IMPROVEMENTS IN IRRIGATING AND MANUBING LAND AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Brown, of Elm Croft Grange, Edinburgh,
in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN IRRIGATING AND MANUBING LAND AND IN THE APPARATUS
OR MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
Sealed the 1st February 1870, and dated the 7th August 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th August 1869.
I, ISAAC BROWN, of Elm Croft Grange, Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN IRRIGATING AND MANURING LAND AND IN THE
APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to an improved method of effecting the irrigation
and the manuring of land, and more especially of such lands as are
known as grazing lands, and consists, firstly, in effecting irrigation by.
the employment of a series of water pipes or conduits consisting of
finely perforated pipes or tubes so constructed and perforated as that

page_text: a shower of finely divided water or a mist like shower shall be obtained
therefrom over such portion of the land to which this improved system
of irrigation shall be applied. The perforations may be made either
in the upper or in the lateral portions of the pipe or tube, and be so
perforated as that a shower shall be obtained between and over such
space as shall intervene between the two irrigating pipes.
The second part of my Invention consists in effecting the manuring
of land, and more especially of such lands as have been before referred
to, by causing them to be first covered with artificial or other manure,
and then causing a fine shower or spray to fall upon the land in the
manner previously described, so that the soluble constituents of such
manures or fertilizing agents may be dissolved and be conducted to the
absorbents or roots of the plants.
In carrying out my Invention I prefer to employ metallic mains
and tubes, but mains .or tubes composed of other materials may be
employed. These perforated tubes may be placed upon edge rails or
other support, and the mains may be conducted either below or above
such rail or support.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Isaac Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on 2
the 5th February 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL
BROWN, of Elm Croft Grange, Edinburgh, in the
Lothian, North Britain, send greeting.
COME, I, ISAAC
County of Mid.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 2
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Isaac Brown, Her special license that I,
the said Isaac Brown, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or 3
such others as I, the said Isaac Brown, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the

page_text: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN IRRIGATING AND
MANURING LAND AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Isaac Brown, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Isaac Brown, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to an economical and efficient system of
irrigating and manuring land, more especially such land as is known as
grazing land, whereby facility is afforded for taking immediate advantage
of the natural heat by applying moisture in proportion to the more or
less elevated temperature of the atmosphere at the time of irrigation,
and the farmer is enabled to utilise with certainty the guano or other
like manure when applied to the surface of the land, whilst the immense
loss yearly sustained by agriculturists from the fact of the manure not
parting with its fertilising properties owing to the absence of the requisite
moisture is obviated.
According to the first part of my Invention I propose to effect the
simple irrigation or moistening of the surface of the land by directing
water thereon in the form of numerous fine jets, which by intermingling
will produce a light shower or spray over the land. This shower or spray
is obtained, according to my Invention, by the use of a series of soft
metal pipes by preference composed of lead, which may be supported
in any convenient manner above the ground, and are punctured or
perforated with exceedingly minute perforations made by preference
with a needle pointed instrument which punctures the pipe from the
outside and thus produces fine perforations, the smaller diameter of
which is on the interior of the pipe. I have found that edge rails laid
on suitable supports or sleepers and standing up about six inches from
the surface of the ground form a convenient means for supporting or
carrying the finely punctured lead pipes, which are to be laid along the

page_text: tops of the rails and secured in position thereon at suitable intervals
by clamps, clips, or other convenient fastenings, but I do not confine
myself to this particular mode of laying the pipes. These lead pipes
may be laid parallel to each other or otherwise, and are connected to
one or more mains, which may be laid either under or above the surface,
such mains being connected with lift and force pumps worked by steam
or other motive power engines, or the said mains may be supplied by
gravitation in cases where a sufficient head pressure is obtainable.
The length and diameter of the mains and punctured branch pipes
and the distance between the latter will depend upon the forcing power
of the pumps or the head pressure available. I have found that with
a pressure of one hundred and fifty pounds the mains. may be from
three inches and upwards internal diameter, and will conduct the
water to a great distance, whilst the punctured branch pipes may
be about one inch and upwards in internal diameter, and extend about
two hundred yards in length on each side of the main at intervals
of about fifteen yards to thirty yards according to the pressure
employed. The extreme minuteness of the punctures in the lead
pipes is essential to the effectual working of my improved system of
irrigation and manuring, since if pipes be employed with the usual
size of perforations it will be found that the water cannot practically be
supplied thereto with sufficient rapidity to maintain their fall throughout
such a length or distance as is requisite for the efficient carrying out
of this Invention, but that these pipes will in fact empty themselves
through the perforations near the main before the water can be driven
to the extreme ends thereof, owing to the too large dimensions of
the perforations. On forcing the water into the mains by force pumps
or on supplying it under the requisite pressure by gravitation it will
speedily fill the various ramifications of mains and punctured pipes, and
will issue from the minute punctures in the latter in the form of a
fine shower or spray, which by descending on to the land will impart the
desired moisture thereto,
According to the second part of my Invention I propose to manure
land, and more especially grazing land, by first covering the land with
artificial or other solid or dry manure or fertilizing agents, such, for
example, as guano, and then causing a fine shower or spray of water to

page_text: of such manures or fertilising agents may be dissolved with certainty
and without loss of time, and be at once conducted to the absorbents or
roots of the plants even in the dryest seasons.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The system or mode of applying moisture in the form of fine
showers or spray to land by the use of finely punctured pipes in con-
nection with mains supplied with water under pressure either by force
pumps direct or by gravitation, substantially in the manner herein-
before described.
Second. The system or mode of manuring or applying fertilising
agents to land by first spreading a dry manure or fertilising agent on
the surface of the land, and then causing a fine shower or water spray to
descend thereon from finely punctured pipes, substantially as and for the
purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Brown, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of
January One thousand eight hundred and seventy.