The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-05-23


on high ground through two steel
pipes. Thence the water is distribut-
ed through the 45-acre grove BY
means of the vt. clay pipe mentioned
above. The water is let into the fur
rows by means of 6-inch low pres
sure valves, located in every tree
row. The pump supplies about 500
! salons per minute, and one man can
lrrigate ten acres day, and not sup
plying over l to Y inches of water
10 the ground, and all this ia on deep.
sandy ground.
| spoke of cost and durability. The
cost of such a plant, including pump
and enine, should not exceed $50 an
acre; as for durability, terra Gotta Or
cement pipe will practically last for
ever, which is far from the case with
iron or steel pipe.
The department of agriculture,
under the direction of Mr.. Williams,
surveyed the Walter Drennen grove
at Maitland, and made an estimate OF
, less than $50 an acre to supply the
distributing system to his 150-acrc
grove. This does not include engine
CT pump. This system will neeI
4,830 feet of 15-inch V. C. pipe, 1850
OF 10-inch v. c, pipe and $50 6-incb
low pressure valves
| have not time to describe this
furrow system completely, but you
VINO have visited the orange groves OF
California will understand it perfect
ly. The general idea Is to eliminate
the high pressure iron and steel dis
tributing lines, where the greater
part of your power goes to overcom-
ing friction and put in large low
pressure pipe, such as terra Gotta
stwer pipe or concrete pipe, and con-
vert this friction factcr into water.
For example, l have visited a grove
irrigation system that needed 40, or
nearly 100 feet head pressure to ov-
ercome internal fraction and give
Sufficient spray, while a 20-inch head
would suffice if a l2-inch pipe was
used instead of 3 or 4 inch iron pipe,
and water was run down burrows in
stead of three Inch to / u inch
sub-lateral pipes. This would mean
five times the water placed where it
was needed. as we know that if a 10
, horsepower engine will lift 100 gal
Ions per minute 100 feet, it will life
500 gallons per minute 20 feet, and
100 foot head is 100 foot head,
whether lifted vertically or in over
coming friction in small pipe or con-
verting water into spray.
mentioned the cost or installa.
ton: From many actual plants OF
the hose or spray system | find that
$3.50 an acre for installation is no,
unusual--where the same plant could
be installed for one-third this
amount also know of places WHERE
it takes five men to irrigate eight
acres in one day, while one man
should easily irrigate this amount If
run by large pipe and properl!
placed valves. Of course this does
not apply to the plants where a spray
will simultaneously cover all the or
chard, which is too expensive for
most growers.
Again, it is often advocated that
the furrow system saturates the
ground, causing devastation when
followed by heavy rains. We find
that water can be applied to cover
ground only l inch deep by this
method in the places mentioned
above. In any case good drainage is
necessary, and good drainage is as
sured In the majority of Central
Florida groves that are on high and
rolling grounl. 1t is doubtful wheth-
er an additional 1-inch rain will
cause ruin, while it is easily posi-
bic to conceive of cases when / inch
Of water will save or improve half 0;
next years crop.
would like to say few words
concerning the actual irrigation al
the Bremen grove. Here, as eX-
planned 6-inch low pressure valves
are situated at every tree row on the
high ground. The 500 gallons per
minute is divided into 6 or Z middles.
each middle having 3 to burrows
running parallel to 4 feet apar.
the valves supplying about 25 gal
lens per minute to each furrow. The
water is run in each middle from l u
to 2 hours, which supplies l to IL
inches Of water to the ground. The
water in each furrow can be regu-
Let d without trouble by means OF
the valves, and if more complete con-
troll Is needed-a 3-inch galvanized
steel pipe. "a gauge. having little
l.