The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-14
Facts for Irrigat0rs and Things
to Be Considered.
Importance of Small Irrigation
Plants Exceeds
That of the More Celebrated Big
bitches With Their Backing of
Large Capital.


This source is the enormous volume of
water stored in underlying previous soils,
easily accessible by wells or deep trenches.
The existence of the sub-surface waters
of the river valleys of western Kansas
has long been known. 1t is one of the
most important of the natural advantages
of the state and upon which the founda-
tons of prosperity must be carefully
aid.''-Prof. F. H. Newell, Chief Hydro
grapher, United States Geological Survey
The aggregated herds of the so-called
small cattle men constitute after all by
far the largest part of the cattle supply of
the west. So it is with irrigation Much
noise is made about a great ditch which
irrigates twenty thousand acres of land
from one headgate and but little over the
thousand headgates which may irrigate
just much land even more effectually
and in way more conducive to the pros
perity of semi-arid area. Yet these small
er irrigation schemes constitute by far the
greater portion of the progress which has
been made in this direction.
AS shown by Prof Newell, Kansas is
particularly fortunate in the conditions
existing for small, cheap irrigation
plants. Many of these are now in opera
ton. Many more are in process of con-
struction and there is hardly limit to
the number which may yet be devised
Water is obtained for irrigation from ex-
listing sources by two methods, natural
gravity and an artifcially created gravity
The land owner is fortunate when he can
tap his water supply at a point higher
than the land to be irrigated, but there is
a vast tract of country in the middle west
where this cannot be done. 1t follows
then that after discovering water under
such conditions it must be raised in suffi-
cient quantities to a point where a grav-
ity flow may be obtained upon the land
to be irrigated.
The usual way of doing this is by pump
ing. This system has been in use for
ages, for the earliest traces of human
handiwork on all the continents include
some form of the utilization of water by
raising it to- an artificial level. American
inventive genius has striven to improve
upon the methods of the ancients, and for
some time the water raising plants upon
the market were of a complicated and
expensive character. This has changed of
recent years, and the machine of today is
simple and inexpensive, operated upon the
same principles which were utilized by
the Persians of old.
The Investigations of the hydrograph-
ers of the United States government have
shown that in the end pumping is the
cheapest and most satisfactory way of
putting water upon land. This is contrary
to the popular belief, but the actual fig
age first cost of water from gravity ca
nails in the United States has been about
$8.15 per acre irrigated. This first cost
is followed by an annual charge ranging
between 81 and 81 for each acre irrigated.
Windmill pumping plants can be built at
a first cost of about $40 per acre irrigated,
while the subsequent cost represented by
the bill for maintenance is practically
nothing. The advantages possessed by
nd of ,,iI in,
this country, with the shallow wells and
porous soils, is better realized when con-
ditions in other countries are considered.
In India, between the Ganges and the
Jumna canals, there are $50, 900 wells,
which irrigate IL million acres of crops.
In Madras million are irrigated by
100000 wells In another province there
are 100000 wells sunk through rock to n
depth of eighty or ninety feet, each well
irrigating from one to four acres.
There are many crude devices for rails
ing water, such as the wind engine of the
early settlers, the water wheel, which
turns with the current of the stream, the
various forms of the Persian bucket litter
operated by water, wind, animal or man
power. In these days of cheap machinery,
however, every American land owner is
able to buy a water litter operated by
scientific and easier methods. These
water filters are all pumps, but in infinite
variety. Experts divide them into four
classes, lift, force, rotary and siphon. The
power by which they are operated may be
animal, wind, water, hot air, explosive
gas or steam. Wind is generally used to
operate the lift and force pumps and gas
or steam is used for rotaries, which re-
quire a steady motion.
The choice of pump depends largely up
on the power available and the amount of
water to be raised. Where the area to be
irrigated is very small and means are linn
tied water power or animal power will be
used. Animal power is expensive, water
power is cheap, but seldom available. It
can only be used where a flowing stream
furnishes sufficient current to operate an
undershot wheel or a hydraulic ram.
Windmills furnish the most practical
power for small irrigation plants, but for
anything of at all extensive character
hot air and gasoline engines furnish the
cheapest and most reliable power for
raising water For pumping very large
volumes of water, steam or a strong head
of water for large turbines are the only
powers used.
The prospective trrigator. in selecting
his plant must know the amount of
ter needed, the accessibility to repairs, the
cost of fuel and the intelligence available
to operate his plant. Hand power was the
FIRST used to raise water so far as we can
read the history of the ancients. Then
came animal powers. Both of these meth
DDS practically obsolete in this coun-
try except for irrigation on a most linn
| tied scale. A modern adaptation of the old
Persian wheel is the market which
enables two horses to lift enough water to
| irrigate from two to five acres a Season
| lifting the water not over twenty feet.
| The chief objection to windmiIls in many
parts of the country is the irregularity of
ind fIc
prairie country, however, and by utilizing
| a storage reservoir this uncertain element
| is entirely done away with. The amount
| of work a Windmill can do depends upon