126 AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING 



The cost of pumping water in certain parts of the United 

 States has been carefully studied by the United States 

 Department of Agriculture. In Santa Clara County, 

 California, the cost of pumping water was investigated at 

 60 pumping plants. The average amount of water pumped 

 per acre was 1.13 feet. The average cost of fuel and labor 

 was $4.96 per acre, and the fixed charge* was $5.20, making 

 the average cost of pumping water $10.16 per acre. The 

 average efficiency of the pumps was 41.16 per cent. It was 

 found that the cost of pumping was reduced by an increase 

 in the size of the plant. The cost of power varies with the 

 cost of the fuel. In some localities the steam engine is 

 cheaper than gas or gasoline engines, and in others the 

 reverse is true. Electricity is more convenient than any 

 other power; but, unless it can be furnished through a water 

 power plant or some other cheap source, it is the most 

 expensive. In Arkansas and Louisiana the irrigation water 

 for rice culture is pumped by steam. The following table is 

 the summary of the cost of pumping water at 17 plants in 

 Louisiana and Arkansas, as reported in Bulletin 201, Office 

 of Experiment Stations. The general difference in cost at 

 the Louisiana plants and those of Arkansas is due primarily 

 to the lift or height the water had to be pumped. In the 

 Louisiana plants the lift was about 20 feet, and in the 

 Arkansas plants about 40 feet. 



Windmills are used quite extensively in certain localities, 

 principally in Kansas and California. An investigation of 

 the cost of windmill irrigation at Garden City, Kansas, 

 indicates that the cost per acre was $2.35. Owing to the 

 fact that power is obtained in small units and the cost of 

 installation and maintenance is very high in the case of wind- 

 mills, it is doubtful if they will be used extensively. 



* Covering all other expense, such as interest, depreciation, etc. 



