Copied from the Texas Civilian Yahoo list. Posted August 2007 by Muley Davis
They had pumps, storage containers, hoses, buckets and such way before the WBTS. Hoses were made from canvas and some had a lining of india rubber. They had screw type pumps with cisterns above. Rainwater was collected and filled the cisterns. They also had canals and ditchs which were controlled for water.
They also flooded their filds from streams, rivers and such and would also have stock tanks and such during the summer to water crops with the water collected from spring rains...Muhley Davis
Copied from the Texas Civilian Yahoo list. Posted August 2007 by Vicki Betts
Of course the most famous irrigation in Texas is in San Antonio, the old Spanish acequias, but that predates us a bit.
James Fanning, of Gonzales County, definitely watered some of his young trees and his garden. Here are some excerpts from the diary I transcribed.
1857 March
Monday 23 Jesse returned. Finished & put up front gutter. John watered potatoes. Tommy worked on pump watered N. O. trees by creek. Mer. 70o Corn doing finely
Tuesday 24 John watered garden AM.—P.M. helped Tommy fix pump in creek, T. McP brot mare 2d time mer. 75o Jesse Began digging well in new garden.
Monday 30 Hunted oxen ½ the day. Watered & planted mustard, snap beans, & okra, artichokes & replanted sage.
Tuesday 31 Watered universal universe. Tommy hunted cows all day—didn’t find 'em
1857 April
Wednesday 6 Mercury M. 84o. Watered garden. T. W. C. worked on tongue for wheels so as to water potatoes. Every thing is perishing from heat & draught.
1857 September
Thursday 3 Tommy hauled water for trees & potatoes, as he did yesterday also. Fixed pumps & water cart shafts Mer 88. Cut up weeds in garden.
Copied from the Texas Civilian Yahoo list. Posted August 2007 by Debbie Russell
Glad I read your post first before answer this question. I was going to say that rain water had been collected and stored in cisterns much like we are doing today. The gravity pull is enough to send water through a hose the pump just makes it more forceful.
They had pumps, storage containers, hoses, buckets and such way before the WBTS. Hoses were made from canvas and some had a lining of india rubber. They had screw type pumps with cisterns above. Rainwater was collected and filled the cisterns. They also had canals and ditchs which were controlled for water.
They also flooded their filds from streams, rivers and such and would also have stock tanks and such during the summer to water crops with the water collected from spring rains...Muhley Davis
Copied from the Texas Civilian Yahoo list. Posted August 2007 by Vicki Betts
Of course the most famous irrigation in Texas is in San Antonio, the old Spanish acequias, but that predates us a bit.
James Fanning, of Gonzales County, definitely watered some of his young trees and his garden. Here are some excerpts from the diary I transcribed.
1857 March
Monday 23 Jesse returned. Finished & put up front gutter. John watered potatoes. Tommy worked on pump watered N. O. trees by creek. Mer. 70o Corn doing finely
Tuesday 24 John watered garden AM.—P.M. helped Tommy fix pump in creek, T. McP brot mare 2d time mer. 75o Jesse Began digging well in new garden.
Monday 30 Hunted oxen ½ the day. Watered & planted mustard, snap beans, & okra, artichokes & replanted sage.
Tuesday 31 Watered universal universe. Tommy hunted cows all day—didn’t find 'em
1857 April
Wednesday 6 Mercury M. 84o. Watered garden. T. W. C. worked on tongue for wheels so as to water potatoes. Every thing is perishing from heat & draught.
1857 September
Thursday 3 Tommy hauled water for trees & potatoes, as he did yesterday also. Fixed pumps & water cart shafts Mer 88. Cut up weeds in garden.
Copied from the Texas Civilian Yahoo list. Posted August 2007 by Debbie Russell
Glad I read your post first before answer this question. I was going to say that rain water had been collected and stored in cisterns much like we are doing today. The gravity pull is enough to send water through a hose the pump just makes it more forceful.
