The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-31
IRRIGATION OF ARID LAND.
What the Department OF Agriculture II
Doing Toward Desert Reclamation.

IRRIGATION OF ARID LAND.
What the Department OF Agriculture IL
Doing Toward Desert Reclamation.
WASHINGTON CITY, Aug. 30.-lSpecial. i
The department of agriculture is doing
very little work at present in connection
with the irrigation of arid lands. or in pur-
suing experiments in that direction. A
visit to the department and a talk with
officials Of the irrigation bureau in that
department shows that at present the
principal line Of work in connection with
irrigation is the preparation of a report on
artesian well machinery, and also on va
rious other devices for raising water and
showing the farmer how to properly dis
tribute the water on the land by means of
pipe lines, fumes. etc. This report, it is
evident, will be popular one when COM
pieted, because it will give to the people
just the information that they require out
in the West where irrigation of soil is
necessary to make it tillable. The farmers
in the Western states. where there is not
plenty of natural water to grow their crops,
are seeking all the time to know after
they get water by irrigation methods
what is the best manner to apply it in an
economic way. The report that is being
prepared by the irrigation bureau of the
agricultural department will show them
systems that will be practicable tor putting
down artesian wells. There will be one
kind of machinery used in South Dakota,
for instance, and it will not be used in other
sections of the country. The aim of the
department is to get the kind Of machine
the farmers can best use in their district,
where they have not got so much money
to investigate with. and the department is
anxious to put before the people such in
formation as will be valuable and cheap
for them in pursuing this line of policy.
The report in course Of preparation de-
scribes the different kinds Of artesian wells
and it will be filled with descriptive cuts
and illustrations.
At the department it was said that ex-
periments in this line would probably be
renewed in October.
With the limited appropriations the
bureau will not be able to do any great
amount Of work, SO far as the matter of
experiments is concerned. The aim of
the officials of this department now seems
to be to inform the farmers Of the best
methods to make use of the water that is
now available to them and to distribute
and apply it to the land to get the best
results.
In connection with the report on ar
tesian wells machinery, ETC., it is stated
that it is essentially different from any
ever published in this or any other coun-
try.
1t will be prepared so as to apply to all
the arid land districts in the West.
A summary of the report on machinery
will show the best method of sinking and
constructing driven and gang wells. 1t
will show the different methods of sink
ing wells by revolving and jetty processes,
etc.
There will be description of the Da-
kota system, the oil we'll rig and several
other systems, which will show the most
important and improved methods of sink
ing wells under all conditions, so that the
seeker for information will know which
would be the system best suited for use in
his locality.
There will be illustrations OF all the diff
ferent kinds Of we'll outfits, showing the
construction and operation of sinking
wells. There will be descriptions and
illustrations of the best and most econom-
ical irrigation pumps, such as the pulso-
meter, centrifugal, electric, compressed
air pumps, etc; the Hogeland water ele-
vator. endless chain water buckets, etc.
In addition to this there will be descrip-
tons and illustrations of the most i'm
proved kinds of windmils-those that are
suitable for different classes of work,
ranging from $40 to $500 each. In this
connection it is stated that this is a very
important feature of the proposed report
and it will give very valuable information
in this line. There will be descriptions
and illustrations of well casing showing
the best of all kinds now in use and the
methods of sinking them. A way will be
shown TO prevent the choking of the pipes
with sand, rocks. etc, by means of strain
ers. perforated pipes, etc. There will be
information in addition to this as to the
treatment of pipes to prevent rusting, also
TO keep them free from corrosion by the ac-
ton of acids and alkalies.
There will be descriptions and illustra-
tons of the machinery for constructing
bitches and canals. and the following now
in use will be thoroughly explained:
The new scientific ditcher. the New Era
grader and ditcher, the San Francisco
dredger. etc.
The report will also treat of the differ
ent metal and wooden pipes in use, irriga-
ton MIGRANTS, irrigating needles, wooden
and iron fumes and the most improved
artesian we'll machinery, wind engines,
etc, now used in Europe