154 BOARD OF AGRlCULTniE. [Pub. Doc. 



recommended where it can be secured. The pressure and supply are 

 constant and can be relied on at any time. However, where there is 

 a large area to be irrigated one will always find a private pumping 

 plant in operation. 



In laying pipe for irrigation use common black pipe for mains. 

 Lay it on the surface of the ground along head lands or roadways. 

 Have flange unions at convenient intervals and tees with valves 

 every 55 or 60 feet for taking off laterals. Use good gate valves, 

 and avoid short, sharp turns in the mains by using long bends. 

 Where hose irrigation is to be practiced the laterals should be of 

 li-ineh pipe, and hose connection valves set at such intervals as to 

 make it possible to cover the whole space between valves with a 

 50-foot hose. A path 2 feet wide should be left at the side of each 

 lateral in which to run and coil the hose. A little advantage will be 

 obtained by running the laterals east and west because the prevailing 

 winds in summer are southerly. 



When about to irrigate have the hose in a coil, attach the female 

 end to the valve, and roll out 8 paces. Then turn and roll back to 

 valve, thus avoiding a twist in the hose. Have a soft end or a nozzle 

 for the hose so as to spread the water. With the nozzle in one hand, 

 open the valve with the other hand; water all one side of the 

 path going out, and all the other side coming back. In moving from 

 valve to valve either coil and carry the hose or drag it. With care 

 very little damage need be done. When through the hose should 

 be coiled and put in the shade. Valves should be set up tight but 

 not too hard. If necessary screw in a plug rather than set the stem 

 of the gate too hard. 



The cost of fitting up 1 acre for hose irrigation would not be far 

 from $65, and the cost for each additional acre about $50. After 

 having fitted up one-third of the total area you wish to irrigate, 

 the other two-thirds can be cared for by moving the piping until 

 such time as you wish to invest money in more pipe and fittings. 



The cost of installing the Skinner system of irrigation will be 

 just about the same per acre. This system seems to be becoming 

 more and more popular over the whole country and, with the im- 

 provements being made from time to time, seems to leave little to 

 be desired in the economical distribution of water. The laterals 

 for this system should be of galvanized pipe tapped every 4 feet for 

 a nozzle. The size of pipe for a lateral of 250 feet should be: for 

 the first 150 feet, 1 inch; for the last 100 feet, % inch. These 

 laterals should be 50 to 56 feet apart and run east and west. They 

 are connected with the mains by a special union fitting with a 

 strainer, so as to remove all dirt and scale from the water and 

 enable the operator to set the nozzle line to throw the water at any 

 angle desired. The outlet of each nozzle is %2 inch in diameter. 

 The currents of air break up these small streams so that most of the 



