The sign was photographed at "Farm" - formerly Goldberg Orchard, a leisure and learning area in Yarkon Park.
In the next photo taken by the same photographer on the same day, you can see the motor raising the water from the storage pool
Click for a larger image Translation of the text on the sign:
The well yard Diagram of the irrigation system in Goldberg Orchard
An important relic of Goldbergs garden is the well yard. Some of the buildings around you used to be the administration, the packing house and the well.
The well is an important element in growing citrus trees in our country. The well water was pumped into the storage pond next to it. From there, the water flowed in canals along the rows of trees, and from them, in short canals, into the pits ("plates") around each tree. The trees were planted 4 meters apart, in rows 6 meters apart; This will allow the suns rays to reach all parts of the tree. Today they prefer to plant dwarf trees, to facilitate access to the fruit. Although the amount of fruit per tree is smaller, the number of trees per unit area is greater, the picking efficiency is greater and the result - a greater harvest.
[Irrigation system diagram]
Irrigation: The amount of rain that falls in our country is not enough to grow citrus trees. Therefore, the deficiency must be filled in with irrigation. The water for irrigating the Goldberg Orchard was pumped from this well you are standing in front of - the "Antilia Well". A well of this type is dug up to the ground water level, the sides of the pit are reinforced with a stone wall, and a gear wheel is installed at the opening of the pit, which rotates a chain of water-carrying tools.
The vessels are filled with water at the bottom of the well and emptied into a suitable trough outside the well. At first a man turned the wheel, then an animal. In order to regulate water consumption more efficiently, a structure was erected above the well with a storage pool high above the surface. Goldberg was the first to install a modern water pump in the well, powered by a diesel engine, which is standing here before you.
Today there is a wide infrastructure of pipes for transporting water, and it is therefore possible to plant an orchard even in a place where there is no well. Under the rows of trees a system of pipes with water sprinklers is placed. which spray water very efficiently only to the desired places. This method also allows controlled fertilization. The most modern way of watering and fertilizing is the computer controlled drip method. An extensive system of drippers distributes the water uniformly and in small and frequent portions. This irrigation method increases tree yields.
[Illustrations of the engine, the turning of the wheel by an animal and a general view]
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