supply need give but little 

 trouble. There are many farmers who 

 have running streams in every field, but 

 who do not apply the water to the 

 ground, and the great trouble is that 

 they do not know the best methods. 



Perhaps the easiest way is to pump the 

 water from running streams to an ele- 

 vation from which it could reach all 

 parts of the farm, and the amount of 

 water carried by a stream at any given 

 point can be easily determined. On 

 many farms the water can be distributed 

 by gravity over the best bottom areas 

 from a dam. 



Where pumps are used, the kind of 

 pump will depend largely on the water 

 supply. The centrifugal pump is per- 

 haps best for an open well or for pump- 

 ing from a stream or reservoir, but 

 must never be given a suction lift of 

 more than 20 feet ; but the water from 

 such a pump can be forced an additional 

 20 feet in elevation. If the water is to 

 be lifted more than 20 feet, or "sprinkled 

 on the laud under pressure instead of 

 being flowed on, a direct-acting suction 

 pump must be used. Force pumps may 

 be used where large quantities of \vater 

 are needed, but for usual purposes sim- 

 ple pumping machinery is best, and the 

 general cost for the average types is 

 less than $100. 



For the power to run the pump local 

 conditions must be consulted. On the 

 whole, gasoline is one of the most satis- 

 factory powers, and serviceable engines 

 can be installed for about $100 or more, 

 depending on the horse-power required. 

 The objection to the use of windmills 

 has been stated above, and for exten- 

 sive work they are out of the question 

 unless they pump into a reservoir from 

 which the water can be distributed direct 

 by^gravity. Steam boilers and engines 

 are less advantageous than gasoline be- 

 cause they require more care and con- 

 stant attention. In some cases the 

 water itself maybe made to furnish the 

 power for raising it, but this is so much 

 a matter of local conditions that it is not 

 worth while to make general statements. 

 A water-wheel may be used, or, where 

 it is desired to store water from a 

 stream, a hydraulic ram is the best ap- 

 paratus. 



When we come to the question of 

 transportation of water, the field widens, 

 so that a description would degenerate 

 into a mere catalogue. Pipe lines of 

 iron, vitrified sewer pipe, and of wood 

 are in common use. The oiled canvas 



