Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1904-12-01
4 PIONEER IN IRRIGATION

j. S. GREEN INSTALLS AN
IRRIGATION PUMPING PLANT
ON THE nEART RIVER.
j. S. Green of Mandan is one of the
pioneer irligators Of the state. Mr..
Green owns some 400 acres of land
along the Heart river at Sunnyside,
about five miles west of Mandan, and
has constructed an irrigation plant
upon his own account. About 200
acres of land lies on the east side Of
the river, with a gentle slope away
from the stream. The land lies about
fifteen feet above the stage Of water
in the river, and to get the water on
the land it is necessary to pump it to
that height. To obtain sufficient
water for pumping purposes, Mr..
Green has built dam across the river.
The river at the point where the dam
is built is l27 feet wide, which is the
width Of the dam from bank to bank.
The dam is built of brush and rock.
Bundles OF brush have been cut and
fashioned into brOoms, as is done in
cases Of ordinary riprapping along
streams where there is a tendency to
quick erosion. These have been laid
on the bottom of the stream length
wise with the current. Upon these
have been placed loads OF gravel to
weight them down, and the top is
weighted with heavier stones. A
|sluiceway is left to permit the water
to drain through and into the channel
below the dam.
This dam has been built in the
course Of the past summer at a cost of
about $500. The exact cost cannot be
told, as the work was done at odd
times by men who are otherwise en-
ployed about the place. The dam
gives an average stage of water above
Of about five feet, where before there
was only shallow steam a few inches
in depth. 1t makes little if any
perceptible difference with the stage
Of water below. This stage of water
above the dam affords ample water to
supply the pumping station. 1t will
also, Mr. Green is confident, supply
Sufficient water for the irrigation Of
the 200 acres OF land east Of the rl:er.
This dan is also reinforced with
another dam TO the east, which does
not span the river but checks the
water in a coulee that drains a con-
siderable stretch of hilly land. This
dam will suffice to flood about a hun
dred acres Of the tract when there is
a considerable rainfall by turning the
water trcm its natural course upon
the land, part Of which was planted
last summer to corn and alfalfa, both
Iof which yielded good crops.
The pumping is done by means OF an
engine which drives an endless chain
carrying fiat wooden paddles thirty
by six inches. These are driven down
on the chain through the water and
bring it up through a channel OF the
same size, as piston works in an engine
cylinder. An upright scatfold with
wheels and sprokets furnishes path
for the endless chain and the flat pad
dies lift the water and carry il
through the enclosed reservoir Eacl
paddle lifts two feet Of water wher
| the pump is working in full stage OF
water. This succession Of paddles u
buckets brings up a continual stream
lOf water thirty inches wide by sis
ldeep. This stream of water will till a
trough 300 feet long, thirty inches
wide and 6! inches deep in a minute
The pump lifts IS barrels of wateI
levery minute and MIR. Green says ht
can place water a foot deep over al
acre OF land in y hours with the
pumps working to their capacity, ol
he can cover 4S acres to the depth OF
an inch in ten hours.
Il o1lS uldll, ~ NIL plCGI says. Sll
Operate the engine by which the water
is pumped and can also attend to the
lditches and drains on the land. The
cost of the scatfold. sproket chain anc
buckets, with the carrying reservoir
was about $500. The cost of th:
lengine will be about $3.50. The tota
cost of putting water on 200 acres Of
| land will be about IS an acre.
i The engine with which the water is
to be pumped is gasoline engine that
can be operated at cost Of about S:
a day for fuel at a liberal estimate
Another year large tract of the land
will be broken up and sowed to corn
potatoes and alfalfa. This will give a
practical demonstration of the in
|creased crops that can be grown with
Irrigation, the cost OF putting water
on the land and the profit that can be
shown on irrigated land.
Holiday Excursions to Eastern Casada
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