Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-12-27
PUMPING FOR lRRl CATION.

1t is an economical, practical and POSI-
tive method OF irrigatlng, providing
conditions are favorable. The most "a
Vorable as well as most feasible condi.
tons for this method of lrrlgatlng lol
field crops exist where the water Is not
over 20 feet below the level of the iields
as the difference in expense OF raising
the water 10 feet as compared 70 raising
Il 40 feet Is very heavy indeed says
Rodney II. Yale OF Beatrice Neb. In
Irrigation Age. For the raising OF fruit
and vegetables or some other highly
profitable crops one can irrigate sue
cessfully with pumps raising water 81
feet and even 100 feet. The greater
the depth the greater the power need
full and as consequence the product
must be Of a character that brings the
best prices on the market
II one has q good, well located pump
ing plant of his own he has his water
under his personal controls he does not
have to ask for water nor. perhaps,
wait an indefinite time for H. lie
starts his pump and q supply Is GER
tain. floods or drouths don't effect him.
The most practical and economical
way Is TO use windmllls IN conjunction
with q gasoline engine, utilizing the
inexpensive power Of the wind whel-
ever II blows. night or day, and the
engine In emergencies, whenever the
wlndmills are found inadequate TO sup
ply the amount of water required.
The use Of the gasoline engine for
pumping water for irrigating purposes
or 10 water stock Is making possible
the reclamation Of vast quantities Of
land throuthout oregon, California, Col
orado western Kansas and Nebraska,
and In fact every locality in the west
where land is to be found along the
watersheds. The fact that water can be
found at depth of 20 or 10 feet or even
less on a majority Of the land located
on the slope east OF the Rocky noun
tains has caused this method of raising
II to grow in such favor that hundreds
of these plants are now in operation
throughout the district east Of Denver
and In northern Colorado by means of
which thousands of acres formerly use
less or comparatively productive
are now made TO pay enormous returns
on the original investment,
The progress which Is being made In
the adaptation OF the gasoline engine
TO the irrigation question and the com
paratively low cost Of lrrlgating
through this system bids fair as soon
as the question is thoroughly under
stood TO cause yeritable stampede Of
farmers and investors to the districts
where the system is applicable.
One Of the most attractive features
OF the application Of the system Is that
OF Independence. the supply Of water
being practically unlimited and there
being no dispute as TO priority.
The pumping plants consist Of an
engine Of from l6 to ~ horsepower ard
a pump which Is capable OF irrigation
from a depth Of 90 feet for say an av-
erage of $50 acres. The horsepower var
les, number of l6-horsepower plants
being located near Brighton and Lup-
ton. near Denver The cost Of install
lation OF these plants to pump at a
depth Of not 10 exceed 20 feet is about
$40 an acre In farms OF from 40 to so
acres. Above 10 acres the plants can
be installed for about $3.50 an acre. The
pump has to be renewed about once
every 10 years. The engine is good for
20 years.
To operate the plant the cost Is about
$40 an acre. II takes about ~ gallons
Of gasoline to run pump to raise water
20 feet to flood an acre two feet In
depth. This cost is In some districts
considerably lessened by the mixture OF
crude oil with the gasoline. Some ex-
periments and demonstrations with the
mixture give satisfactory results with
a reduction Of cost amounting 10 so per
cent or more
A comparison OF the cost Of this
method with that under the other sys-
tens Of irrigation gives an ordinary
ditch promoter In some irrigation dis
tricts a body blow. Stock In an ordi-
nary ditch company Is worth generally
$50 per shares per acre for two feet ~
water. The interest on this is say 81
per year. and the assessment OF the
stock viii probably amount to 81. The
cost Of the pumping plant Is $40 per
acre. the interest being 50 cents. The
cost OF operation Is Si20 for n two-foot
flooding, which brings the price for the
entire business TO 81 per year. The adj
vantage Of the pumping plant Is there
fore quite patent.
The plants are being introduced In
California and Colorado. and IN con-
nection with the raising Of sugar beets
are making that class 81 farming very
profitable On stock ranges their use
In pumping water from stock holes Is
becoming general Many farms which
have windmills are also intermingling
the gasoline plants. the windmill being
used when there Is wind and the gaso.
line plant being saved as a sort Of re-
serve.