The border vidette., 1913-12-06
Cost of an Irrigating Plant.

ceived from J. w. W. of Kansas in regard to the cost of install ing irrigating plants on both small and large farms. Prof. G. B. P. Smith, irrigatiDg en- tural Experiment Station, an swers as follows:
 II am pleased to furnish you the following suggestions based on Arizona practice.
 ''The cost of wells is exceed ingly variable on account of the element of chance involved, for in some localities the good water bearing material lies at shallow depths; at other times it is found very deep. Sometimes the good gravels are in streaks Oi; lenses, representing old water ways; sometimes the, material is like sheet, so that whenever one puts down well he is quite sure to get a good water supply. In some instances excellent wells have been developed at cost of not over $2OO, while at other places S2OOO has been spent on we'll without obtaining good water supply. I always recon mend for localities where the good gravels are shallow, that the we'll curb be built of rein forced concrete and sunk as an open caisSon, while if the water gravels are very deep the well Should be drilled.
 ''The cost of pumps and pip ing may be estimated on a basis of $3 per acre (alfalfa) irrigated. Cheaper pumps can be purchas- ed, but it is false economy to buy them. It is of greater i'm portance to have well built than to have a fine engine to drive the pump. I should re- commend the California pump manufacturers since they have had great experience along pump irrigation lines. Engines cannot be estimated on an acreage basis, but depend on the pumping lift also. Gasoline engines are not being purchased any more for pump irrigation in Arizona, for the new types of oil burning en- gipes which utilize low gravity residual distillates are coming rapidly into use. I think these same engines will burn the Okla hOma crude oil just as it comes out of the ground, but they will not burn the crude California oil. A conservative basis for estimating the cost of engines is 17 cents per acre irrigated for each foot that the water has to be lifted. Thus for 100 acre tract where the lift is 50 feet the cost of engine will be $85O. In many instances where the farm CTS have not been well supplied with cash, but have used good judgment with regard to their wells and pumping plants, they have succeeded in making a very small capital go a long way.
 In general, however, it is de- sirable to develope an ample water supply, to install good machinery, and to build a good engine house over it. In some parts of Arizona rancherS have recently put in high grade pump ing plants at a cost of over $5OOO each.
 'The Santan wells ou the Gila River Indian Reservation cost $4OOO apiece for the wells alone, but each well yields a water supply sufficient for a thousand acres of land.
 ''The cost of pumping is even harder to estimate than the cost of the wells, and installation, for the pumping cost depends not alone on the quantity of water and the lift, but also upon the character and efficiency of the machinery, and upon the fuel or other power that is used. I have figured above on a fuel cost of 5 cents a gallon. However, I feel free to assert that with a good yielding well and good pumping plant one can afford to pump water for alfalfa where the lift is 75 feet, and to even greater heights for vegetables, orchards, and other high priced oronS g