82 



THE IREIGATION AGE. 



PRACTICAL AND INDEPENDENT IRRIGA- 

 GATION DEVELOPMENT 



Progressive agriculturists are realizing that 

 irrigation properly applied is as valuable an asset 

 in New England and Florida as it is in the arid 

 regions of the West. Irrigation in the so-called 

 "wet belt" is beyond the experimental stage; New 

 England is showing results almost marvelous in 

 market garden, tobacco field and orchard. Reports 

 are frequently made in Massachusetts and Connec- 

 ticut of lands yielding under irrigation from three 

 to four-fold greater than exactly similar areas de- 

 pendent for moisture upon the vagaries of the 

 weather. 



The net work of electric power lines rapidly 

 spreading over the country, the perfection of the 

 internal combustion engine and the design of highly 

 efficient and low-cost pumping machinery make 

 practicable the independent irrigation development. 

 In all parts of the country the land owner with his 

 own pumping plant to supply irrigation for his acre- 

 age has an insurance on his crops against freezing 

 and against a possible dry season that is infinitely 

 more valuable than fire insurance on his buildings. 

 No anxious watching of the sky for rain on the hot 

 summer days of drought when other crops are dry- 

 ing up for lack of water. No rueful contemplation 

 of a partial crop that is hardly sufficient to pay 

 expenses. Sunshine, warmth and water are essen- 

 tial to plant growth, and to the man with an irriga- 

 tion system the continuance of clear, hot days is 

 most welcome. As when the ground is rich with 

 moisture in the springtime the first bright warm 

 days bring to life all vegetation, so the hot days of 

 summer need but the assistance of moisture to bring 

 the crops to sure and full fruition. 



Although the farmer has a choice of several 

 different methods of distributing water to the 

 crops, a great deal has to be taken into consideration 

 as to which is the most economical and satisfactory 

 method. The topography of the land, the kind of 

 soil, the character of the crop to be irrigated, the 

 labor required and the ease of cultivation are among 

 the factors which are instrumental in this determ- 

 ination. In the Western states it is usually found 

 {hat surface irrigation can best be done by means 

 of ditches, furrows or flooding. 



In the East, however, surface irrigation is fre- 

 quently impractical, as the necessary levelling of the 

 land might destroy the productiveness of the shal - 

 low soil. Furthermore, most forms of surface irri- 

 gation would demand that regularly shaped fields 

 with long rows be broken up into irregular ones to 

 conform to the varying levels of the land. The 

 system generally used is spraying from overhead 

 pipes, parallel lines of pipe being suspended forty 

 to sixty feet apart. The pipes are fitted with special 

 nozzles every few feet, these nozzles throwing a 

 fine stream which breaks into spray. Means are 

 provided for turning the pipes so that the inclination 

 of the streams varies and thus a practically even 

 distribution of water over the whola. field is 

 obtained. 



Among the large variety of pumping equipment 

 used for supplying water for irrigation projects none 

 has created such a great interest on the market as 



that shown in the illustration herewith. This pump 

 is a special horizontal double acting single cylinder 

 power pump built by The Deane Steam Pump Com- 

 pany of Holyoke, Mass. It undoubtedly represents 

 the most highly efficient piece of pumping ma- 

 chinery on the market designed especially to meet 

 the needs of the individual irrigator. 



The same care has been expended in the design 

 of this type of pump to prevent the transgression 

 of hydraulic laws as is usual in the layout of the 

 plans of the most important large city water works 

 pumping engines. In consequence, there is a total 

 absence of air pockets to decrease the volumetric 

 efficiency and cause pounding and valve troubles. 

 The waterways are short, direct and of large area. 

 The valves themselves are identically the same as 

 are used in pumping engines, and the valve areas 

 and flow velocities are computed on the same basis. 

 Though obviously more costly than the up-flow 

 type, the cylinder of the Deane "Model A" pump 

 has been made of the submerged piston type to 

 facilitate starting up without priming and after 

 protracted periods of disuse. Every part of the 

 pump, including the valve service, is accessible 

 without disconnection of either the suction or the 

 discharge pipe which, in itself, is a material ad- 

 vantage where pipe tools are difficult to obtain. All 

 gearing is accurately cut on automatic machinery 

 from solid blanks, insuring high mechanical effi- 

 ciency and smooth, quiet operation. A large num- 

 ber of these pumps are used in irrigation pumping 

 from rivers, brooks, ditches or lakes to heights de- 

 pending upon the particular farm on which they 

 are used. Irrigation pumping is an especially severe 

 service but these pumps are entirely suitable for 

 driving by any power. 



The Model "A" pump is exceptionally service- 

 able for operation from small internal-combustion 

 engines. It is arranged for belt drive, both tight 

 and loose pulleys being furnished. This arrange- 

 ment is in general most satisfactory being quiet, 

 efficient and flexible. In this way gear noises are 

 practically eliminated. The engine may be used 

 either for pumping or for any of the other purposes 

 for which it may be needed on the farm. The econ- 

 omy of the internal-combustion engine is so well 

 known as to require little comment, yet it will be 

 of interest to know that by the use of one of these 

 model "A" pumps and a gasoline or kerosene engine 

 (such as that manufactured by the International Gas 

 Engine Company, Cudahy, Wis.), 20.000 gallons of 

 water can be lifted approximately 50 feet by the use 

 of about one gallon of gasoline or oil. In addition 

 to this very economical operation, the whole outfit 

 is so simple that it can easily be operated by ordi- 

 nary labor. 



Among the many points of superiority in the 

 Model "A" pump can be mentioned the simplicity 

 of design which involves the fewest possible number 

 of parts consistent with efficient and successful 

 operation. The base and the cylinders are of excep- 

 tionally heavy and rigid construction. The cylinder 

 is brass-lined, thus preventing rusting, and this lining 

 can be replaced in case of wear, making an inexpen- 

 sive cylinder renewal. The crank and pinionshaft 

 bearings are long, and perfect alignment is assured 

 by heavily ribbing the casting containing them. 



