260 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
June, 1915 
the nozzle line along a fence at the side of 
the garden, it will save the trouble of put- 
ting in wood or pipe posts to support it, 
and be inconspicuous. At the top of the 
riser at the beginning of the line, use another 
elbow, and a valve. (The type of valve 
called a “gate” valve is the best, as it inter- 
feres least with the flow of water.) If only 
one nozzle line is used, no valve will be 
necessary, as the water can be turned on 
and off from the house, if near by. Next to 
the valve comes the turning union, which 
also contains a strainer, to clean the water 
and prevent clogging of the nozzles. Most 
of these are so designed that they can be 
cleaned or flushed out without taking them 
apart. The nozzle-line is turned from one 
side to the other by means of a short handle 
in this turning union. The nozzle-line 
itself is screwed directly into this union. 
The nozzles are inserted every three or four 
feet, according to type used and water 
pressure available. In order to have the 
water distributed evenly, it is necessary 
to have the nozzles exactly in line along the 
pipe, and inserted at right angles. For a 
small outfit it is about as cheap to buy the 
pipe ready drilled with the nozzles inserted. 
Where one wishes to buy his pipe locally, 
however, and put the nozzles in himself, 
there are drills made particularly for this 
work which clamp firmly onto the pipe, 
and having a small level attached, by means 
of which the nozzle holes may easily be 
drilled in an exact line, and true; the holes 
are bored and threaded for the nozzles at 
one operation. Local dealers in many sec- 
tions are now carrying overhead irrigation 
supplies, and usually the use of a drilling 
machine may be obtained at a small cost 
where you buy your nozzles and fittings. 
By purchasing a “ready-made” system 
you can get an outfit that can be put to- 
gether with an ordinary monkey wrench, 
all you need supply is the water and the 
supports. The supports for the nozzle-line 
may be of either wood or pipe. Second 
hand gas pipe, which is cheap, neat, long- 
lasting, and can be painted white or an 
attractive green, makes an ideal support. 
Special fittings, with rollers for the pipe 
to turn on, which will fit into the tops of 
such pipe posts without the bother of 
threading them, can be obtained for a few 
cents each. 
The sprinkler type of irrigation needs no 
special fitting at the beginning of the line 
except a strainer, and not even that if the 
water is clear. The valve for turning the 
water on and off should be over thirty feet 
away from the first sprinkler, in order that 
one may turn it off without getting “ rained” 
on. Where more than 
one line of sprinklers 
are used, they should 
be placed zig-zag, or 
between instead of 
opposite each other 
on adjacent rows. 
Either system can 
be used in a portable 
form. To use the noz- 
zle-line system this 
way, some of the special couplings to be 
had should be obtained, so that the sections 
of the line can be readily taken apart and 
put together without the use of pipe-tools, 
and keeping the alignment of the nozzles 
perfect. One can be taken apart and put 
together by hand, without even a monkey 
wrench. Another type, instead of the two 
projecting pins has a square opening or 
collar, so that in putting it together the 
nozzles are brought into line automatically. 
Portable supports may be made by forming 
tripods of three small stakes fastened to- 
gether at one end, with a stout wire hook, 
or a special hook roller-support, suspended 
Two pins in the union of this system as.ure alignment of 
nozzles 
For portable lines, easily detachable couplings are put to- 
gether or taken apart by hand 
a few inches below the top. It is generally 
more convenient, however, to have a line 
of stakes for each place the nozzle line is 
to be used, so that it can be moved from one 
to the other. The sprinkling system can be 
There are many types of irrigation nozzles, each fitted to a special form of spray. Here are a few samples 
made portable by simply inserting the 
stand-pipe supporting the sprinkler in an 
ordinary “T” fitting, the lower opening of 
which is closed with a hardwood plug hav- 
ing a tapering point, which can be pushed 
into the ground to hold it in an upright 
position. It can then be attached to either 
pipe or your regular hose and moved about 
like a lawn sprinkler, except that, as it 
covers a circle some fifty feet in diameter in 
each position, it will have to be changed but 
a few times to cover the ordinary sized place. 
No matter how desirable any garden ac- 
cessory may be, of course the question of 
cost must be considered. Considering that 
it does its work practically automatically, 
will last indefinitely with little or no ex- 
pense for “repairs” (there is nothing to 
wear out but the valve packing), and the 
results it makes possible, the cost of an 
overhead irrigating system is very little. 
The cost of items required for a hundred- 
foot nozzle line would be, approximately, 
f-inch gate valves, 75c.; turning union, 
galvanized, $2; 100 feet f-inch galvanized 
pipe, $5 to $7; 25 to 33 nozzles at 5c., $1.25 
to $1.65; long nipple, cap, and elbow. 10c. 
each, 30c. This makes a total of $9.30 to 
$11.70 for the nozzle line, complete. The 
posts, which should be placed every twelve 
or fifteen feet, would cost 10 to 25 cents 
apiece more, making a dollar or two addi- 
tional. Under ordinary conditions, where 
the garden is not more than a hundred feet 
or so from the house or water supply, $15 to 
$20 will cover the entire cost of a ioo-foot 
line, capable of irrigating a garden 100 by 50 
feet, or, if moved once to either side, a gar- 
den 150 by 100 feet; in the latter case of 
course, another 100 feet of supply pipe 
would be required. The cost of a sprinkler 
system for the same size garden would be, 
valve 75c.; 100 feet pipe, $5; two risers, 
60c.; two sprinklers, $6; fittings, 30c., a 
total of $12.65 or a little more, according to 
the cost of pipe. 
Here are a few suggestions about apply- 
ing the water by the overhead system. As 
a matter of economy it is better to turn 
on the water late in the afternoon, and to 
use it on quiet rather than windy days, so 
there will be the least waste from evapor- 
ation. Also, if possible, use it while you are 
working in the garden or about the place, 
as the nozzle-lines have to be turned only 
every half hour to an hour, according to 
the water pressure and the amount of 
“rain” wanted, but it is very easy to for- 
get all about it if you are doing something 
else, and the ground may be over-watered, 
to the injury of the crops, especially if you 
have heavy land or a clay subsoil. A good 
time to water is a day 
or two after each 
weeding or hoeing, 
after the weeds have 
had a chance to die. 
Don’t water just 
afterward or you will 
reroot all the weeds 
you thought to have 
killed, and find them 
firmly established. 
