THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



PUMPS FOR IRRIGATION. 



(Special Correspondence.-)- 



In view of the fact that great interest has been 

 created in the subject of pump irrigation during the 

 past few years, THE IRRIGATION AGE has gone into 

 various fields to secure such information as it was con- 

 sidered would be of interest and value to its readers, 

 and has recently taken up the study of pumps to be 

 used for irrigation purposes. 



A recent visit to the Agricultural College of New 

 Mexico brought us in touch with the advanced work 

 carried on there by Professors Vernon and Lester, and 

 later on it was our privilege to visit points in California 

 and study that subject with manufacturers and actual 

 users of pumps along this line. While in California 

 we met Mr. A. T. Ames, manufacturer of pumping 

 machinery at Gait, who has established a good reputa- 

 tion throughout the western States on the Ames pumps. 

 While in the town of Gait, which is a small place from 

 which to turn out such quantities of goods as have been 

 manufactured by this firm, it was learned that Mr. 

 Ames has been contemplating for some time a change 

 of location where he could secure better railway facili- 

 ties, as well as more equitable freight rates, and that 

 gentleman is at the present time visiting cities in the 

 East with a view to securing a suitable location which 

 will be in every way more advantageous to the develop- 

 ment of his business. 



Mr. Ames is the pioneer in pumping water from 

 deep wells of small diameter for irrigation. He first 

 started in the capacity of general machinist, with a 

 small force, and subsequently reached out into the 

 windmill and pump line. Later he made a visit to 

 southern California to sell windmills and single acting 

 deep well pumps, and learned while there that thou- 

 sands of dollars were spent for irrigation in tunnels 

 through the mountains, canals, gravity systems of all 

 kinds, artesian wells and suction pump plants, but 

 failed to find any pump in all that section, so he in- 

 forms us, that would deliver an irrigating head from a 

 deep bored well of small diameter. He further states 

 that he went home and designed a double acting con- 

 tinuous flow deep well pump, the object of the continu- 

 ous flow being, first, to get the maximum amount of 

 water from a bored well. Second, to overcome the con- 

 cussion of starting the water column from rest each 

 time the plungers went over the center. Third, to re- 

 duce the power and fuel" consumption to the minimum. 



His first pump manufactured after this idea had 

 a capacity of 8,000 gallons per hour at a 100 foot lift 

 from a 7-inch bored well. Recently Mr. Ames has 

 manufactured a pump with a capacity of 20,000 gallons 

 an hour from a 12-inch bored well at 200 foot lift to 

 the surface, delivering the water 200 feet vertically 

 above the surface through four miles of pipe, if' re- 

 quired, with an efficiency of from 75 to 85 per cent, de- 

 pending on conditions. 



We are showing in connection herewith a series of 

 of illustrations of the Ames pumps in operation, which 

 will no doubt prove of interest to all those who have 



studied pump irrigation, and give them a more com- 

 prehensive idea of machinery of this class. The Ames 

 pump delivers a continuous stream with absolutely no 

 water hammer, which is common with some other makes 

 of pumps, and is particularly adapted to be driven by 

 electric power for the reason that the resistance to the 

 motive power is almost uniform. The motor is usually 

 connected by belt or may be connected direct by spur 

 gear and pinion. A farmer or rancher who has a 

 private irrigating system with a bored well, and one of 

 these pumps, is independent of nature's varying moods. 

 If the rains fail, he "gets water from the ground," and 

 so he saves money and mental anguish as well. 



These pumps are used largely in connection with 

 railway water supply, in city water works, as well as in 

 mining. As will be seen by the illustrations, several 

 varieties of pumps are made, in fact, five different 



MR. A. T. AMES, UALT, CAL. 



sizes with a range in capacity from 5 horsepower work 

 to 50 horsepower work, double acting deep well cylin- 

 ders, made in 22 sizes and lengths, with a capacity up 

 to 500 gallons per minute from a bored well, and in the 

 smaller diameters lifts \\p to 1,000 feet vertically. 

 Single acting cylinders with removable valves are also 

 made in twenty-five sizes and lengths, good for all lifts 

 up to 1,000 feet. Mr. Ames also makes tubular pro- 

 peller pumps for bored wells in three sizes, with capa- 

 cities up to 1,000 gallons per minute from twelve-inch 

 wells at 100 feet or more lift to the surface. 



We are showing with a collection of other illustra- 

 tions a half-tone photograph of the inventor and manu- 

 facturer, Mr. A. T. Ames. 



