The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1893-04-19

in theory at least. A slight elevation of water
by any means, is sufficient to produce crcula-
ton all along the pipe. Porous pipe is also
made. sometimes ofsawdust and cement. through
the pores OF which water oozes slight pressure.
Whether through ignorance of a better plan or
more substantial reasons the hose and nozzle
plan, with a sufficient pressure to produce an
abundance OF water for reasonable distance
through about fifty feet of hose, is now generally
accepted as thecheapest and most practicable plan
for applying water. A man can handle eaa lily
fifty feet of two inch hose, and should water
about five acres of grove per day. giving each
tree about ten barrels of water. The average
cost of this system, where water is easily avail
able, is 800 per
The sprinkler system described above requires
little labor in applying the water. One at
the pumping station does the work, and, while
the original cost of this plant is nearly twice
that OF the hose system, it is argued that this
great cost is soon overcome by the cost of labor
where the water is applied by hose. This may be
So but the practical difficulty of this system has
thus far been the pressure required to overcome
the great friction met in reducing water to a
spray, the danger to over pressure on the pipes
nearest the pump, the small amount of water
that can be quickly applied, the limited number
of srpay MOBILES that can be used at time with
a safe pressure, and. if pipe of sufficient size and
strength put in to allow the watering of a large
area at once, the extreme cost of the plant.
Great difficulties are experienced on an uneven
surface or hillside, because of the unequal pres
sure on the pipes required to maintain many
spray nozzles.
For garden, lawn or flower beds, in which the
hose system works havoc by the force of the
stream, be the sprinkler system has no equal. In
most of the hose systems, however, spray nozzles
be attached to the hose. while the pump or
tank is kept at low pressure.
Nearly all the plants that we have thus de-
scribed in general way, or which we know of in
FloLida, are small, and provided by individual
parties for private use. Some few large plants
for general gre being put in by corporations
notably that at Orange City, in Volusia county
This plant furnishes water for all city purposes,
and for irrigation. Some eight orsten miles of
mains are being laid The individual taps these
mains, pipes his own premises, and pays for
water per annum at the rate of about twenty
five cents bearing orange tree. Here is food
for reflection for capitalists, and for commune
ties of growers who might combine their inter-
ests and thus money.
The individual experience of your committee
is as follows: Mr.. Bacon says: eve have a
three inch artesian we'll, 1853 feet Deep water
rises thirteen feet above tide water;we draw from
it ten foot above tide, and have flow of from
twenty-five to forty gallons per minute; this
turns water wheel ten feet in diameter with a
No. Douglas force pump attached, forcing
water up into 5000 gallon tank at an eeva-
ton of fifty feet above tide The beauty of this
arrangement is the wheel nights and Sun
days, and all the time, with very little care and
from the tank, hydrantS about 200 feet apart,
aud use fifty foot lengths of hose with expansion
spray nozzle. Our object was to irrigate our
home acres garden, rose buds shrubs and small
fruits; and we greatly pleased with the
suits of the experiment.
We do not force the arteSian well water into
the tank, as we found the water contained so
much mineral matter that it banched the leaves
of ourroses and some other plants; but drove a
well through the bottom of the wheel pit ten
feet into the ground, and attached the pump to
that. This question is great, aud we know but
little of it. My plant cost about $500, and
| am pleased with it; hut when you come to ir-
rigate, ten, twenty-five, or fifty acres that is
something else. 1t is estimated that one inch of
water on an acre weighs 100 tons, and we think
high lands need at least two inches each week.
Now what will it cost to put it there? Half ir-
rigation certainly does not pay. A little water
is than useless, it brings the rOOtlets to he
surface to-day to be scorched tomorrow.
water plant costs too much to make many