Page 4
Special Irrigation Issue
GAZETTE-TIMES
Irrigation Outlook
Not All Optimistic
BY HAROLD KERR
Morrow County
Extension Agent
The potential for Irrigation
in Morrow county is tremen
dous. Many acres of fertile
deep soil can be irrigated and
can produce a wide variety of
crops.
The potential yields of such
crops as potatoes, alfalfa, dry
beans, sugar beets, mint, corn
grass seed and many others
are as good as areas where
they are now being produced
and in some cases, better,
Many other crops are adapted
to our climatic conditions and
may have a place in the
future of Morrow county ag
rieulture.
The traditional crops of
dryland wheat and barley are
in a depressed market state
due to over production and a
lagging demand for pacific-
northwest wheat. As growers
look to alternative crops for
their farmlands they should
remember irrigated agricul
ture is not all a bed of roses
Many problems face the
wheat producer who antici
pates converting to irrigated
crops requiring intensive
management and labor. A
concern of soil and water spe
cialists from Oregon Stat
University, who are working
closely with early endeavor to
ungate former dryland wheat
lands, is the low infiltration
rate of our soils in this area.
Many people have always
felt that our soil would ab
sorb unlimited amounts of
water.
Research work, however,
has indicated that the soils
are quite limited in their
ability to absorb high rates
of water in a relatively short
time. This factor may prove
to be one of the biggest prob
lems facing irrigated farms.
A second problem in apply
ing water in this area is the
age-old problem of wind. Un
even distribution of water
1 due to high and fluctuating
winds cause uneven crop
growth, which may be ex
tremely important in some
crops, and affects yields of all
crops.
A third factor which affects
all developing areas is es
tablishing a reputation for
producing a high quality, de
sirable, product which can
find a favorable position in
todays market place. Once a
marketing channel is estab
lished for a new area it is
mucn easier to expand pro
duction and compete with tra
ditional production areas tor
that crop.
Future dependable sources
of water for long range de
velopment provided at a fav
orable price is also a factor
to consider.
Irrigation wells may be
limited, thinking into the fu
ture, as a source of irrigation
water as some concern has
been expressed in what the
future may hold for ground
water as a source of irriga
tion water.
Thinking on the positiv.'
side, water development for ir
rigation in Morrow county is
almost assured and the early
pioneers are paving the way
for what, in the future, prom-
scs to be a tremendous po
tential for food and fibre pro
duction for both man and
livestock.
The production of livestock
feed and the development of
an expanding livestock econ
omy tor Morrow county may
have more promise than
many people realize.
Livestock and livestock
feed production are closely
tied to most high production
areas of the world, and be
cause Oregon ships a high
percentage of their feeder cat
tle to other states. Feeding
these cattle at home and ex
porting meat products rather
than feeder cattle and sur
plus livestock feed seems a
natural.
- W-n 1 -
L
ANOTHER METHOD of easy-moving sprinklers is the tri
matic sprinkler, mounted on wheels but with trailing pipes.
Four sprinkler heads are mounted on the trailing pipes,
which slide alcng the ground when the section is moved.
Two men can move the entire section, but it requires long
lengths of pipeline to connect with the section.
(G-T Photo).
Save Manpower With Tractor Use
In Moving of Irrigation Pipe
Israel Inventor of Drip Operation
A new method of "drip" ir
rigation has been developed
in Israel which is said to be
producing huge yield increas
es in arid areas. The method
utilizes a system of plastic
pipes which trickles a con
tinuing small amount of wa
ter blended with fertilizer to
the roots of plants. Surveys
are reported to have shown
that both the quality and
quantity of vegetables and
fruits produced have been
very appreciably increased,
and substantial savings in
water use made possible. The
necessary equipment is ex
pensive reportedly $400 per
acre of fruit orchard and up
to $1,000 per acre of veget
ables but yields have been
increased up to 100 per cent
in the case of vegetables.
Manufacturer of the equip
ment is Kibbutz Hatzerim,
near Beersheba, Israel.
As Printed in Oregon Farmer
CAU COLLECT FOR INFORMATION
i .
Headquarters For Complete Overhaul
ing of Irrigation Pumps and Motors.
REWINDING - REPAIRS
COLE ELECTRIC
Tutullla Rd. 276-7761, Pendleton
Gordon Geffo uses his trac
tor hitch to change location
of five portable sprinkler
lines in new orchard near
Wapato, Washington.
He gets the job done in
less than 40 minutes.
There's no manual lifting
of any kind.
And there's no wading
through mud.
That's because he is using
the new dragline sprinkler
i system continuous welded
sections of 2-inch steel pipe
each 630 feet in length, with
sprinkler heads spaced 30 fee
apart.
When it's time to change
location, Geffe merely backs
his tractor to the end of the
pipe, lowers the three-point
hitch, operates a locking lev
er, then raises the hitch and
drives through the orchard
towing the long length of pipe
behind him.
