The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-09-26

mate duty can be scientifically deter
mined in this way We are attacking
the same problem from the other di-
rection. Fields similar in other re-
! spects are being served with different
quantities of water to determine
what quantities give the best results.
This work has not gone far enough
| to justify conclusions, but there is
every reason to believe that the duty
! thus established will be much higher
| than that now secured even by the
more economical farmers, thereby
| making possible still further extern
sion of the area which can be re-
claimed.
Work of the Department.
But the possibilities will not then
be exhausted. 1t is a well known
fact that plants will adapt them
selves to new climatic conditions.
There are great possibilities along
the line of developing plants which
will produce equally good results
with less water than is required by
the plants nov grown in the arid
region. In cooperation with the
state experiment stations we are
working on the production and intro
QucllOn OIL SuCn varieties.
ITO sum up what the department
of agriculture is doing to further the
prime object of congress-the great
est possible extension of the area ir-
rigated:
Our measurements show losses
from main canals and laterals of
more than half the water diverted
from streams. We are studying
ways of stopping these losses, which
means a doubling of the area which
can be reclaimed.
Our measurements of the quanti-
ties of water used indicate that the
duty of water can be doubled even
under present methods. We are dem
onstrating to farmers that this is
true, and studying means of inducing
them to practice the economy which
will make possible another doubling
of the area which can be reclaimed.
1--WE are experimenting with i'm
proved methods and new plants in
the hope that the water requirement
may be still further reduced. permit
ting still wider extension Of the
area which can ultimately be re-
claimed.
Great Increase Possible.
This great increase in area is pos
sible through the saving of what is
now wasted. But the damage result
ing from losses of water from canals
and from the. use of too much wa
ter is not limited to re-
duction in the area reclaimed. The
surplus water IS actually reducing the
areas now farmed by swamping fer
tile lands and bringing to the sur
face such quantities Of alkali as to
kill all useful vegetation. We are
studying means of relieving these
conditions, both in this country and
in the older countries where the
damage has been of long standing,
and are making experiments along
the same lire in a number of places
throughout the west. We have also
employed a drainage engineer whose
entire time is occupied In advising
as to methods and plans
of relieving wet and alkaH lands.
There is a peculiar reason why this
work should be done by the govern
ment. The water which ruins mans
farm does not, as a rule, come from
his own wasteful use, but from some
canal over which he has no control
or from lands lying higher than his
own, so that he is in a measure help
less to prevent the injury. No i'm
in his own practice can
ward off the damage. For this rea-
son this work belongs especially to I
the public, just as does the enforce
ment of quarantine regulations.
1.-The work of the agricultural de-
Dartment has so far been discussed
rom the one standpoint of increas-
ng the area reclaimed But that is
not the most important phase Of our
work. The main object of the de-
,artment in all branches of its work
S 20 promote the prosperity of our
population, and the first
,bject in our irrigation work is the
Welfare of those using water.
Rights of Farmers.
THE rights and privileges of farm
rs with regard to the use of wa
er are very largely controlled by
he laws of the several states. hence
ve are studying those laws, not
rom the standpoint of the lawyer or
oooe>n-oooNo>>Noo.