The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-28
VALUE OF IRRIGATION
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
SUMMARIZES ITS WORK
Enough Water Diverted From Streams
to Cover the Land Irrigated to the
Depth of Over Four Feet-Crop Fig
ures Showing the Profit Derived
From Irrigation.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. 81
The third annual report of the irriga-
ton Investigations Of the Office Of eX-
pertinent stations, United States de-
partment Of agriculture, made under
the direction Of Elwood Mead, says
that averages of measurements en-
bracing nearly all Of the arid states
show that during the past three years
enough water was turned into the
heads Of bitches during the irrigation
season to cover land irrigated to a
depth of 4.45 feet; or, stated another
way, 4.45 feet Of water were taken
from streams for every acre of land
irrigated
A large part Of this water supply
the leakage being especially great
where canals run through sandy or
gravelly SOIL Measurements at the
the margin Of fields on six large canal
systems showed that only AZ per cent
of the water turned in at the head
gates was delivered to farmers. This
large loss through seepage is one of
the significant features of these meas
urements, and shows that better con-
struction of distributing works is one
Of the directions in which great i'm
provements is possible.
Increased Value of Products.
Another table in the report shows
the value Of the crops grown for each
acre foot Of water used. They vary
from $132 an acre foot to $1.22 an acre
foot, water bringing the least return
when used on alfalfa and the largest
return when used in irrigating nurs-
cry stock. It also was shown that
crops which require irrigation in the
last half of the irrigation season have
a far greater value than those which
require irrigation during the first half,
the average value per acre OF crop
which have to be irrigated in the last
half of the season bring $49.39 an acre,
while crops which require irrigation
only in the first half of the season
have an average value of only $17.S3
an acre, a difference of $31.56 an acre
in favor of late crops. These, however,
have to be watered when streams are
low and water scarce.
AS rule this water supplied can
be had only through storage and the
cost Of reservoirs has to be charged
against the extra value Of the crops.
port says, that the storage of water
pays farmers, and will increase large
" the productive value Of irrigated
lands.
Conditions in Montana.
Arid land crop conditions in Central
Montana heretofore unknown to the
department Of agriculture were dis
covered in tour of inspection, which
Elwood Mead, in charge Of the irriga-
ton work of the department, has just
completed.
Mr. Mead says that he found much
larger areas Of arid land there with
crops in successful growth on them
than he had ever supposed Were pos
sible. In a majority of the seasons, he
says, crops can grow on these tracts
without any irrigation and with very
little water, much less than Is usu-
ally required for growing crops, and
these crops can be grown very sue
cessfully every year. The area involv-
ed is along the mountain streams
south and east Of Great Falls, Mont.
The department of agriculture regards
the discovery of these arid land con-
ditions as important, and cooperative
work will be undertaken by the gov
eminent. It Is purposed to study the
means of saving and making available
the water supply from the mountain
slopes. The government work will be