IRRIGATION IN FLORIDA. 61 



hand. This type of pump is made with one (simplex), two (du- 

 plex), and three (triplex) cylinders. They are built to fit any type 

 of water supply and in sizes to deliver any quantity of water for 

 both high and low pressure. All three types mentioned are used in 

 Florida with satisfaction. Displacement pumps are more costly 

 than the centrifugal pumps, ranging from $1 to $4 per gallon per 

 minute capacity, but the smaller sizes are much more efficient in 

 many cases. These pumps range in efficiency from 50 to 75 per cent, 

 but wear rapidly if there is grit in the water and need more adjust- 

 ing and attention than centrifugal pumps to maintain their efficiency. 



Practically the only types of power available in Florida are steam, 

 gas, or oil. Gasoline or kerosene engines will be chosen in most cases, 

 steam engines being used only where wood is cheap and the engine 

 can be bought at a reasonable price. Electrical power in Florida is 

 too expensive for use at the present time. The use of windmills is 

 also impracticable for an area greater than a half acre, since a wind- 

 mill requires the construction of a reservoir for irrigation purposes 

 and a reservoir of sufficient size is more costly than a good pumping 

 plant. Windmills are used for irrigation in the West, but soil con- 

 ditions there permit the construction of cheap earth reservoirs, which 

 is not the case in Florida. Current wheels and water wheels need 

 not be considered here, as their use in the State is practically 

 negligible. 



The design of a pumping plant should not be undertaken by any- 

 one unfamiliar with the technical factors entering into each case. 

 The most certain method for a farmer to follow in obtaining a well- 

 designed plant is to employ an engineer to make a survey and deter- 

 mine these factors, which should be submitted to several pump and 

 engine dealers for their proposals. The proposals then can be com- 

 pared and the most adaptable plant selected. The principal factors 

 which the engineer should determine may be listed as follows : 



1. The capacity and character of the water supply. 



2. The kind of power to be used. 



3. A description of the pumping site. 



4. The type of distribution system to be installed and the pressure neces- 



sary to operate same. 



5. The amount of water to be pumped per minute. 



6. The elevation of the highest point of land above the water level when 



the pumping plant is running. 



7. The length, type, and size of main pipe leading from the water supply 



to the point in the field where the water is to be delivered to the 

 distribution system. 



It is well to place these factors in the form of simple specifications 

 and call for full descriptions and guarantees of the machinery pro- 

 posed to be furnished, with prices quoted on the materials delivered 

 at the nearest railroad station. 



