The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-10-19
AN iRRlGATlNG PLANT.
10" IA Ohio Man Saves His Crops
DUriag Dry Weather.

| OHFl2S Dry Weather.
What is sai1 80 ae one of the most
practical aa1 effective irrigatiny plants
| IL this country is located on Jennings
| avenue extension. near Cleveland q.
on the farm of Eben Fish. AT Mr.
lisa's place there is a gravel bed at
!east l'o feet in depth. making n sub
roll which will absorb all the wafer
, which viii ever fall upon IT, This
males 1t in some respects an ideal
place 70" IRRIGATION, as it is never too
wet 70" the growing crops. and the
only thia~ to he considered is a plenti
f"l supply of water during dry
wcathc.
There is not Il foot of draintile in
use on the farm. This farm has been
used for -Ir,.2l crops for many years,
but about EIGHT years ago Mr. Fish con
ceived the IDEA Of constructing an irri-
cation plant as he suffered much loss
on his crops during seasons'of drought.
He had never seen an irrigation sys-
tenn; but, beng Il close student and of
an inventive tUrn of mind he thought
he could bring the water from a near
by stream upon his fields and thus
countcract the action of Old Sol on
hot day.
The first step was the construction of
a dam Gcros- the stream. forming
pond of about one-half acre in extent
and about ten feet in depth says a
writer in the Ohio Farmer in describ-
Ing the plant. This pond has always
furnished an ample supply of water,
even when the fields We're being almost
constantly sprinkled in very dry wealth
er. The water is raised to the level OF
the fields above by pump. operated
by Il four horsepower gasoline engine.
The pump throws two barrels of water
minute. As the engine requires but
little attention. it can be kept running
almost continually, and. with the stOr-
age tanks, Mr. Fish is able TO sprinkle
1000 barrels of water on his growing
crops in 4 day. The pump is located
at the edge of the water the engine
part way up the bank. while the stand
pipe is up on the level of the fields
above
This standpipe, which is kept pumped
full Of water to the top, regulates the
flow Of water throughout the entire
system and gives about seven pounds
pressure to the square inch on the
sprinkling hose The standpipe is made
of fifteen inch sewer pipe, Joined to-
gether with cement, and Is sixteen feet
high. Iron pipes, three inches in diam
eter, run from the pump to the stand
pipe. and the water is then conducted
to the different parts of the fields by
line Of four inch sewer pipe, the sec
tons Of the pipe being joined together
with portland cement in and around
the joints anil laid in a trench two and
a half feet underground on an average.
This work was done by Mr.. Fish and
helper. care being taken to press the
cement we'll into the joints, and an in
genious viper was made which fitted
the inside of the pipe loosely and was
drawn past each joint as it was made.
thus keeping the pipe free from an eX-
cess of cement on the inside.
At intervals of about fifty feet along
the pipe line uprights three inches in
diameter are placed and extend about
five inches above the ground. to which
may be attached the sprinkling hose.
When not in use the opening is made
water tight by Il round wooden lid and
rubber ring. which fits into the flalgc
of the pipe and is held in place by an
iron clamp ana screw, invented for the
purpose by Mir. Fish. 1t requires but
a moment to attach the hose to one of
these uprights.
The first season Mr.. Fish had his
system in operation he made a nice
sum off caulih0wer crop. He set
out three acres that year. 1t turned in
hot and dry; he pumped water almost
continually for six weeks and kept the
ground wet. The farmers who did not
irrigate lost their crops by drought
Mr.. Fish considers celery about the best
paying crop TO grow, if one is fixed to
irrigate it and is in touch with a good
market