The pipe can't twist in tran
sit because a metal flange
holds it firmly in the locking
lever on the tractor hitch.
There's no problem skidding
the pipe and risers by trees.
Geffe didn't so much as graze
a tree all last season, even
though the last riser on the
long pipeline is traveling more
than 000 feet behind the trac
tor. Geffe's 40 acres of two-year-old
trees are five miles from
his home place and are half
of an 80-acre block of new
land which he and John
Douglas purchased, divided
and developed.
Douglas also uses a drag
line system. This permits the
two men to irrigate the en
tire 80 acres as a single or
chard, trade draglines back
and forth at orchard boundar
ies to save distance in pipo
moving.
"When I planned the or
chard I knew I would put in
a sprinkler system to get bet
ter water distribution and all
the other benefits," said Gef
fe. "But when I investigated
the dragline system, I found
ttiis would save me as much
as two hours each time the
sprinklers were moved be
sides eliminating all the
work of manually handling
the pipe."
"There's also less capital
outlay with the dragline,
mostly because it eliminates
fittings required with 30 and
40 -foot lengths of portable
pipe'"
The Geffe, as well as the
Douglas orchard, is supplied
by a 15-horsepower electric
pump pushing water through
a central underground main.
Lateral lines and risers are
spaced 72 feet apart. Each ris
er serves four rows of trees
through a portable 30-foot
rubber hose connection to the
dragline.
As Printed in Pacific Power
& Light Company Farm
NEWS
Safety Prompters
ALWAYS LOOK OVERHEAD
WHEN YOU
Handle Sprinkler Pipe
Move Tall Equipment
Here are two important
farm safety rules that are
worth keeping pasted in your
hatband.
1. Never up-end sprinkler
irrigation pipe under a pow
er line. Aluminum pipe is i
sure-fire conductor of electric
ity. Contact with a live wire
is almost certain to result in
serious electric shock.
2. Always call PP&L when
extra tall equipment must be
moved under a power line
we 11 send a service man to
help you. There is no charge
ior this service. It is part ot
our safety program. Safety is
no accident.
It's wise to be careful with
electricity.
As Printed in Pacific Power
& Light
Company
NEWS
FARM
Spring and Fall
Pump Checklist
There's a right way and a
wrong way to start and stop
large electric pump installa
tions. Taking a little time to
go through a checklist in the
proper sequence could help
eliminate some of an electric
motor's major enemies: Dust,
stray oil, moisture, bearing
friction, misalignment, vibra
tion, uneven wear, overload,
and excess heat.
Annual Startup
Make sure main breaker
of disconnect switch is open
so control panel and motor is
disconnected from all sources
of electric power before any
work is performed.
Make sure all ground
wires are Intact and connect
ed to ground rod and motor
and switches are grounded
and bonded together.
Check motor starter pan
el and make sure all wire
terminals and connections are
tight. Inspect all contacts,
both man and auxiliary, tci
see if they are free from
burns or pits and are making
good contact. Have badly
damaged contacts replaced.
Inspect fuse holder con
tacts, if provided, to see that
the fuses are not loose which
may cause excessive heating.
Remove dust and other
foreign matter from pump;
motor, and switches.
Wipe off the motor on
regular inspections and oc
casionally blow dust out of
the wound section with fair
ly low pressure (not over 40
lbs. pressure) clean compres
sed air (free from grit, met
al, or moisture).
Inspect centrifugal pump
housing for cracks or breaks,
and make certain that all
plugs and fittings are tight.
Grease lubricated bear
ings should be flushed and
repacked. Do not overlubri-
cate. It will cause excessive
friction.
Be sure motor windings
are dry and free from con
densed moisture. If wet, dry
air should be circulated
through motor until thor
oughly dry. Do not run mo
tor until windings are dry.
Drain oil reservoir and
flush. Refill with manufac
turer's recommended new oil.
Check periodically during
pumping season for any dis
coloration which will be an
indication of possible trouble.
Smokey Says:
'wk FIBE
THE BEST OF
FRIENDS...
THE WORST OF
ENEMIES'
Which one of these will It be? 1
Inspect interior and im
peller of centrifugal pumps.
If pump has been in service
several years check impeller
for excessive wear. This can
drastically change pumping
efficiency.
Rotate pump and motor
shaft by hand to make cer
tain there is no binding or
excessive friction prior to
closing the electric circuits.
-After motor has started.
check bearings for noise and
unusual sounds. Have quali
fied maintenance person
check and repair if needed.
Annual Shutdown
Drain pump and
lines.
Close entrances to pump
and motor to keep out dust,
rodents, and insects.
Fill oil reservoir on pump
completely to eliminate con
densation.
Lock disconnect switch to
OFF position.
Do not cover or surround
motor with plastic, as this
causes moisture to condense
within motor. Use canvas or
similar cover.
During winter time have
worn and noisy bearings replaced.
As Printed in Oregon Fanner
pipe