New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-28
ARID LAND IRRIGATION.
RESULTS OF AGRICULTURAL DEPART
MENT INVESTIGATIONS.

Washington. Sept 2.-The third annual report OF
the irrigation Investigations of the office OF expert
ment stations of the Department of Agriculture
made under the direction of Elwood Mead says
mat averages of measurements embracing nearly
all Of the arid shows that in the last three
years enough water was turned Into the heaos oI
bitches in the irrigation to cover the iahu
irrigated to depth of 45-l00 feet or, stated III
another way. 1910 feet Of water were taken
from streams for every acre OF lana Hrlsaleu- I,
large part of this supply was lost In transit
through seepage. the leakage being especiaiiy eie
Where canals through sandy or graVehy soii-
Measurements at the heads of laterals sho"ed an
average loss in the main canal of II per cent meas
urements made at the margin of fields on SIX larse
canal systems showed that only AZ per cent OF the
water turned in at the headgates was oeh'ereu ~
farmers. This large loss through seepage Is one
of the significant features OF these measurements
and shows that better construction OF oisuioutine
works is one of the directions in which great I'M
provernent is possible
Another interesting table in the report SHOWS 'he
value OF the crops grown for each acre loot VI
water used. These varied from s. 81 an acre loot
to $l2 an acre foot. water bringing the least re-
turn when used on alfalfa and the largest return
when used in irrigating nursery stock IL also was
shown that crops which require irrigation IN the
last half Of the irrigation have lar greater
value than those which require & in the nrst hal
me average value per acre Of when na h,n 70
be irrigated in the last half o. season oeing
Jay 80 an acre, while crops which Il>iuire Hrlsatoh
oiy In the first half of the season nave an 90, e
value Oh only $lI IS acre. q OlIIerehCe oL
an acre in favor of late crops THESE, no"esei,
nave to be watered when streams are low ana
water scarce. AS rule. this water supply Gal.
be had only through storage and the cost OF resea
Eolrs mas TO be charged against the extra value VI
the crops Experience shows. however. the report
says, that the storage Of water pays farmers anu
VIII largely Increase the productive value OF Tie
irrigated land
), Arid land crop conditions in Central Montana tan,
heretofore unknown to the Department or Agpl-
culture were discovered in tour OF inspection
which Mr.. Mead has just completed. Mr., Mead
says that ne found much larger areas of arid Iana
there with crops in successful growth on theHl
than he had ever supposed were possible. IN a
majority or the seasons, he says, crops can grow
on these tracts without any irrigation. and with
much less water than is usually required for grow
ing crops these crops be grown successfully
every year. The area involved is along the noun
tam Slopes south ana east of Great Fails, Mont
Inc Department OF Agriculture regards the d1s-
coVery of these arid land conditions as important
and cooperative work will be undertaken by the
government 1t is the intention to study the means
or saving and making available the water supply
from the mountain slopes. The government work
Will ne under the direction If Professor S Forter,
the director of the Montana agricultural experiment
station. Similar non-irrigated arid land crops are
grown IN the Milk River Valley, in Montana. and
in many parts Of the Dakotas