The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-27
Special Dispatch to the Standard

Missoula, Sept. 26.-Seventeen states
and territories responded to roll call at
to-day's session of the National Irri-
CATION congress. The splendid ad-
dresses of DR.. Stubbs and MI Maxwell
last night put the congress in splendid
working form. Never has the congress
been in better condition for good work.
There is a unity of purpose among the
delegates that is certain to accomplish
sood results. There are no local issues /;
no axes to grind; no waste of time in
caucussing. 1t Is the advancement of
one principle for which the congress is
working-the equitablesettlemento of the
arid land problem, its solution with jus-
tice to the West and without injustice
to the East. The speakers make strong
pleas Tor government appropriations TO
build national storage reservoirs. The
government is now called upon annual
ly to appropriate large sums of money
to provide levees and protection along
the banks of the lower Mississippi river
against winter floods which start in the
headwaters of the Missouri and it's
tributaries. Yet, at intervals, floods
come which break through these protec-
TONS and sweep over the lower coun-
Try carrying away expensive govern
ment work and destroying hundreds of
farms and homes. A comprehensiye
system Of storage reservoirs, construct
ed at the headwaters of the Missouri
would, according to reports of the Unit
ed states engineer corps not only pre-
vent these floods. but would furnish a
swater supply sufficient to irrigate mill
ions of acres of now arid land.
At the Morning Session.
At the morning session Acting Presi-
dent Young of Utah called the congress
to order at $3.50 o'clock. The first busi-
ness transacted was the appointment
py the president of the following reso-
lutions committee
Arizona, C. R. Hakes: California,
Scipio Craig; Colorado Henry Michael
son; District of Columbia. f. H. Newell:
Idaho, d. w. Ross; Indiana, j. C. Nc
Nicely; Minnesota, F. w. Wilsey: Mis-
souri,. 7. L. Cannon; Montana, James
Reid; Nebraska, ]. M. Wilson; New
Mexico, F. w, Saunders; Nevada. ].
e. Stubbs: Oregon, w. N. Jones: Utah,
l.. w. Shurtliff; Washington, o. r. Hol-
comb; wyoming, Fred Bond; at large,
G. II. Maxwell Of California.
Alkali and Irrigation.
session was by DR.. F. w. Traphagen of
the Montana State Agricultural college.
His subject was "Alkali and Irrigation"
DR.. Traphagen's paper was one of deep
interest to all who are familiar with the
difficulties that attend irrigation in So
called alkali districts. The doctor took
up the scientific theories of the origin of
alkali in soils and discussed the effect
upon vegetation resulting from its pres
ence. He presented the result of series
OF analyses of Montana alkalies and
deduced from these figures methods of
eliminating the excess Of alkali that
exists in many places. DR.. Traphagen's
paper attracted much attention and has
been the subject of considerable discus
SION both during and after the session.
walter Graves, the government irri-
cation expert, discussed the paper and
made some suggestions as to the prac-
tice and economical reclamation of al
KAN lands. He gave the results of his
own practical experience in Eastern
Montana
Professor Milton Whitney, chief of
the DIVISION of soils of the United States
agricultural department, gave a very
interesting lecture upon the work of the
division on the alkali soils of the West,
especially in the Yellowstone valley in
the vicinity of Billings. Professor Whit
ney presented an electrical apparatus
OF his own invention, which is used for
determining the amount of salts in solu-
tion in water. Continuing, he gave the
results of the work of his division in
the Yellowstone valley and made de-
ductions therefrom which were of much
practical benefits. The general deIruc-
tion was made that drainage rather
than surface washing is the remedy for
excess alkali in soils. Professor Trap
hagen led the discussion of Professor
Whitney's lecture and was followed by
George H Maxwell, Director S. NJ
Emery j. Fl. Smith and others. The
discussion was at all times spirited, and
very interesting.
Professor b. c. Buffum of the Wy
oming state university spoke at length
upon the conditions in his state. He
said that experiments in Wyoming
had shown that many plants, notably
the sugar beet, thrive on allSali lands,
and that this is the best means of util-
izing alkali land until land becomes
more valuable. Then it will pay to
reclaim this land by expensive meth I
DDS
I. D. O'DonneIl of Billings urged ex-
perimenting to find some forage plant |
that will thrive on alkali soil.
Delegates Receive Invitations.
An invitation from the state uni
Tersity was read and the delegates eX-
0ect to visit that institution before ad-
ourning.
The delegates were also invited to in
spect Bitter Root trout catch made
,epted
AT the afternoon session the minutes
# the preceding sessions were read and
approved
Bishop shurtliff of Utah presented