The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-08-03
IRRIGATION SUPPLIES.
Pumping From Wells and Streams.
The Various Motors In Use.

The Various Motors In Use.
Sinking wells into water bearing
strata to secure irrigation supplies is
being resOrted to as never before.
Newer and broader conceptions of the
relation of subterranean water to irri-
CATION have recently prevailed, says
Professor E. ]. Wickson of California.
This follows because it may be much
cheaper to raise water to adjacent tow
ers than to catch it in remote ravine
and pipe it for miles, However this
may be, irrigation undertakings have
been recently established very largely
upon wells and pumps or upon flowing
wells wherever they could be had.
In California during the last three
years there have been perhaps ten
times as many pumping outfits set UP
for irrigation as had been employed
during the whole earlier irrigation de-
velopment of the state. Large irriga-
ton companies sank groups of wells
and pumped from them into their dis
tributing bitches and fumes when, for
lack of rain. their immense reservoirs
went dry. Individual irrigators sank
wells and bought pumping plants when
the ditch water failed and have now
learned the superiority of the home
supply, to be drawn upon just when it
can be used to the best advantage
Large regions which had never Sc
cured irrigation systems were forced
by drought to seek water and. having
found it below ground in ample guam
titles, they will not fail in the future
to use irrigation as a supplement to the
rainfall
Over large areas of the country wind
mills are used as motors for irrigation
pumps. They unquestionably serve an
excellent purpose, under favorable cir
cumstances, up to the limits of their
capacity but irrigation for fruit grow
ing, except in the family garden or on
small areas of small fruits, is proceed
ing upon the basis of motors of higher
efficiency. Gasoline engines are being
used even up to capacity Of 5000
gallons Of water per minute, but the
ordinary plants are less than e-tenth
of that. Crude oil engines are also
used, and steam plants using small
stationary and portable engines are
pressed into service, while electric mo-
tors along long power circuits from
generators at waterfalls or other great
sources Of power are being fully en-
plOyed. Instances of the profitable en-
ployment of all these agencies are
abundant all through the fruit growing
districts of the arid region.
Where large streams are adjacent to
fruit lands and diversion at sufH-
GENTLY high level is not practicable ele-
walton by pump to a proper point for
gravity flow or direct application from
the discharge pipe of the pump Is being
largely resorted to. On the river bank
lands in California very large steam
and gasoline pumps are used both for
drainage and irrigation at different
seasons Of the year, as either is desir-
able Recently capaclous pumping
plants installed upon barges have been
used for custom pumping, delivering
water to riverside orchards.
IL vi dullN ldllIS are dlSO uStu " Il
limited extent where conditions favor
them.
A very interesting way for taking
water for irrigation when the river is
running high between levels which pro-
tect reclaimed land is the use of 81
phOns over the crowns of the levees.
To cut the levee would be dangerous,
and flood gates are few, but water can
be delivered here and there by siphons
as desired Made of galvanized iron
strong enough to resist the pressure,
the air is exhausted by pump, and
the water flows over Some of the ST.
phons are two feet in diameter and de-
liver large stream, though smaller
pipes are generally employed.