Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1911-08-10
WELL IN THE DESERT
Securing Domestic and Irriqat-
ing Supplies in Arid Region.
new and Broader Conception Of Reis.
lions Of Gubterranean Water TO
Irrigation Have Recently Pre-
vailed-AmpIe Quantities.
Quantities.

strata to secure domestic and irriga.
ton supplies is now being resorted to
as never before. New and broader
conceptions of the relations of subter.
rahean water to irrigation have re.
Gently prevailed. Individual irrigation
undertakings have been recently es
tablished very largely upon wells and
pumps or upon flowing wells. where.
ever they can be had During the last
three years there have been perhaps
ten times as many pumping outfits set
up for irrigation as had been EN-.
ployed during the whole earlier irriga.
ton OF this state. says the Denver
Field and Farm.
Large irrigation companies have
SUNK groups OF wells and pumped
from them into their distributing
bitches and fumes. Individual irri.
gators have sunk wells and bought
pumping plants when the ditch water
tailed and have now learned the SUI.
periority OF home supply. to be drawn
up just when It can be used to best
advantage. and often to be had for
much less than the rates OF the ditch
companies. Large regions which had
never secured irrigation systems have
been forced by drouth TO seek water
and having found It below ground in
ample quantities they will not fail II
the future to use irrigation as a sup
plement to the rainfall
Many OF these plants are centrif
ugal pumps run by steam. Thes'
are the larger plants. fifteen to fort.
horsepower and In some instance
more and the size OF the pump
ranges from four to twelve inches
Most OF the smaller pumps are run b.
gasoline. although several use crud
oil and many OF them are also Ger
trifugal. Some OF these are deep-wel
pumps and they are very satisfactor
In raising water from a greater dept
than 100 feet. From 100 to 300 fee
they work admirably. The cost c
pumping differs materially with th
different kinds OF power. sizes {
pumps and depth OF wells. Figurin
rom what may be a safe average {
the actual cost OF fuel. No. 4 puml
, centrifugal with gasoline as powe
at seventy feet depth. will cost abol
50 a day. This should result in 81
gallons minute. $4,000 gallons a
hour or 100000 gallons a day OF te
Z hours
Such a stream OF water is Gale
l lated TO irrigate about five acres ds
. TO a depth OF little more than Nv
70 and one-hali inches. a better al
r safer estimate would probably be fol
. acres a day to a depth OF about Nv
inches But. generally speaking.
Is safe TO say that AT a cost OF 50 q
acre land can be irrigated two
, three times az So an acre annual
= and It is certainly worth the mon'
, IN dry seasons like the present. TT
average cost OF plant is about $
I 200 In many cases the cost will
. only a fraction OF that given. b
! even the higher figures are below Z
@ cost warranted by the saving OF
q crop. as the experience Of individus
/. has shown. over large areas OF I
D
d TOR irrigation pumps and careful
v counts OF their efficiency are ava
q able. They unquestionably serve
excellent purpose under iavorai
conditions up to the limits of thu
capacity.
, Gasoline engines are being us
y, even up to a capacity Of 5000 gallo
81 water minute. but the ordina
. plants are less than one-tenth oil tn
&C crude-oil engines are also used
10 steam plants using small stationa
and portable engines are pressed II
service. while electric motors. alo
long power circuits from generate
Al waterfalls or other great sour'
II power. are being fully employ
instance of the profitable employing
Iu If all these agencies are abundant
'o over the arid region. or course 81
I, an installation calls for a reservoir
eu that good head can be retained
10 always available.