Siphon Tubes: Setting water to grow crops in Western Nebraska

For some of us growing up on the farm where surface irrigation was prevalent, the irrigation siphon tube has been and still is utilized to irrigate crops across Nebraska and the world. Learning how to "set" the siphon tube, moving the tubes from set to set, field to field, "digging (row) ends," and dealing with ditch washouts, gophers, moles, mosquitoes, and other critters does not always bring back fond memories!

What is an irrigation siphon tube? The tubes can be constructed of plastic (earliest models), rubber, polyethylene, and aluminum. Visualize it as a "stretched C." One end can have a...