The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-01-26
WINDMILL IRRIGATION.

article on "%Irrigation by the Use
of Windmills" from the pen of B.
A. McAllester, land commissioner
Of the Union Pacific railroad. His
attention was drawn to this method
Of supplying the deficiencies OF
nature in the semi-arid T e G i o n
while attending the irrigation con-
vention held at Salina, Kansas, in
September last. Believing that
there was something in the meth
cd worth investigation, he immed-
lately secured reports from all the
stations and land agents Of the
Union Pacific in the western coun-
ties Of Kansas and Nebraska and
the eastern counties Of Wyoming
and Colorado.
From these sources he secured
the names of over 200 farmers
who are successfully irrigating
their lands by means Of mindmills.
and from these men he proceeded
to derive close and accurate in
formation about their methods and
the results reached. He gives a
record of the amount of W a t e T
raised, the amount required to
supplement the average rain fall
in the extreme western counties of
Kansas and Nebraska, and con-
cludes that a few hundred dollars
invested in a reservoir, a well and
windmill will irrigate from ten to
fifteen acres, with no expense for
operation and a very slight out
lay for repairs. His conclusions
are stated III these paragraphs:
It is my opinion that the future
irrigation Of the plains country is
to be largely carried on by means
Of Windmill pumps. Each man
can, Independent Of his neighbors,
or any irrigation
company, and at a cost not exceed
ing $3.50, irrigate from ten to ff-
teen acres Of his quarter section,
and ten to fifteen acre
properly irrigated n d
carefully cultivated is as much as
any n man ought to undertake
to cultivate under irrigation. On
this irrigated ground he can raise
those crops which will bring in
the best financial returns, and can
thereby insure himself and his
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 charac-
Ser and amount as he is now get
ting, and two years out Of three
he is bound to get magnificent
crops from the non-irrigated land.
[ am further convinced that if
ten acres out Of each quarter sec
tion Of the plains country we're If
rigated the resultant evaporation
from the necessary reservoirs, and
from the irrigated land, would SO
disturb the existing climatic con
ditions that the long droughts
which are new liable to be exper-
fenced would be permanently
broken up, and that the average
annual rainfall instead Of coming
at frequent periods and in heavy,
driving storms, always causing
more or less damage, would be OBJ
tanned at frequent intervals, and in
the shape of gentle rains, which
would do the greatest amount OF
good. The result would be h t
from the non-irrigated land would
be obtained each and every year
fully as good crops as were obtain
ed III western Kansas a d y e
braska in 1891 and 1892.
There is a great field for wind
mill irrigation in the I
counties of this state, and we look
forward with confidence to a time
when every farmer in the west will
provide himself with the means OF
fighting the drought on at least
one corner Of his farm, and thus
save himself from a crop failure,
no matter how unfavorable b e
season may be.-Journal.