New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-13

in motion by bullocks or sometimes by horses
and cames and in Egypt both a camel and a
donkey are often harnessed together in the
truck In some places where there are many
small canals with comparatively rapid slopes
and high velocities these wheels or sakas,
they are called in Egypt, are driven, usually rs
understood wheels by the streams themselves.
In the Punjab it is not an uncommon thing TO
see oxen lifting water by Persian wheels from
depths Of fifty or sixty feet for the irrigation OF
spring or summer crops. Another apparatus
which is extensively used in India for the
larger lifts is called the mote. Two bullocks
raise a leathern bag by means OF rope and
pulley When the bag reaches the top OF the
lift the water is released into trough.
DEVICES ON A SMALLER SCALE
For lifts Of from four to ten feet the shadout
is extensively employed on the banks OF the
Nile This simply consists OF the old fashioned
pole and bucket. which can still be seen in
many New England farmyard. The pole Is
riyoted on an upright crotch, and weighted at
the butt end with stone. and the rope and
bucket are attached to the small end When
the rope is pulled down and the bucket filled
the pole nearly balances itself, so that slight
effort will raise the bucket. Another crude but
ingenious contrivance for making short llfts OK
from two TO three feet is the doom. which is
used along river banks. This consists OF
trough usually half OF small tree. which
works on a fixed pivot. one end being depressed
into the river and then raised above the hori-
ZontaI so that the water flows out or the other
end into a ditch or receptacle The means Tor
raising the water is the same as IN the New
England well. by the use Of a weighted pole.
To manage this. a platform is built out into
the river upon which the operator STANDS, IA
ternately submerging and raising the trough
These and other primitive irrigation methods
are still largely employed in India and Egypt.
for the reason that while the work is laborious
and would be expensive if computed at day
labor for man or beast in many cases the Gull
tivator employs only himself and his bulocks
when there is no other work on hand. II was
ronorted BY an officer Of the British Army that
in 1850 there were 10000 masonry wells and
80, 900 temporary earthen ones in the tract OK
,,rd living between the Jumna and the Ganges
rivers from which 1.47Or0O acres Of crops were
irrigated by lift, and, although TINS udo'
now commanded by the Ganges Irrigation
Canal. many OF these wells are yet USED 10 '''l-
gate lands which have not been connected Win
the canal
VALUE OF WINDMILL WORK.
In the Investigation Of the extent to which
! the arid lands Of America can be reclaimed ~
irrigation. attention has been continually drawn
70 the most practical methods Of bringing IN
derground water 10 the surface. While The
amount which could be thus drawn in the
aggregate is not large compared with ~"
water used in the great irrigating systems. and
while the interests of the windmill rrigator and
the reservoir or canal irrigator do not at nrst
appear to be at all identical there are in
reality MANI points in common and the water
to be obtained by this means is practically IN
exhaustible by the ordinary methods ot pump
ing As stated in the beginning Of this article.
any work on irrigation methods, by Whatever
means tends TO educate farmers in this par
ticular branch of agriculture, and the shiAi'
farmer who irrieates by means Of wind power
becomes familiar with the use or water IN grow
ing crops. and is thus well qualified to engage
in more extensive irrigation should he desire
Where great irrigation systems are opened. and
growers unfamiliar with the action OF water
on crops suddenly change from dry farming 10
irrigation total OF partial failures often re-
suit alike discouragng to the individual ana
demoraIizing to the community, 50 that II may
be wears before the section becomes prohtaoie
and successful as would have been the case
from the beginning had the operators been
familiar with the subject and the use OF water
in growing crops and trees For mis- reason
windmill irrigation is considered an important
adjunct to the main subject. The evolution ot
the windmill from the huge, clumsy ma nine
NJ the twelfth century to the present Hsh''
rapid running forms has been remarkable ana
the American windmill OF today acts as a