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THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



HOW TO DO YOUR OWN LEVELING. 



The proper grade of ditches is a very important consid- 

 eration in irrigation as well as in drainage ; for important and 

 large systems it is best to have such ditches laid out by a lev- 

 eler under the direction of a competent hydraulic engineer. 

 For small properties involving only a moderate area the owner 

 can hardly afford the services of professional men to lay out 

 his ditches, and this article is designed to help him out to do 

 this work himself quite satisfactorily. The first thing for him 

 to do is to build himself a leveling frame as indicated in the 

 accompanying drawing which is a detail plan showing all 

 necessary dimensions. The lumber used should be preferably 

 seasoned white pine surfaced four sides, about 4 inches wide 

 and about 5^-inch or J4-inch thick. The two inclined pieces, 

 A B and A C, are each 7.27 ft. (just a trifle over 7 ft. 3 inches) 

 long, both cut square at A but inhered at the other end as 

 shown in plan, the angle ABC and A C B each being 45 de- 

 grees and the angle at A being 90 degrees. The cross piece 

 D E is just 7 ft. 6 in. long from D to E, hence it must be 

 made long enough to reach across the side boards A B and 

 A C; the distance A F must measure just half of this or 3 ft. 

 9 in. ; the center lines should be drawn with pencil as A B and 

 A C and a screw eye fastened into point A, from which 

 should be suspended a plumb bob G by a strong thread A G. 

 The base line will then measure just 10 ft. from B to C and 

 the plumb bob should just clear the lower edge of the board 

 D E; the point A will be just 5 ft. above the ground line. If 

 the frame is made by a carpenter it will be best to mortice 



the three boards together at A, D and E so that it makes a 

 flush finish, the three surfaces of the triangle lying in the same 

 plane. However, a perfectly satisfactory job can be made by 

 screwing the parts together as indicated in the ground plan of 



the sketch and inserting a filler block at E which brings the 



position on edge D E by setting the frame upon a level sur- 

 face and marking the position of the plumb bob zero at F; 

 then raise one leg of the frame, say B, until it is just 4 inches 

 higher than point A ; then the plumb bob line A G will inter- 

 sect line D E at a point H between G and E; mark this point 

 4 inches and divide the distance between F and H into 4 

 equal parts, each of which represents a difference of level of 

 one inch between B and C. The same thing is done by rais- 

 ing point C 4 inches above B and the graduation is then con- 

 tinued in both directions, with subdivision of Yz or y\ inches 

 according to the degree of accuracy required. By using the 

 dimensions shown the difference of one inch in elevation be- 

 tween B and C corresponds to a variation of J^-inch on the 

 line D E; the graduation should be carefully made by using 

 dividers and should be cut into the board by a keen knife edge 

 and then the line should be filled with ink so that it shows 

 plainly on the board. Also the numbers should show plainly 

 from zero either way although it will not be necessary to name 

 the halves and quarters as they can be readily read off when 

 the instrument is in use and the full inches are marked off. 

 An application and how to make a record of the readings 

 taken and how to plot same and make use of them for prac- 

 tical purposes will be shown in the August issue of IRRIGATION 

 AGE. 



What can be done on an irrigated farm, with scientific 

 methods is shown by P. P. Vallery, an old-time rancher of 

 Sonoma near Belle Fourche, S. D. Mr. Vallery has been 

 raising hogs and in the last year has shipped out $1,500 

 worth, the last shipment being sixty head to a Rapid City 

 packing company, for which he received $9.15, the top 

 price. Other hogs, averaging 250 pounds dressed, and 

 only 8 months old, he killed for his own use. These were 

 fed on macarona wheat and corn of which he had a 

 bumper crop. 



line D E parallel to the base line B C. The graduation should 

 be made on the lower edge of the board D E as indicated. 

 It stands to reason that, if the contrivance is placed on 

 a level surface, the plumb bob line must cross the line D E 

 in the center F, so the point F is made the zero point. If 

 the frame stands on sloping ground, for instance let point C 

 be higher than point B, then the plumb bob line moves toward 

 D in a certain proportion to the distance that C is higher than 

 B. This proportion is easily determined. The best way to 

 make the graduation is as follows : First, determine the level 



PERSONAL. 



Mr. E. C. Finney, formerly of the Interior Department, 

 has resigned and announces that he has formed a partner- 

 ship with Mr. John M. Rankin, with offices in the Maryland 

 building, Washington, D. C. They give special attention to 

 all matters before the Interior Department, but are also 

 prepared to undertake business before any of the executive 

 departments or to contest cases before the local courts or 

 the United States Supreme Court. 



