THE WATER SUPPLY IN DRY AREAS 451 



rents in the locality. The relative amount of the work 

 done by a windmill in the plains country will be large, 

 because of the absence of obstructions to the wind cur- 

 rents in their course. 



That the irrigation of small areas from water 

 pumped up by windmills is perfectly feasible has been 

 shown in the experience of farmers in nearly all the 

 states where semi-arid conditions prevail. The cost of 

 the operation will vary greatly with the conditions, but 

 for the kind of irrigation referred to, the cost should 

 seldom exceed a few dollars per acre per year for the 

 raising of the water. Such water must, of course, be 

 stored in a reservoir when it is raised. In the not 

 distant future, windmills that raise water to irrigate 

 from a very few acres downward in proximity to the 

 home, will be very common. It has been estimated that 

 one good windmill with a wind velocity of, say, 10 

 miles an hour, will raise enough water to meet the 

 needs of the ordinary dry farm and garden, where the 

 water is not to be lifted many feet. 



When water is to be raised from depths far down, 

 it may be necessary to use other than wind power. For 

 the comparatively limited uses referred to above, it will 

 probably be found that gasoline power will raise water 

 from considerable depths as cheaply, or even more so, 

 than power from any other source. But it is at least 

 questionable if it would be wise to go to the expense 

 of raising water thus to be used on the ordinary dry 

 land farm in the irrigation of the ordinary farm crops. 

 It may pay well, however, to raise water thus to aid 

 in growing fruit and truck crops where the markets 

 for the same are good and not too distant. 



Steam power is frequently used for raising water 

 to be used in growing various kinds of farm crops, but 

 the expense of such an operation on the dry farm would 

 be prohibitive. Where this method of raising water is 



