The Cross Section, Volume 2, Number 11, May 1956 Page: 3
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TH E CROSS SECTION
ONE-STAGE PUMP SAVES WATER THAT WOULDUSUI
ALLY BE LOST
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iL .LOTS O F T A I L W A T E R - This photograph, made on the Wilbur
Charles farm northwest of Bovina, illustrates a condition that is typical
of many irrigated fields where the land slopes rather steeply.r-
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;+tPICKING IT UP-This is a close-up of Charles and his tractor-mounted
pump, and shows how waste water is lifted from the end of the field and
recirculated through a canvas pipe to the ditch 550 feet away.Salvaging waste or "tail" water that
runs out the end of rows on sloping
hills of irrigated farms is a knotty
problem, although it is one that needs
to be solved.
One way of getting the job done is
illustrated by the ingenuity of Wilbur
Charles of Bovina, in Parmer County,
who had a "custom-made" pump built
to his specifications that has made
his irrigated farm a model of effici-
ency.
Whenever, recirculating pumps arementioned, most farmers bring to
mind the centrifugal type, but Char-
les has utilized the well known verti-
cal turbine principal in his surface
unit, and it is working perfectly. The
components of his pump are a one-
stage bowl-assembly of a standard 8-
inch column pump, which is driven
through an old automobile transmis-
sion.
The apparatus is mounted in such
a fashion that it may be attached to
the power take-off of the Charles'tractor operated at any speed desired
and in addition, the hydraulic lift
makes it easy to move the pump from
one location to another, should this
be desired.
The pump cost $300.00, and it was
made by Watts Machine and Pump
Company of Farwell.
In the instance shown by the ac-
companying pictures, Charles' pump
is being used to pick up "tail" water
at the west end of the field, and re-
turn it through 550 feet of canvaspipe to the irrigation ditch.
If it was not for the pump on the
lower end of the field, thousands of
gallons of water would drain off the
field daily into a nearby lake.
Because the pump is operated ag-
ainst such a low "head"-only about
12 feet-it will outproduce the farm's
8-inch irrigation well with ease, says
Charles, and that is plenty of water to
get for just about "free",
By Courtesy of "The State Line
Tribune" of Farwell, Texas.Approximately 7,600,000 acre feet
of ground water was produced in Tex-
as last year. Of this amount about 80%
was used by agriculture, and it has
been estimated that 65% of this water
was used on the High Plains.
* * * *
We welcome your letters and com-
ments pertaining to your paper "The
Cross Section", or your Water District.
The programs of water conservation
that the Board of Directors instigate
can only be successful through the
help and cooperation of each of you.
We hope you will let us know what
you are thinking on these various mat-
ters so we can profit from your sug-
gestions. Let us hear from you.
* * * *
With Soil Stewardship Spnday, May
6, and a full week of soil and water
conservation emphasis, May 6 to 12,
just past, we ought to resolve that not
only during one week of the year, butCONVERSATION
all through the year we will be faith-
ful stewards of the fertile soil and
abundant supply of water that are
ours to use.
We should think about and give
thanks unto the Lord for the blessings
of the land, and to stress the import-
ance and urgency of wise use of soil
and water resources.
* * * *
There are an estimated 6,200,000
acres of Texas farm land under irri-
gation. Of these acres approximately
5,000,000 are watered from wells and
the remaining land being irrigated
with surface waters.
* * * *
At least one research source claims
that it takes 7,500 gallons of water to
produce one bushel of wheat; 65,000
gallons of water to produce one ton of
finished steel; 500 gallons of water to
produce one yard of woolen cloth, and
100 to 200 gallons of water to pro-CONSERVATION
EDITOR
THE CROSS SECTION
1628-B 15th Street
Lubbock, Texas
Dear Sir:
I do not now receive THE CROSS SECTION but would like to have it
sent to me each month, free of charge, at the address given below.
NameStr t Addrsu
City and State
(Please cut out and mail to our address)
duce a pound of rayon.
* * * *
Before World War I the average
city's daily water use per capita was
50 to 75 gallons. After World War I
and before World War II this water
use per capita jumped to 75 to 125
gallons per day. Since World War II,
it has been running from 125 to as
high as 225 gallons per capita.
1i It has been estimated that there
are over 42,000 wells in Texas.
Most of the cotton that will be plant-
ed on the Southern High Plains is in
the ground, and below we have listed
V a few statistics that should be of in-
terest to you.
Emergence to square-30 days.
Square to white bloom-20 to 25
days.
s Bloom to open boll-45 to 65 days.
Boll full grown 18 days after bloom.
It is ready to harvest in 155 days
f (25% open in 130 days).
120,000 equal the number of seed
3 in one bushel of average seed.
Most effecting fruiting period is
from July 20 to August 10.
Approximately 35 to 40% of blooms
make bolls.
September 1st is general last day
for fruit to be set.
Fiber length laid down first 25 to
30 days.
Critical period is 16 days a f t e r
blooming.
IStrength of fiber is built up in the
second 25 to 30 days.
Moisture is limiting factor in length
Iof lint.
85 is average number of days to
blooming peak.
27 is average number of days from
first bloom to peak r
30 is average number of days fromfirst bloom to shed peak.
Average percent of blooms shed is
65%.
Average number o f blooms p e r
plant is 35.
I n 50 - 54 d a y s after first white
bloom 30% of crop is open.
In 60-64 days after first white bloom
71% of crop is open.
In 65-70 days after first w h i t e
bloom 84% of crop is open.
The April 1956 edition of "Water
Resources Review," U. S. Geological
S u r v e y news bulletin, states that
ground-water levels remained well be-
low average over most of the south,
southwest and midcontinent areas;
they were above average in the north-
west and in most of the northeast.
In Texas, ground-water levels in
the Edwards limestone and Carrizo
sand generally declined, and a record-
low level was measured in the key
well in San Antonio. In the Houston
district, water levels continued to
rise for the ninth consecutive month.
Well Drilling Permits-
(Continued from Page 1)
member about drilling a well are to
make application and have the Coun-
ty Committee approve the permit be-
fore the well drilling operation is be-
gun. Also, the well must be drilled
within ten (10) yards of the specified
location for the permit to be valid.
We hope that the above informa-
tion will help all applicants who de-
sire well drilling permits. If there
should be questions in your mind that
are still not clear, please contact your
County Secretary or one of your Coun-
ty Committeemen who will be glad to
go into your particular problem more
thoroughly.A
Stee Adrean
May 1 956
Page 3
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Reference the current page of this Periodical.
High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1 (Tex.). The Cross Section, Volume 2, Number 11, May 1956, periodical, May 1956; Lubbock, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1532774/m1/3/: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.