The Greeley tribune., 1911-08-24

bility of reclaiming q tract OF desert
land by pumping from the under
now and in so doing convert desert
land worth not over IS to $50 the
acre into q farm worth from $loo
to $3.50 seems a splendid business
proposition and many recent comers
are either greatly interested In the
matter or have actually taken the
preliminary steps to carry such
plan into execution. To those with
little experience in the business OF
pumping for irrigation the advan-
tases of such q plan seem to be:
Absolute independence OF water
supply; greatly enhanced value of
land: comparatively cheap cost OF
each acre irrigated: low operating
charges, and freedom from ditch as
sessmeuts. from annual payments
on water right as under government
projects. from loss of crop due to
canal breakages. floods and drouths
and from annoyances resulting from
application of the rules and ordi-
nances relating to the distribution
of water such as are necessary in
the successful administration OF a
canal system. Such an array OF ap-
parent advantages has induced
many inexperienced settlers to in
vest the larger proportion of their
small capital in wells, pumping ma
chinery and other necessary inciden-
tails. The prospective builder of a
plant should figure closely the vari-
Gus costs and profits which in the
majority OF instances ought to be
1afs nj talv in advance. ~ the
project is to be a success. The Sc
chinery or the endeavor to pump
in failure. 1t is well to determine
as nearly as may be the efficiency of
the pumping plant as a machine and
the total cost of operation including
such items as fuel. lubricating oil,
attendance, interest and taxes, estl-
mated depreciation and wherever
possible. the actual area irrigated
or capable of being irrigated. By
the efficiency of the pump is meant
the ratio of the power represented
by the water actually pumped as
compared with the power applied to
the pump. Thus, If a pump raises
45O gallons a minute through q
total head of s.s feet, it is doing
work upon the water equivalent to
one horse power. II in order for
the pump to deliver this quantity of
water through this distance we
must supply the pump two actual
horse power, the efficiency of the
pump is said to be only fifty per
cent. in other words half of the
power applied is lost in journal or
pipe friction or other useless effects,
in all of which the lost energy re-
appears and is dissipated as heat.
Strictly speaking the efficiency
should be figured on the basis of
power actually applied to the pump
and not including the efficiency of
any power transmission devices
such as belts. idlers, jackshafts,
journals and stops on vertical shafts
which must intervene between the
motive power and the pump. A
similar line of reasoning applies to
the measurement of head. 1t is
more or less common to calculate
the head as the distance between
the level at which the pump draws
water and the point at which this
water is discharged. BY SO doing
the .rictional effects in the suction
and discharge pipes are entirely
neglected and the pump is in many
instances charged with very low
due to figuring on the
static lift which is frequently much
less than the actual head. A plant
should be carefully adapted in size
and kind to the lift and the amount
of water it is required to raise and
the pump and engine should be ad-
justed to each other in size and
speed. If the plant is too small
and is pushed beyond it's proper ca
pacity great loss in efficiency is
bound to result. Ii it is too large
some loss in efficiency will occur be-
sides the loss due to an unneces-
sarily large Investment. The sue
tion and discharge pipes should be
of ample size and as short and
straight as possible. The effect of
distractions and friction in the
pipes has greater proportional ef-
feet with low lifts than with high
lifts. Making lift any higher than
actually necessary should be care
fully avoided. When we'll is
pumped the surface of the water al
ways falls and remains lowered
while the pumping continues, SO
that the lift is greater to the mouth
of the discharge pipes than when
the pump is not running.