The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1895-04-26
PRACTICAL IRRIGATION POINTS.
For trrIgators on the Western Plains
of Kansas.
- IRRIelgIEa FAeILLFIEs.
The Paper Read Before the Irrigation
Meeting at Phiuipsburg Saturday
BY II. B. T0mbIin.


BY II. ,. Tomblin.
The following paper was read before
the irrigation meeting at PhilIipsburg
Kan, last Saturday by n. B. TombIin
Of this city, one Of the members CT the
state board of irrigation:
I shall not attempt to elaborate on
the benefits of irrigation, the question
is now not SO much is irrigation bene-
fetal or practical, as how to irrigate,
and to impart to others the benefit of
what little experience I have had,
gained at the cost Of considerable time
and money. is the object of this paper.
Ny conclusions have been reached
only at the end Of careful Investigation
and actual demonstration, and I be-
Heye are sustained by actual results.
1 am fully satisfied that nowhere in
western Kansas where an abundant
water supply can be obtained at less
than 200 hundred feet, whether from
the underfow, from a stream, OF from a
storage reservoir, that it is not only
practical to elevate this water for irri-
CATION purposes, but that the farmer
who has this water supply and does not
utilize 1t IS neglecting his greatest
source Of income. [ believe further
that the time is close at hand when
every man who attempts to farm in
western Kansas viii no more think Of
doing so without an irrigation plant on
his farm than he does today without a
we'll Understand me, I do not mean
that all Of western Kansas can be irri-
gated; our water supply is derived
from three sources, the under1OW.
from streams and water courses. and
from storage reservoirs empOunding
storm waters, and it follows if a man
does not have on his farm one of these
sources Of water supply that he cannot
lrrlgate, even then under the most fay-
orable conditions he can hardly hope
to irrigate all his land, but I do say
that there is scarcely a quarter of land
IN western Kansas which does not have
either the underhow, site for a stor-
age reservoir, or a stream of water from
which 1t IS practical to iTrigate at least
tive acres of ground.
Where the underfoW can be reached.
and the water supply abundant, there
IS no place IN Kansas so high above it
that 1t IS not practical to irrigate at
least 10 acres from it, and where it is
only a few feet to the underfow or
sheet water, all the land above it can
and will be irrigated. Where the I'M
derfOW does not exist, there is through
out this region scarcely a farm on
which site could not be obtained for
a storage reservoir into which would
drain the storm waters falling on a
large territory above it, and would en-
pound enough water to irrigate either
by gravity below, or pumps above sew
eral acres Of land Where neither of
these conditions exist often a stream
of water flowing through the land fur
nIsh an abundance Of water if pumped
to the land above.
The question of irrigation when con
sidered from the standpoint of the
mountain irrigator. whose land CON
slsts OF little other than sand or
gravel bed, and with a power to retain.
water little better than a sieve, and re-
curing almost daily applications of
water, would indeed be almost a help
less one, but with a soil unequaled
the world over in its ability to retain
moisture, with a rainfall that even the
years OF crop failure falls short only a
few inches, the problem Of irrigation
for western Kansas becames so simple
that the only wonder is that we have so
long neglected our opportunities.
With due consideration ! make the
statement that 1 believe the western
half Of Kansas possesses facilities for
successful irrigation unsurpassed by
any territory Of like area in this coun-
try With the practically inexhausti-
bic underflOw in the western portion,
and as we 60 east an increasing rainfall
with larger streams and a more diver
sitied surface, make practical the cor
structiOn Of storage reservoirs, with a
soil Unequaled in its power to retain
moisture and a rainfall that almost
supplies the wants of the growing
crops, with climate so equitable that
the farmer can spend IL months of the
year in the field, and the advantages of
near market for our products. the
future of Kansas when these facts are
known and developed, 1 scarcely dare
picture, if could.
As before stated our water supply is
derived from three sources, the under
flow, streams and water courses. and
from storage reservoirs empOunding
storm waters. The western portion Of
the state is dependent principally on
the undertiOW, as we go east the under
flow decreases, and streams and stor-
age reservoirs must be depended on
for the water supply, this is generally
speaking, as in the eastern half Of the
state in some places the underfow will
supply an abundance of water, and in
the western portion where shale is
found, an abundant supply of water
cannot be obtained.
From the streams and from storage
reservoirs as we'll as from the under
flow power, must be used to lift the
water, and whether it be steam, gaso-
line OF wind power, is a disputed cues
ton and very largely depends ON the
quantity and height the water is to be
lifted. My experience and observation
SO far causes me to favor the windmill.
especially as irrigation ia Kansas will
generally be confined to small tracts
and would hardly warrant. except in
favorable localities and conditions. the
large expenditure for steam OF gasoline
plants. The element Of cheapness of
first cost of the windmill. the fact that
Its operation requires no attention
other than Oiling aud proper adjust
ment, that the motive power which
makes its wheels 60 around. is free as
the air, are elements in its favor that
other motors viii find it hard to over
come. La particularly favorable local.
ties where the water supply is abund-
ant and can be obtained from either
open wells, streams or reservoirs for
service on large tracts of land. the
steam or gasoline plant viii have some
advantages which viii cause them to be
used quite extensively, but for the aver