Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1912-08-31
WELLS FOR IRRIGATION.
Three Absolute Essentials Given for
Water Source.

In giving three absolute essentials
for any good artesian or irrigation
WELL H. NJ Madison, in the Texas
Stockman and Farmer, says:
We say absolute essentials. for we
cannot conceive of there being good
well without having these three char
acteristics. Stated briefly, they are as
follows:
First-The well must be completely
cased from top to bottom.
Second-The casing must be so set
that not only is there no leaks. but
there cannot arise any around the out
side of the pipe.
Third-With the fewest exceptions
strainers should be put in we'll
There are good reasons for each OF
which are herewith given A column
OF water one inch square weighs liz
tie over one-half pound to the foot
Water standing two hundred feet in
a well would weigh 100 pounds to the
square inch, in other words the pres
sure of water standing 200 feet deep IN
a well would be nearly 100 pounds to
the square inch. This is a pressure
fully as great as is carried in any sta
tionary boiler.
1t is easy to see that the deeper thu
water in well the greater will be the
pressure. Where water stands l.O00
feet in a well the pressure is about
500 pound to the square inch. a pres
sure so great that no boiler ever built
would maintain it. and If applied 10
the strongest steam boiler now built
would blow it into atoms and scatter
them for over mile carrying death
and destruction in the path
Now stop and think for a moment.
The pressure n the bottom OF
l.UO-foot well is nearly 500 pounds.
Suppose there was hole or vent in
the side OF the well. wouldn't that wa
ter be forced out through it, But
here in southwest Texas il is scarcely
possible 10 drill well without goin..
through sand. gravel and loose soil
II there is no casing put in the well j.
not the enormous pressure of water
gong to drive much OF ii out through
this sand, gravel and loose soil? Gov
eminent and other reports show that
an average OF half of the water %
an uncascd well is lost by being driven
through the sand, gravel. loose rock
and soil in the strata through which
the well is drilled. In many wells
there IS even greater loss than this.
Let us put it a little differently An
uncased well that will irrigate LOG
acres would. If cased. lrrigate 200
acres. Or. put it still differently. one
oaScd well will do the same service
that two uncased wells will do. 1t
does not cost as much to case a well
IA 10 drill one. so there is no such thing
as saying it will save money to leave
well uncased. 1t would seem that an
absolutely sufficient reason has bee
given for saying that the complies
casing of well from top to bottom
is essential
1t would seem that on account of
this enormous water pressure inside
the casing that it is plain it there was
any leak around the outside of the
casing the water would be forced
through this leak and then into the
sand. gravel, loose rock and soil
around the outside of the casing.
There would not be so much forced
through to be sure if there was no cas-
ing, but there would be loss. Some
times this loss is as great as to cause;
the public to think there is a failing
water supply
There is no way To prevent this
leakage around the outside fthe cas-
ing. 1t is usually called setting the
casing in lead We are not going into
an explanation of this just here, but
suffice II to say no contract ought ever
to be let or signed for drilling well
that did not fully and clearly specify
the casing was to be set in lead in
such a way there was and could not
he any leakage around the pipe. There
are some special cases where haxseed
are used to stop leakages, and there
are others where the pipe can be set
in cap rock so well there will be no
leakage. But set it must be so there
is no leakage. this is the second essen
tiai of good irrigation we'll