The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-09-28

very gratifying, ana demonstrate tIat
the scmiarid portions of the State by
this means can be made as productive
as any part Of the Northwest, says the
Chicago Hcord. There are two dis
tinct methods Of irrigation in South
Dakota canals which receive the sup
plies OF water from the spring frcshcts
and from the overflow Of rivers and
canals, whose water is obtained from
artcsian wells.
The artisan basin undcrlics nearly
the whole Of that portion Of South
Dakota laying east Of the Missouri
River, and hundreds of artcsian wells
have been sunk throughout this vast
region. In the southern part Of cast
ern South Dakota there are numerous
2-inch and 3-inch artcsian wells,
which were sunk at normal cost
Many Of them are fro... 100 to 400
feet in depth. From 100 to 400 feet
in the southern part Of the State, the
depth Of the artesian basin varies to
1000 or 200 in the northern portion.
Some Of the 2-inch and 3.inch Ills
in Hutchinson and other counti.. in
that section cost less than 500, and
furnish sufficient water to irrigatc
large tracts &c land.
Further th it is necessary to go
deeper to reach the artcsian basin,
and in consequence the wells are of
greater diameter, varying from four to
eight inches. Brulc county has
thirty-fve such wells, whose combined
iiow aggregates many millions Of gal
Ions in twentyfour hours. A number
of wells were sunk by the townships
to supply water for stock, and cannot
be used for irrigating purposes with
out the unanimous consent Of the tax
payers of each township. The sur
plus of water is carried away in bitches
and affords an abundance Of water for
cattle, sheep, horses, and other farm
animals. These ditches of running
water, aggregating several hundred
miles in length. extend to practically
all parts Of the country. Other wells
are used Tor power purposes, while
still others were sunk for irrigating
purposes only.
This season about 10, 600 acres were
irrigated in the county. Among the
notable irrigated farms in Brulc
county are the Carpenter farm, belong
ing to w. 0. Carpenter, Chicago
capitalist, and containing more than
two sections of land, and the j. Nj.
Greene farm Of GAO ucres. The own
crs are we'll satisfied with their sue
cess thus far, and next season will en-
gage in irrigation on a still larger
scale. The pioneer irrigated farm in
eastern South Dakota is the Hunter
Salzer farm, which has been raised to
high state Of perfection.
The farm contains 800 acres of slight
ly rolling prairie land. The artcsian
we'll has an S-inch pipe down to sand
rock. There the diameter was re-
duced, and 6-inch pipe reaches. to
the artesian basin, l 200 feet below
the surface. The normal flow of the
we'll is 1900 gallons minute, suffi-
cient to irrigate tract of 200 acres.
AS matter Of precaution, the we'll is
not permitted to flow its full capacity
being reduced to flow Of $50 gallons
minute. The well was put down
six years ago, and cost s3,5OO At
present prices it would cost not more
than $4,000.
Adjacent to the we'll is circular
reservoir covering five acres. 1t is
constructed on the highest point Of
the farm, at an elevation Of % feet.
Three feet to the mile is found to be a
sufficient fall for irrigating. The
banks Of the reservoir are formed
by earth, thrown to height of 81
feet-22 feet wide at the bottom and
3 feet wide at the top. The inside of
the wall thus formed has slope of
feet to |. The inside of the reservoir
is riprapped with stone. The original
cost of the reservoir, all work by the
d:y, was $3.50. The cost Of riprap-
ping was about 5000 in addition, as
the stone had to be shil ped in.
Where the stone can be obtained on
the farm or on adjoining land, an ex-
penditure Of $500 would suffice.
The openings from the reservoir
into the bitches are two feet square.
Each of the bitches follows ridges OF
slight elevations and the fields on
either hand can be flooded without
difficulty. The di&ohes are 6 or Z feet
wide and 2 feet deep. When irriga
tion was in its infancy in this State
it was thought best to keep the ditche,