The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1895-03-29
THE WIND POWER PUMP
Its Success Admitted by the Rocky
Mountain News,
TEST PLANTS TO BE ERECTED.
sherman County Has Taken Hold Of the
New Plan for IrrIgatioH-Great In
terest Manifested.


Colorado, western Kansas and western
Nebraska is the wind power pump be-
ginning to draw irrigatiOn's supply
from deep subterrsnean sources a be-
ginning which must end in as wond-
rous an agriculture transformation
scene as could be wrought by the wand
Of magician or the lamp and ring to
which genil we're sworn slaves.
Within the agricultural radius of
Sher man county. of which GoOdland is
the commercial center, the increase of
the wind power irrigation has been
little short of phenomenal, spFinging,
in less than II months time, from the
county test we'll to over 300 pumping
plants--a number which will this year
grow to 500
The average amount of land now be-
ing cultivated under these pumps is,
perhaps, five acres respectively, an
acreage which is being. however, stead
lily increased by additional storage re-
seryoirs and a more extensive and ex-
perienced practice of winter irrigation.
Many of the plants, however, now irri
gate from 10 to 10 acres, and in some
cases 20, 80 and 40 acres.
On the bottom lands, where water
can be reached at depths of from to
90 feet, much larger areas are COM
manded by the pumping plants-an in
stance being the pump now in process
of planting by Mr. George Hess. This
is a l0-inch tubular pump operated by
l6-f0Ot windmill aud drawing water
from 4 depth of % feet. The attached
reservoirs covers an acre and one-half
Of ground, and the plant has an irriga-
ton capacity of 100 acres. By means
Of another pump and reservoir Mr..
Hess will double his acreage next year.
This pumpage farm will be devoted to
alfalfa, timothy and red clover crop
age, together with the breeding and
fattening of hogs.
Mr.. q. L. Calvert, the Go0dland land
and immigration agent of the Rock
Island railroad, has put i'll near E lson,
this county, an efficient pumpage plant.
line Rock Island has in this county
many fine tracts of bottom lands most
susceptible to cheapest and fortunate
pumping irrigation The Rock Island
is bearing all active and important
part in the wind power pumpage irriga-
ton movement. Ennis 6 Walker are
devOting large acreageS of IoWIand soil
to alfalfa and broom corn culture.
They find that the Missouri Evergreen
broom corn variety gives the best wes-
tern plains returns.
Mr.. A. B. Montgomery, who has a
lease on merely nominal terms Of Rock
Island land III the environs of Good
land, will this year grow extensive
table garden cropage under the wind
power pump.
The already we'll known Lancaster
vegetable farm, on the Smoky river,
Will largely increase its harvest this
year This farm is irrigated by wind
pumps, drawing water from the river
current.
Mr.. NJ. b. Tomblin is Just completing
on his farm, near Goodlsnd, the put.
ting in OF a pumpage plant consisting
OF a lGfoot win limit. a 5-inch tubular
pump and a reservoir holding 100000
gallons OF water, the we'll being 200 feet
deep, producing over one barrel of
water per minute, aud having au irri.
eating capacity OF 20 acres. The work
OF this plant wilt include the irrigation
of a fine 10-aere orchard.
Fruit culture under the pumps il
proving most successful, the winter
irrigation freezing the buds back suf-
hoiently to enable them to escape the
last frosts.
Kansas has very widely awakened to
the feasibility aud advantages of the
irrigation pump, and, in furtherance of
their Introduction, viii establish in the
western portions of the state d state
pumpage plants for the purposes of
practical demonstration aud public in
formation. OF these - educational
plants the largest will be located at
Goodland The motive pumpage power
viii be gasoline; the we'll depth will be
$50 feet; the irrigated area will be 40
acres, aud all vaFities Of Western plains
eroppage viii be exhaustively expert
menbed with. The work of putting in
the plant viii begin by May /, aud the
irrigating waters will be flowing by
June ].
The site Of this state pumpage farm
Is but one mile from the town. and
G0odiand citizens are forming a public
park association. the park area~ta- sur
round the farm itself. AIr. 81. B. Tomb.
liz the president of the Sherman
County bank is one Of the meRbers of /
the Kansas state board Of irrigation,
t's the small farmer andst the land
capitalist; to the man utilizing \ mini |
mum Nateg supply and the big i.riga-
iissiI4 syndicate, tls wind power irriga. |
ten pump. with alrsady established
capacity Of 2 wafer lift Of eco feet Is /
TIE sssuranee 81 & new and better con
ssssioa Rocky Mountain News.