The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-02-06
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Being Irrigated In West By
Electricity

Los Angeles, CAL, Feb. 2-"Irrigat,
ing with electricity, an innovation in
agricultural methods in which the
United States department of agricul-
ture is greatly interested, is to have
thorough test at the Janss Invest
ment Company's model farm at Van
Nuys-Lankersninn, under the direction
Of Warren j. Anson, originator of the
unique system to do away with water,
reservoirs and dl;ches.
Mr.. Anson whose work is closely
watched by the government, has taken
charge of the model farm and is al
ready installing his device for con-
serving the moisture Of the soil with
his electrical apparatus. Under his
direction tests will be made on three
acres, one OF which will be dry farmed,
a second irrigated and the third cul-
tivated by electricity. The same soils
are common TO each of the three acres,
the same crops will be raised from the
same seeds. In addition, fruit trees
are to be propagated by the new sys.
TEN.
Mr.. Anson's device consists of SER
les of six-inch cement tiles placed just
below the plowing point, Ia feet apart
and running from one side of the acre
to the other. These tiles have ell
bows that project come feet above the
surface and from these points radiate
electric wires such as those of a wire
less telegraph pole. The wires run
parallel through the cement pipes,
equidistant around the inner surface
OF the cylinder.
Static electricity, or that with which
the air is charged, furnishes the only
power" The static current attracts
the moisture from tne air at night and
this Is condensed down the elbows of
the tiling and into the pipes below the
surface. The same current then dis
penses this moisture through the por-
Gus walls of the piping.
The electric current not only holds
this moisture at reasonable depth,
so that it is projected to the root of
growing plants or trees, but 1t attracts
the subsoil moisture toward the sur
face, giving direct use for what has
hitherto been purely waste moisture.
Regular systems of irrigating with
water have caused great waste" de-
clared Mr.. Anson. "First, there is
the cost of water right, then the cost
of the water, then the building of the
bitches (Which In itself means direct
loss Of so much land), the cost of time
and labor and the constant repairs.
| Under the ditch system 1t is the usual
case hat either too much water Is
used or not enough.
BY tho static system of electricity
there Is only one cost, that of install
lation. After that the system takes
care uf itself and there Is positively
no need of doing more than the regu-
lar amount of surface cultivation to
keep tho soil loosened and permit the
distribution OF the moisture drawn
from both the air and the subsoll.
The system has been thoroughly test
ed at point near El Paso, where for
two years the government carefully
watched The results, A report shows
that by means OF the electric irrlga-
tlon earlier crops were developed and
larger yields produced. Mr.. Anson
Will have his device installed within a
brief time, and through the spring and
summer VIII be present to explain his
system TO every visitor at the Janss
model farm. He declares that he win
show wonderful results In the develop.
ment Of fruit trees.
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