The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-03-12
IRRIGATION BECOMING GENERAL.
Farmers In the Rain Belt Are Interested
The Plan Many Will Adopt.

Farmers In the Rain Belt Are Interested.
The Plan Many Will Adopt.
Farmers have been studying the ad-
vantages of artificial irrigation for a
long time, and the general drought of
the past season has once more indicated
that the richest and most fertile lands
along the largest water courses are not
safe without means of watering, for
rain cannot be depended upon when
most needed Intelligence received and
reported upon by The Irrigation Age
makes it appear that for the coming
season irrigation will be resorted to in
various sections of Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, New York New Hampshire,
Massachusetts and Maine. There was
irrigation in several of the southern
states in S95, and in 1896 every state
in the whole southern tier will farm
more or less under the infallible plan.
1t is learned also that sections Of Wis
consin, Iowa and Minnesota will fall in
line, and that irrigation operations will
be largely increased in Nebraska, South
Dakota and North Dakota. In the for
mer arid states and territories Of the
west great progress has been made in
this safe mode of farming.
That the wonderful success Of the ir-
rigated farm at Kankakee will give a
great impetus to irrigation in Illinois
there can be no doubt. Sooner or later
this state and other states along the line
Of the great lakes will be watered by
pipe lines from those great bodies of
water, Illinois especially, penetrated as
it is to be by the great drainage canal.
For the present, pumping plants will
convey water from neighboring streams,
and in this farmers can associate them
selves and divide the expense. Reser-
voirs and lakes will be made in differ
ent sections, and various means will be
employed in pumping the water Two
irrigations season will prove sufficient
in Illinois. Gas engines, oil engines
and perhaps electricity will furnish the
power, and it is likely that windmills
will cut q big figure With gasoline
engine, pump and reservoir small
patches can be independent of any gen.
eral irrigation companies, though ii
must be confessed that the latter have
proved "a great benefit in the far west.
The plan that many farmers will
adopt, according to the exchange al.
ready quoted, is wind power pumps and
reservoirs or lakes. The bottoms and
sides of these artificial lakes only re.
quire pudding. After this has been
done the seepage will be no greater
than the evaporation. A mill that will
only pump enough water to irrigate
acre when applied direct from the pump
will irrigate from 10 to 20 acres if the
water is applied from the outlet in the
reservoir The advantage gained is
found i'll the pushing power of the wa
ter when rapidly discharged from the
reservoir at a rate of from 10 to 20 gal
Ions a second. By this method but lit
tie water is lost. The land lying a quar-
ter of a mile from the plant will re-
ceive almost as much as the tract di
rectly adjoining the mill. When the
reservoir is nearly empty, the gate il
closed, and it is filed by the same proc
ess and repeated on another portion o.
the farm.