WOOD PIPE FOR CONVEYING IRRIGATION WATER. 29 
may be made of a heavy piece of timber about 5 feet long. The pipe 
is usually driven from the coupling or mortised end. 
Defiections of from 2° to 6° per joint can be made with this kind of 
pipe, but a straight line is desirable, and crooks in either vertical 
or horizontal alignment should be avoided as far as possible. Where 
curves are necessary, short sections of pipe may be obtained for the 
purpose. Greater deflections can be made with small pipe than with 
large sizes. 
The backfilling around curves should be thoroughly tamped or 
puddled, as a precaution against blowing out under pressure, and 
metal bends and plugs should also be well staked or reinforced, for 
the same reason. 
To make best progress in laying this kind of pipe a crew of from 
four to eight men is required, the number depending on the size of 
the pipe. The amount that can be laid in a day varies with the 
size of the pipe, experience of the crew, and other conditions. 
The Pacific Coast Pipe Co. estimates the cost of laying western 
pipe at from 14 cents per foot for 4-inch to 5 cents per foot for 24- 
inch, exclusive of all distribution along ditch and earthwork. The 
Portland Wood Pipe Co. estimates the cost of laying different sizes 
as follows: 4-inch, 1 cent per foot; 6-inch and 8-inch, 14 cents; 10- 
inch, 2 cents; 12-inch, 24 cents, distribution and earthwork not in- 
cluded. P. A. Devers, manager Pasco Reclamation Co., Pasco, 
Wash., gives the cost of laying pipe at Pasco, as follows: For sizes 
from 8 inches to 14 inches in diameter the labor cost for excavation 
and installation varies from 8 cents to 10 cents per linear foot, ac- 
cording to size. Trenches for some of the larger pipes were exca- 
vated by contract at 25 cents per cubic yard. For installing several 
miles of 6-inch pipe, the trenching and other labor cost was about 6 
cents per linear foot. The rate of wages is not given, but presumably 
laborers were paid from $2 to $2.50 per day of 10 hours. Trenches 
were probably not more than 2 feet deep, and the material excavated 
was mainly a sandy soil. In gravel the cost was increased 15 to 20 
per cent, according to the statement of Mr. Devers. 
MAINTENANCE OF WOOD-PIPE LINES. 
It should not be assumed that large continuous stave pipe lines 
when once installed will forever after take care of themselves. 
Reasonably frequent inspection is advisable, and whenever leaks 
are found, or injuries of any nature are sustained, they should be re- 
paired without unnecessary delay. Negligence in this respect and 
failure to appreciate the importance of such inspection has not only 
shortened the life of many pipe lines, but has in some instances 
greatly increased the cost of repairing. The continued impinging 
of a grit laden jet from a small leak has been known to sever steel 

