72 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



portions of the country. Its principal employment 

 seems to have been in the semi-arid region where con- 

 stant effort is being made to make more productive the 

 lands which in their natural state are of but little value 

 and which by reason of lack of water supply can not 

 be irrigated. No law on the statute books has done 

 more to encourage pioneers and home-builders than 

 this. In my opinion the important question for con- 

 sideration in connection with the timber and stone act 

 is whether the Government is receiving a fair price for 

 these lands. In the inter-mountain States, where tim- 

 ber lands are of small value, this law is of great benefit 

 to the settlers and ranchmen, while enabling the Gov- 

 ernment to dispose of the lands of small value at a 

 good price. 



IN THE RECLAMATION SERVICE. 



WASHINGTON, I). C., Jan. 15. The following ap- 

 pointments and promotions in the engineering corps of 

 the Reclamation Service are announced for January : 



California. Samuel G. Bennett, engineer, at 

 $2,000, by promotion from same at $1,800; Homer 

 Hamlin, engineer, at $2,200, by promotion from same 

 at $2,000; Jacob C. Clausen, engineer, at $1,800, by 

 promotion from assistant engineer at $1,600 ; Ernest R. 

 Childs, assistant engineer, at $1,400, by promotion from 

 engineering aid at $1,000 ; Charles E. Slonaker, observer, 

 $900, by promotion from same at $840. 



Colorado- Joseph A. Sargent, assistant engineer, 

 $1,600, by promotion from same at $1,400 ; Percival M. 

 Churchill, assistant hydrographer, $1,600, by promo- 

 tion from same at $1,400; E. E. Sands, assistant en- 

 gineer, at $1,400, by promotion from same at $1,200; 

 L. J. Charles, assistant engineer, at $1,200. by promo- 

 tion from same at $900; Hugh G. Stoke, engineering 

 aid, at $1,000, by promotion from same at $900; 

 Ernest E. Bailey, engineering aid, at $840, by promotion 

 from same at $720; Francis M. Madden, hydrographic 

 aid, at $900, by promotion from engineering aid at $60 

 per month. 



Washington.- Christian Anderson, engineer, at 

 $1,800, by promotion from same at $1,500; George H. 

 Bliss, assistant engineer, at $1,500, by promotion from 

 same at $1,400; Charles E. Hewitt, engineering aid, at 

 $1,000, by promotion from same at $75 per month. 



Wyoming. Lester V. Branch, assistant engineer, 

 at $1,600, by promotion from irrigation engineer at 

 $1,400. 



Utah. William D. Beers, assistant engineer, at 

 $1,200, by promotion from engineer aid, $1,000 ; D. W. 

 Hays, assistant engineer, at $1,400, by promotion from 

 same at $1,200 ; Clyde V. Taylor, assistant engineer, at 

 $1,400, by promotion from same at $1,200; August H. 

 Schadler, engineering aid, at $900, by promotion from 

 same at $720. 



The gaging station maintained by the United States 

 Geological Survey on the Big Sioux River at Watertown, 

 S. D., has been ordered discontinued for the reason that 

 data for same is of a value not commensurate with cost 

 of maintenance. 



HISTORY OF PUMPING WATER.* 



Wonderful Development of Plants for Irrigating Pur- 

 poses and Their Use in New Mexico. 



A long delayed answer to "Housewife's" inquiry : 

 "Which is the best way to cook a watermelon?" Hav- 

 ing submitted the query to various cooking schools and 

 daily paper cookery departments, without receiving any 

 reply, we are obliged to confess that we don't know. 



BY JOHN J. VERNON AND FRANCIS E. LESTER. 

 New Mexico College of Agriculture. 



EQUIPMENT. 



The derrick used consisted of a ladder, made of 



3 by 8 inch pine, 22 feet long, with an extension piece 



4 by 6 inches, 6 feet long, in the end of which was 

 placed a pulley. Three 11/4 inch guy ropes were iM'il 

 to hold the derrick in position (see Fig. 2). Any form 

 of derrick may be used, provided, of course, it is stable 

 and of sufficient height to allow ample space between 



the end of the pipe and the pulley for the 

 free play of the sand-bucket and drill. 



The sand-bucket used was of the piston 

 or plunger type. (See Fig. 3.) This type 

 of sand-bucket operates on the same prin- 

 ciple as a suction pump, by simply letting 

 the plunger to the bottom of the -sand- 

 Inieket, raising it up and down a few times, 

 until sufficient sand and gravel is drawn by 

 suction into the bucket with the water, 

 raising the sand-bucket out from the well, 

 emptying it, and lowering it again into the 

 well. A cheap sand-bucket which will do 

 satisfactory work may be made by any black- 

 smith, by putting a bail 011 the top, and a 

 valve in the bottom, of an ordinary pipe. 

 This pipe should be slightly smaller than 

 the well pipe, and from 3 to 5 feet long. 

 The length, however, may vary, but should 

 be such as to be conveniently handled. ( See 

 Fig. 4.) With this type of sand-bucket, 

 the whole bucket must be moved up and 



Fig. 3. Coin- ...ii- 



mon type of down in filling, requiring more 

 :t 'work than the plunger type 

 above described. It is, however, a lighter 

 bucket, which compensates somewhat for 

 the extra effort in filling. It is usually 

 best to raise the sand-bucket up some dis- 

 tance, and allow it to drop, as by coming 

 down with some force, the water and 

 sand open the valve in the bottom and 

 rush inside. 



The drill used was simply a piece of 

 steel half an inch thick, three inches wide, 

 eighteen inches long, properly pointed 

 and hardened. This was threaded so as 

 to be attached to a l^-mch pipe, eighteen 

 to twenty feet in length, in order to give 

 it weight. A ring wag fastened in the 

 upper end of the pipe in which to tie the 

 rope. (See Fig. 5.) 



A %-inch rope 200 feet long was 

 used on the sand-bucket and drill. In 

 sinking a well, the length of the rope will 

 depend upon the depth of the well, 

 height of the derrick, whether or not 

 a horse is used, and if so, whether the 

 filling is done by a horse or by men. This, 

 however, will be more fully explained in F 'B- * of 1 ""*" 

 discussing the sinking of the well. bucket used in 



IT, j. i j i sinking station 



Two sets of heavy wooden clamps wc n. 



* From Bulletin No. 45 issued bv the New Mexico College of Agriculture 

 and Mechanic Arts, Mesilla Park, N! M. 



