138 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



PUMPING WATER EFFICIENTLY 



There are days when the irrigator who pumps his 

 water must ask himself whether or not he is doing it 

 efficiently. That is, for each dollar expended for fuel, 

 is he getting the maximum quantity of water on the 

 land. 



Development in the design of engines and pumps 

 for irrigating purposes has been very rapid during the 

 last few years, yet as one travels through the country 

 where water is being pumped it is surprising how many 

 plants are operating at a. low degree of efficiency. 



Frequently pumps of low efficiency are installed. 

 Stock pumps are frequently bought that are not 

 adapted to the conditions under which they are to 

 operate. 



More frequently, however, the principal cause of 

 inefficiency is in the installation or in the retaining of 

 an engine of a type that is expensive to operate due 

 to its being a type that has gone out of date and there- 

 fore not capable of using low grade fuels. 



The earlier engines used for pumping were of 

 the well known gasoline type. Then later came the 

 distillate engines which were practically the same as the 

 gasoline engines except that they were so modified as 

 to burn or partly burn the various distillates and kero- 

 sene. These distillate types had incorporated in their 

 construction the same systems of ignition as the gaso- 

 line engines and it is well known that electric and hot 

 tube systems of ignition have frequently been a source 

 of more or less trouble. 



The distillate types also drew in fuel with the in- 

 take air and in order to secure ignition it was necessary 

 to have the air and fuel always in the right proportions. 

 It was necessary to compress the fuel with the air and 

 this process caused preignition if the compression went 

 , higher than seventy or eighty pounds. This limitation 

 is said to have kept down the economy of that type of 

 engine. 



Later there came on the market what is known as 

 the semi-Diesel or injector type of engine. Ip this 

 type only air is compressed and that to a desirably 

 high pressure and likewise high temperature. On this 

 type fuel is injected into the combustion chamber at 

 the right time and in the form of a fine spray. The 

 High temperature obtained by a greater compression 

 permits the use of the lowest grades of heavy fuel oil. 

 In this type of engine, not only are the cheapest grades 

 of fuel used but less oil is used to produce the same 

 power. 



In the earliest designs of semi-Diesel engines the 

 mistake was made of retaining the trunk piston which 

 had been in use for a long time on most gasoline en- 

 gines. As a result of this construction there has been 

 in all districts where much pumping is done a good 

 many failures on account of worn pistons and cylinders. 

 This difficulty could have been avoided had a cross 

 head construction been used and a few makers have 

 from the first used that construction with excellent 

 results. 



The time is now here when there is no excuse for 

 including in the construction of a new plant an engine 

 of any type but the most recent. It is being demon- 

 strated constantly that where one of the earlier types 

 are now in use it is far better to discontinue its use, 

 even though it may be a new engine, and buy in its 

 place a new and up-to-date type. These later tvpes of 

 engines are dependable and they will burn efficiently 

 the cheapest grades of fuel and while such a change 



means added investment yet without question it is be- 

 ing proven that the investment will yield good returns 

 through the added economy. (Advertisement.) 



A good stream of water on the B. & W. Ranch, 



Ganado, Texas. The water is pumped with a Loomis 

 Oil Engine and is used for rice irrigation. This en- 

 gine replaced one of the old type. 



THE LAUSON KEROSENE ENGINE 



The John Lauson Manufacturing Company of 

 New Holstein, Wis., have recently brought out a new 

 kerosene engine which simplifies the method of hand- 

 ling the fuel and makes a kerosene engine as easy to 

 start and operate as any gasoline engine. 



The engine starts on gasoline and after running 

 a few minutes in order to heat the cylinder walls, the 

 cheaper fuel is turned on by means of a fuel changing 

 lever without the necessity. of further adjusting the 

 fuel needle valve. 



The air is drawn into the carburetor from a pre- 

 heater through which the hot exhaust gases pass, 

 through warming the air to prevent freezing on account 

 of the water feed. 



After exhaustive tests in the laboratory of the 

 company it was conclusively proven that any heating 

 of the charge after it leaves the carburetor or atomizer 

 (as it may be more aptly called) not only decreases the 

 maximum horse-power of the engine, but also the 

 efficiency. It was also proven that kerosene can be 

 handled successfully in an engine without any heat 

 i>eing applied. This was done by maintaining a high 

 velocity at the point where the fuel is admitted into the 

 incoming air and keeping the velocity high regardless 

 of the load. With this system the engine will pull as 

 well on kerosene as gasoline and will generate as much 

 power per gallon of fuel. 



The kerosene is drawn through a small opening 

 by a high veolcity of air which is controlled .by a barrel 



