Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1900-11-17
SUBJECT OF IRRIGATION.
A. D. Johnson Gives Some Good
Pointers About Water.
Nc HAS HAD EXPERIENCE.
Edltora Citizen.

l have noticed lately Ia your papel
the articles % Prof Hiram Hadiey oI
Las Cruces, and AIR Alliare OF saI
Antoine. and thought that a few words
from non professional. but one viii
some practical knowledge of aecurinl
wster supply for iFrigating purp0sel
out OF the guieksahds Of the Ris
urande bottom. might be OF interest
Prof Hedley favora committee oi
investigation % visit California, but, e.
M. Aiiiare says. our location here and
that Of California are entirely different
! would suggest that such a committed
had better visit tho Arkansas bottom
of Kansas, where the formation Of N,
SOIL the crops, etCs are more like our
here IN this valley. The idea OF Afr
Alliare % putting a large water plant
al OF near the mouth OF a ditch Il very
good n a sufficient supply could be se.
cured for a largo plant In one place
but my experience during the last ten
years has taught me that q ia a great
deal better easier, and more .9uom.
zeal tC qecure a supply of water FOR a
humbcr OF small plants situated from
600 to 1000 feet apart-that IL. III,
wells A well can be procured to give
paratiyely small expense. but when an
attempt N made 10 pump great
amount OF water to cover coo acres =
day. you are undertaking a very dlm-
cult task. This ditch. or long we'll
seems TO be quite feasible. and would
be, II Il could be secured 70 a sufficient
depth. but J have failed 70 be able Ia
secure a well over ave OF six feet deep
made IN this shape. There are. how
ever. three different kinds Of wells
which can be placed IN the quick sands.
The lrsi and most substantial and
costly Il the sinking Of a rock wall
This 81. of courfe. known 10 almost
everyone az a very expensive Job The
next best. IN my opinion, g. a circular
we'll or sufficient diameter To give a
required amount Of water which VII
term an open brick wall" This wall
ie built Of viiFlaed brick. back OF
which gravel Is Allied In No cement or
mortar whatever is used. but on open
sng % from y Co a inches Is left be-
tween the ends 81 the hrlcks This viii
allow tho water az ala stages to come IN
through the sides of the wall. as wen
az up from the bottom In sinking the
solid rock wall. all water Is shut out
ffOin the sides. and there h. none but
what h raised from underneath Then
again. this nrat water flow at liver lev.
81 VIII stand up a. a large pump but
short time. II well can be secured
with four feet OF lift 10 start with. by
the time the pump has been running a
short time the well will have been low o.
cred to ilft Of twelve 20 fifteen feet
and n the bottom Of the well IL located
In a gravel strata. as & should be.
chances are good that a well ten feet
IN diameter viii supply two twelve inch
pumps. one four-horse gasoline en-
gine costing about $3.50 viii operate
ibfse two pumps The two pumps
would cost about 500. the pump lack
and walking beams about 500 more,
making $3.50. or for a safe estimate. $500
Tor the plant after the well and water
supply have been secured X n a hard
matter % estimate the cost OF the ma
ferial for the Well. as I am not posted
on the price of vl,rined brick with
hard brick here at $40 per thousand a
well ten feet IN diameter and about 90
feet deep can be put Ia for about $500.
making complete plant capable II sun
plying two twelye-inch pumps. or
estimated that this would cover from
ls to 20 acres of ground every 20 hours.
with first cost Of from 81 900 20 8; 200
These plants could be duplicated about
l.oO0 feet apart until the necessary
amount has been secured 70 supply the
land under the ditch. THIS / believe 20
be- the most practical way of securing
the water, although a cheaper well can
be made yith what Is called "perforat-
ed casting"
This casting made OF galvanized
sheet steel and thoroughly riveted to
sether Is pressed down into thu sand
ana the sand baied out from the inside.
After Il has been carried down to the
desired depth, the bottom Is filled with
gravel or rock to prevent the sand
from raising. The pump can be lowered
down into these tubes. leaving them
In an almost open body OF water. as
these castings are perforated with inch
slots the entire length. The greatest
difiicuity IN putting them In would be
the eDcounteriug OF boulders or rock IN
the sand, which quite often causes a
loss Of labor on a well. as the pipe
would have TO be pulled up and remoy-
ed 90 another point
Another satisfactory WELL which is
very substantial aud wiil last a life
tine. is that which Is known as the
Cook Tubular Well This Is made by
sinking series Of pipes. say six eight
or ten Inches In diameter, down TO a
gravel strata through the quick-aand.
This gravel strata below affords a good
pressure which will raise the water up
TO or a little above the first water lev
ei When these points are put down
into that gravel and four or ave Of them
connected en- 10 one powerful pump.
about 1000 gallons a minute can be
pumped from them from one years end
10 another. There viii be. however.
quite loss Of water in secpage from
running through the long ditch. which
would be- saved II plant could be put
ia al every Two or three farms
This stirring up Of the bottom OF the
ditch with a dredge or harrow would
cause the loss 10 be much greater. In
my opinion. Il would be much better 90
allow this silt from the river TO remain
IN the dltches to form a sort Of sedi-
ment vsich would prevent a great deal
OF seepage until the close OF the season
when late In the fall, II the river does
not riHe again, the pumping plsnts
could be started up and the ditch
worked with dredge and this sedi-
J ment from the river distributed over
the ground. leaving the bitches clean
again, ready for the spring watering
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