FLORIDA ,STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
149 
larities of the soil it is impossible to use 
the first mentioned system to advantage, 
and that while he wishes to hold expense 
down as low as possible he is at the same 
time a believer in the sprinkling system of 
irrigation, also that the natural and fric¬ 
tion heads are so great that he cannot use 
a single stage Centrifugal pump. In this 
case we would recommend that he lay his 
main pipe throughout center of tract to 
be irrigated and have lateral pipes proper¬ 
ly proportioned, gradually increasing 
from ends up to main, laid on each side 
of main in every third or in every fifth 
middle, depending, of course, on the dis¬ 
tance apart trees are planted. Then along 
these lateral pipes between every third or 
fifth row have hydrant stands for connect¬ 
ing hose. He would use as many pieces 
of hose as were necessary to take up the 
capacity of his pump and of sufficient 
length to reach all intervening squares be¬ 
tween hydrants, the distribution to be 
through sprinkler stands placed on ends 
of these hose. If water supply is obtain¬ 
ed from lake or from a well where the 
supply comes close to the surface and is 
free from- grit, a high pressure Rotary 
pump can be used to advantage. If, how¬ 
ever, there should be considerable sedi¬ 
ment in the water it would be best to use 
a multiple stage Centrifugal pump that 
would not be affected by the grit, and to 
use strainers on the sprinklers. In fact, 
on account of their extreme simplicity 
and durability the different makes of 
Two-Stage pumps are rapidly taking the 
place of many of the more expensive 
types. Their efficiency may not be quite 
as great to start with, but their deteriora¬ 
tion is not so great. This method of ir¬ 
rigation is now used quite extensively, 
and there are many members of this asso¬ 
ciation using it. 
Finally, we will suppose that our seeker 
after irrigation information is located on 
the comparatively flat but very porous 
soils found in the lake regions of Polk 
and Orange counties and other portions 
of the State where flooding and most 
other systems would be out of the ques¬ 
tion. We will also suppose that he wishes 
the best system that money will buy, one 
that will wet his lands perfectly in a short 
time, and at the same time gently so that 
the soil will not be washed or packed, 
and which can be operated at a minimum 
expense. Under these conditions no mat¬ 
ter what crops he may wish to grow, he 
will select an engine of large power and 
a pump of large capacity. He will use 
very large main pipes to supply a system 
of laterals placed 25 to 35 ft. apart of 
such proportions as are necessary to sup¬ 
ply and give a uniform pressure to sprink¬ 
lers placed on stands 5 to 10 ft. high and 
2 5 to 35 apart along these laterals. At 
intersection of each of these laterals with 
main he will have a cut-off valve so that 
he can turn on as many of the lines of 
sprinklers as his pump will supply at a 
sufficient pressure so that the water from 
the sprinklers will over lap between. All 
the pipe system except sprinkler stands, 
will, of course, be buried deep enough 
to be out of the way of cultivation. If 
properly proportioned and installed this 
will be an ideal Florida irrigating plant. 
The only draw back to the extensive 
use of this last mentioned system has been 
the large initial expense of installation 
as the Rival type of sprinklers usually 
