The state herald., 1894-02-02
IRRIGATION 8, VIVID MILLS.
Interesting Facts Relative to New Aid
.to,the western Farmer.

lutoFobbhR EAUto AAoAHN'~ -
to, tho western Farmer.
The Irrigation Age for January con-
tains a very instructive article by Is:
A. McAllester. land commissioner OF
the Union Pacific Railway, upon the
use Of windmills in the West in pump
ing water for irrigation.
Mr.. McAllester found that in Kan
sas and Nebraska the wind could be
relied upon to turn the windmill about
sixteen hours out Of the twenty four;
that the windmills cost from $4O to
$500 according to size.
In regard to the capacity OF pumps,
Mr.. McAllester says:
II further ascertained from the
pump company that 6-inch pump
gcared to run forty eight 8-inch strokes
per second will discharge 1850 gallons
Of water per hour; G.inch pump
geared in the same way will discharge
2,760 gallons per hour, and an S-inch
pump will discharge 1850 gallons per
hour.
Now, suppose farmer expends o
few dollars in constructing reservoir
100 feet square by four feet deep, what
would be the result? Such reservoir
will contain 10000 cubic feet, or about
300, 900 gallons Of water, a 5-inch pump
discharging 1850 gallons Of water per
hour, will in one-third Of day, or
eight hours, discharge 1880 gallons.
In twenty days Of eight hours each
this is assuming that the windmill
runs one third Of the time) 297 500
gallons Of water will be secured, prac-
tically filling our 300, 0OO- gallon reser-
yoir.j During the si5emonths from
April to September il Elusive, there
are nine periods Of twenty days each.
therefore the reservoir can be emptied
and filled nine times during the six
months, resulting in an aggregate OF
200, 900 gallons Of water for irriga-
ton purposes, equal to 100000 cubic
feet"
Mr. McAllester says that if to this
water is added the rainfall the total
will be sufficient 10 irrigate about
eleven acres.
Now, We have seen what in theory
ought TO be accomplished wish pump
and reservoir Of the capacity named,
let us see what our farmers reports
show as actually being accomplished.
John Simon, of Garden City, Kansas,
reports windmill pumping 5-inch
stream of water into reservoir lOO
feet square by four feet deep, raising
the water twelve to fifteen feet and ir-
rigating ten to fifteen acres; the entire
cost Of his plant was $40, with prac-
tically no outlay for operating ex-
pcnses. j. +. Monson, Of Julesburg,
Colorado, reports that he is irrigating
eight to ten acres with two windmills
raising 3-inch stream Of water twcn-
ty feet into a reservoir eighty feet in
diameter and four and one-half feet
deep. The cost Of his plant was S225.
:. l.. Dicscm, Of Garden City, Kansas,
is irrigating fifteen acres with we'll
thirteen feet deep, by means Of a pump
throwing 5000 gallons per hour into a
reservoir l40x153 feet and four and
one-half feet deep. His plant cost
$3.50.
A number Of farmers report pump
ing water from wells 1850 feet deep.
The following conclusions are drawn
by Mr.. McAllester:
at is my opinion that the future ir-
rigation of the plains country is to be
largely carried on by means Of wind
mill pumps. Each farmer can, indie
pcndently Of his neighbors, or Of any
irrigation company, and at cost not
exceeding $3.50, irrigatc from ten to
fifteen acres Of his quarter section, and
ten to fifteen acres properly irrigated
aud carefully cultivated is as much rs
any man ought to undertake to cult
vatc under irrigation. On this irri-
gated ground he can raise those crops
which will bring in the best financial
returns, and can thereby insure him
self and family sufficient income to
more than support them independent
OF the fluctuations of the natural rain
fall. On the remaining portion Of his
100 acres he can raise, by dry farming,
the same crops in character and amount
as he is now getting, and two years out
Of three he is bound to get magnificent
crops from the non-irrigated land.
am further convinced that il ten
acres out OF each quarter section Of the
plains country were irrigated the re
suliant evaporation from the nccessar,
reservoirs, and from the irrigated land,
would so disturb the existing climatic
..,l,,,a,a that tho lanu 1rn,,b