Windmill irrigation is a way to irrigate paddy fields and upland fields for the purpose of watering and fertilizing.Wind turns a windmill and the power is transmitted to hand-pumps which lift the underground water for irrigation.
Farmers used windmill irrigation at six areas including Maruyama-cho and Tateyama city on the Boso Peninsula.By studying these areas, the following findings were obtained.1) The purpose of windmill irrigation were to fertilize paddy fields, to water paddy fields and to water uplands. Of these three, the watering of paddy fields was the most important. 2) It was from the first half of the 1930's to the first half of the 1960's when windmill irrigation was used in the five areas including Maruyama and Tateyama areas. 3) The design and type of materials used differed depending on whether a blacksmith or a carpenter controlled the manufacturing of the windmill. In the case of Maruyama and Tateyama areas, a blacksmith controlled the manufacturing the windmil. 4) The reasons why the windmill irrigation for watering ceased to exist were that small-scale engines and pumps became readily available to farmers due both to a decline in their relative prices and to the subsidization of their purchase by central and local government.It became difficult to secure labor for maintenance and management of the windmills.
In conclusion, by classifying windmill irrigation as a type of lift irrigation, it can be said that between the use of manpower to lift water and the use of the machine power to lift water became a third phase the use of natural energy in the form of the windmill.
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