, 1902-02-17
MEAD ON |RR|GAT|0N
EXPERT ON THE NEEDS OF THE
ARID AND SEMi-ARiO
REGION.
Success Of Irrigated Agriculture Re-
quires Creation of institutions
Which Offer Just and Adequate
Foundation for Future Develop
ment-Work Aided BY Agricui-
tural Experiment Stations.

Washington, Feb. 17.-(Special to
The Experimentation. Elwood Mead,
irrigation expert in charge Of h office
Of irrigation experiments. has submit
ted his report of the operations of his
Office for the past year to the secre-
tary of agriculture. who has transmit
ted it to the president, by whom it has
been placed before congress.
The report reviews the work of the
irrigation office III the humid. the sub
humid, and the arid divisions of the
country. With reference to the work
in the arid region the report recites:
The greater part of the irrigation
work of this office has been carried on
in the region where farming is impos-
sible without the artificial application
of water to crops. This includes all
of the territories of Arizona and New
Mexico, the states of Colorado. Utah,
Nevada. Montana and Wyoming. and
large parts of California, Oregon. Wash
ington, Idaho, North Dakota, South
Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas.
The greater attention paid to the prob
lens of this section of the country is
justified by the fact that here irrigation
is a necessity rather than a valuable
adjunct to agriculture. 1t measures
agricultural settlement and very
largely controls the development of
other industries. because both the cost
and comfort Of living are very largely
determined by the production Of a
hcme food supply. In the regions fur
Their east, the adoption Of irrigation is
determined by whether or not it will
improve conditions already favorable,
but in the arid region it is the choice
between civilization and desert condi-
ton
THE work in this region has follow
ed two general lines-agricultural and
engineering, legal and social. OF these
the legal and social problems present
the greatest difficulties and stand most
in need of an early solution. The sue
cess Of irrigation in this region requires
first of all, the creation of institutions
which shall offer a just and adequate
foundation for future development.
Such a foundation requires that the
users rights to streams must be clear
ly defined in order that those who now
use streams and those who expect to
use them may understand how much
of the water supply is appropriated
and how much remains open to approp-
ration. The litigation and controversy
which now menace communities and
which are a constant source Of ankle
ty and loss to irrigators should be
brought to an end. In order to effect
these desirable reforms, a knowledge
of certain essential facts is required.
Among these are the equality Of water
required to grow crops. the losses from
seepage and evaporation in distribu-
ton, the character of the control over
oAASuLy NCSlNu. anu liz hlllu
of administrative measures needed to
insure effective division of streams
among the multitude Of users who de-
pend thereon. Specific information
along these lines is indispensable to
wise and effective action in the future
either by the government or by indi-
viduals. 1t is the information which
should have been gathered at the the
very outset Of this development, but
the long delay in its collection renders
1t all the urgent that it be carried
on now to an early and effective com
pletion.
THE work along agricultural and
engineering lines has been largely car.
ried out in cooperation with the agri-
cultural experiment stations of the diff
ferent states, and with the state engi-
peers in states having such officials.
BY undertaking systematic work on
some of the general problems of irriga-
ton this Office has been able to supple
ment and extend the work of the exper-
iment stations, and at the same time
has aided them to take hold Of other
studies, such as problems relating to
the economical s of water on diff
ferent crops. 1t makes possible the
bringing together of observation from
the whole country. 1t promotes uni
formity Of methods in these investiga-
tons and thus gives to the results a
wider value than is possible with each
station working independently and
alone. 1t brings together the expert
ence of the whole irrigated west for
the use of each locality, and shows the
farmers of one section where their
practices can be improved by adopting
those of other and often.time far dis
tant sections"
The REPORT treats of agricultural and
engineering problems Of irrigation, ir-
rigation laws, instruments for measur-
ing water. legal and social problems,
organization Of irrigation industries,
rice irrigation, and irrigation in the
insular possessions of the United
States. In the matter Of needed re-
form of irrigation laws the report re-
cites:
while the area of land in the west
susceptible Of reclamation is small
when compared to the whole extent Of
the arid region, 1t is practically un-
limited when reference is had to the
water supply. Along almost every