Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-07-12

days. il would supply two acre ieet
or water for 40 acres At land.
In connection with this Installation
the writer should without hesitation
recommend the uvc Of centrifugal
pumps. Almost any make Is good
though possibly there are two or three
styles which are rather better thar
tho average. While | have tried three
different makes Of centrifugal pumps
none Of them have been used "a sui
Heient length u time to determine any
actuai superiority OF u over the rest
Apparently the efficiency Of all II
about the same and | judge that me
chief thing 10 BE- determined Is the
relative lives OF the pumps.
The crude oil engine referred 70 y
much heavier than a gasoline engine
ana fully az easy 10 operate. some
crude oils arc pretty dirty while 9th
ers can be used with an engine for
several days without bad accumula-
tions, A man Of ordinary intelligence
and prudence can operate the engine
very nicely. but a semi-mechanic arm
ed with a monkey wrench Is "A danger
GUS animal. The centrifugal pump Is
atao simBle but Il Is 4 high speed
machine and somewhat more likely
10 develop trouble than the engine
90 not think 1t is subject TO as many
difficulties O. a direct acting pun1p
with cup feathers especially II there Il
any fine sand TN the well
In equiDping such an outfit ~
have previously mentioned 1 should
install at this altitude a 16 horse
power engine Weighing about 10000
pounds and costing Sf,276 /. o. b. NeH
York. The number lour pump Of 4
good average make would probably
cost about $3.50 70 which would have
20 be added the shafting. bearings
suction, discharge, and oil pipes, and
betting, together with a frame for
carrying the pump making the cost 81
the pump in place very close to 5000.
The cost Of the well depends so large.
~ upon local conditions that II Is
needless 10 attempt even 10 approx
mate II Ia this article. Assuming that
such q plant as IA above mentioned Is
operated ten hours a day and that Il
serves seventy acres Of land, the cost
Of the installation complete, including
a little building for housing the same,
should NOT exceed $50 per acre,
Before discussing the relative merits
OF pumping systems compared with
the gravity of ditch system OF lrriga-
tion let me REPEAT that the fuel cost
of pumping two acre feet over seventy
acres Of land, making no allowance
for the losses by evaporation or per-
collation. IN bitches. would be sos. To
this you may add SIS Tor fabrication
at. se.;sst~, belt lace and minor repairs,
and possibly xi25 TO cover deprecin-
iion Of the plant With a plant Of this
size a man could take care Of his own
engine and would probably not count
his attendance on tho same al any
thing. The different items would make
Il total water cost on seventy acres
1850 or IS per care and a liberal III
lowanre to the owner for his time In
looking after his plant would be I5e
a day of $3.50 for the season adding
practically Sc at most and making the
water cost With a small plant
81 per acre
The advantages Of this system Of
Irrigation may be briefly stated as fol-
First~~Thero are many places where
water services cannot be obtained
from a gravity system, bue where an
abundance OF water may De made
aNnila bio with Il reasonable lift
sncond~Nearly an Moving streams
are muddy and whlie they carry a
small percentage 81 fertilizing silt the
application Of this dirty water 20
plant leaves Is bound TO coat them
with dirt and Ill ~ the pores IN the
leaves, working an injury
Third IN almost all gravity sys
there are a large number Of far
mefs dependent upon the same ditch
water upply. These must be sup,
piled IN citation according TO the
OF the several persons inter
II frequently happens that the
water ust needs water out OF his turn
and ii II nniy available By consent Of
his neigh ~ who may or may not be
willing T. WELD to him IT the water
IL not at that time available serious
LOSSES alr often sustained. If this
water W has a pumping plant and
his need great nc merely runs a few
extra hpars, consulting nothing but
his crud, all account
Fourth Gravity systems are de-
pendent upon the seasons ain fail
The supply OF water will rarely. if
ever. be- the same for two consecutive
years, an almost always because in
adequate during a portion of each
year. The underhow or perculating
waters "a sac great distances and travel
very SLOW ~, a dry season may have
the enec Of Increasing the lit slight
~ there y increasing p%rcceptibly the
operating cost. but these conditions
bout Ia be cotneident with pur-
tial or a. Al LOSSES sustained by neigh
boring 3 avitv systems resulting la
high pri es Tor farm products more
than sufficient TO compensate for this
m rease
Fifth AN gravity systems are liable
To- more nr less complete destruction
from foods. Headgntes and Immense
dams arr frequently washed away en-
failing not only the cost ~ restoration.
but usu ny loss of the entire crop
grown Nndrr the system of dituhr4.
and frequently thc destruction OF or
chards which Il has taken years 90
develop The pump or rngirc mas
break down at a critical time, hu'
there are few accidents OF this sort
which cannot be- repaired At the
machine shop Within IL
days end while slignt LOSSES viii
loss should be- an impossibility
siXth-Flnally, snd r@citeratng what.
already been said. tife absolute
eligibility Of fhc water supply and tha
Independence of the water user la re-
large measure compensate 10 indeed d
measure compnsats. Do indeed it
NOT more than compensate. for
possible Increased water cost.
amounting 60 possibly 81 per acre.
10 conclusion permit me 60 say that
u 1 were operating "a farm Irrigated
lY a graelty system n having an
AVAILABLE water supply at "a depth OF
bot 90 exceed 90 feet should USE
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