wtih 
’ however. 
JUNE, 1916 
iit GARDEN MAGAZINE 
299 
to cover a total area part of the ground 
in this system is covered twice, or else 
dry areas are left between the different 
circles as the fixture is moved from 
place to place. This is somewhat ob- 
viated by having the water broken up 
into a fine mist. Under such circum- 
stances a much larger part of the water 
than is necessary is evaporated, how- 
_ ever, and if there is any wind the spray 
will blow about without regard for the 
particular area which it is intended to 
wet. There are nozzles which throw a 
rectangular spray; in large areas they 
reduce the waste from overlapping. 
They can be arranged to cover a narrow 
strip and may be used with considerable 
accuracy along edges of walks, etc. 
On lawn and small herbaceous plant- 
ings the nozzle should be as low as pos- 
sible to reduce the waste from evapora- 
tion and the drifting of spray. In tall 
shrubberies, however, the water must 
fall from a height to overcome the va- 
rious obstructions in twigs and leaves. 
As a matter of fact, it is usually neces- 
sary to supplement any spray system 
with flooding or hand watering. 
When it comes to selecting a nozzle 
I would remember that a fine mist-like 
spray is usually the best, being espe- 
cially necessary in watering tender 
crops and on steeply sloping ground. 
One can cover a larger area with a 
coarse spray, given the same pressure, 
Consequently on lawns and 
larger shrubbery it is often best to use 
it. But it is apt to result in less even 
distribution of water. For all-round 
use one should have a nozzle which can 
be adjusted to fine or coarse spray. 
With most of the apparatus the finer 
spray falls more uniformly over the 
whole area covered. Indeed objection 
to adjustable nozzles is that they are 
apt to vary in uniformity of distribu- 
tion. It is possible to get sprinklers 
which distribute water uniformly, how- 
ever, as fine or coarse spray. The way 
to test any apparatus is to set a series 
of bowls at intervals of three feet from 
the sprinkler to the limit of the area 
covered in a Straight line. If all the 
bowls fill with equal rapidity the water 
distribution is uniform. 
All sprinklers are more or less apt to 
clog up with dirt. Naturally those with 
numerous small perforations are the 
worst offenders. It is now possible to 
get a sprinkler with a single large fun- 
nel shaped aperture into which a cone 
shaped piece of metal fits upside down. 
By serewing this cone farther down in 
the funnel one gets finer and finer 
It is quite practical to have the irrigation pipes fol- 
low the contour of the ground and agree with curves 
in walks, ete. 
spray. It is so made that the distribu- 
tion, whether fine or coarse, is always 
uniform. It is almost impossible for 
such a nozzle to get out of order. And 
if it clogs it takes but a moment to clean 
Types of Sprinklers in General Use 
A. The spray made by numerous small 
perforations, either fixed or revolv- 
ing. Usually easily clogged—some 
sorts durable but usually not. 
From cheap to rather expensive. 
B. Spray from fixed nozzle with single 
aperture. Not easily clogged; dur- 
able. 
C. Spray from single nozzle with revolv- 
ing spoon, ete. Liable to clog; 
coarse spray; not durable. 
D. Spray from one or more revolving 
jets. Cover large areas; vary in 
other respects. 
E. Series of nozzles on a long portable 
or fixed pipe. Good for large areas. 
F. Other fixed systems. 
it out. With any nozzle it is an advan- 
tage to be able to take it apart easily 
for cleaning. Some of the manufactur- 
ers try to avoid the difficulty by putting 
strainers in the pipe. But in time the 
strainers themselves clog and are trou- 
blesome to clean. Especially in sys- 
tems of fixed nozzles they must be so 
accurately constructed as to operate 
uniformly through a long period of 
time. ; 
In regard to “ornamental” sprinklers, 
it is necessary to ask oneself whether 
the appearance or the efficiency as an 
apparatus for irrigating is the more im- 
portant function. There is not space in 
this article to take up the question of 
“ornamental” water. Efficiency is the 
thing and most “ornamental” sprinklers 
do not distribute the water most ef- 
fectively in proportion to the pressure. 
They are apt to be unwieldy and un- 
durable—I was about to say, unendur- 
able. 
Several times I have had occasion to 
mention the water pressure. This is a 
much more important matter than at 
first appears. The ordinary pressure 
with a good town or city supply is apt 
to be between thirty and fifty pounds 
per square inch, but in many places it 
falls as low as fifteen pounds per square 
inch. 
Any apparatus which makes the 
slightest pretense should operate with 
maximum effect under a pressure of 
fifty pounds. But at fifteen pounds it is 
quite a different matter. I would not ad- 
vise the same sprinkler for high as for 
low pressure. The only thing to do is to 
know what your own water pressure is 
and buy accordingly. As a rule the 
greater the pressure the finer the spray. 
It is well to remember that the pressure 
is reduced by every extra foot of pipe 
or hose owing to the friction. This is 
an especially serious matter with small 
size hose. So one must look ahead to see 
how long the pipe and hose will be, 
making allowances for the reduction in 
pressure after the water has entered the 
first supply pipe. 
The pressure is also very much re- 
duced when the water is used for more 
than one opening at a time. We see ex- 
amples of this every day when half a 
dozen faucets are drawing water simul- 
taneously in a house. The moral of that 
is to have a large water supply pipe no 
matter what the pressure. A 2-inch 
pipe is none too much for the average 
garden, though few are larger than one 
inch. Of course it is nonsense to have 
a 2-inch garden supply pipe extension 
of a l-inch or 14-inch main supply. 
With a large supply pipe and a good 
head one can cover a given area with 
the least possible waste of time and 
labor. 
For large pleasure lawns, tennis courts, etc., some adequate means of summer watering is necessary. If these are to be played over,a revolving movable spray fed by hose 
, ’ 
is best; but some permanent installation is often possible. 
It is important to get a proportionately even distribution over the circle 
