Farmer Peter Lee is fighting the drought down on his farm at Bochym, Cury, with the aid of a Ram. The Ram is not a farm animal but a self-driven pump first installed at the turn of the century when they were popular with farmers who had natural water courses on their land. With the coming of mains supplies, many Rams went dry. They were left to rot and rust in their brick and stone-lined pits.
The recent drought encouraged Mr Lee to bring the Ram back into use after 20 years idleness. Now pumping water from an endless supply up a steep incline to the farm where he is feeding all his stock, washing down his milking parlour and taking water to the fields. He has even supplied a separate ‘plumbing’ system to the farm buildings.
In the short time in which the Ram has been in use, Mr Lee admits he has almost made up its installation and repair costs with the saving in metered mains water. He hopes to cut his yearly water rates bill by more than half. “When we went on the mains in the 1960’s we just let the Ram go”, he said. “Now it’s going to save us a lot of money.”
Fully restored after being submerged in water for 20 years, the Ram now pumps 4000 gallons a day with a lift of 207 feet from a river which runs through his land. Much of the old pipework was found intact and was serviceable. For the 1500 yard rise from the pump to the farm, however, Mr Lee laid new alkathene pipework. “I have never known that river to dry up”, he added, pointing to the silt covered pool. “It just slows down in the summer that is all. I only wish I had done this sooner. It’s so simple and costs nothing to run.”