East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-03-24

Samuel Fortier, of the irrigation
investigation department, of the de-
partment of agriculture, was in the
city last night and left on the west
bound train this morning. for the
Des Chutes valley. While at the Hotel
st. George this morning, Mr.. Fortier
was seen and spoke very entertaining
ly of his work. In explaining the ma
ture of his department he said:
THE United States government is
fostering irrigation in two distinct
ways: One of these consists of the
reclaiming of vast bodies of arid land
by the government through the recla-
nation branch of the interior depart
ment; while the other has to do with
the methods Of irrigation used by
private and corporate irrigation COM
panies already under way. This last
work is done by the agricultural de-
partment, through the branch of
which Elwood Mead is the chief"
Having thus shown the identity of
his branch OF the service, Mr.. IAor-'
tier. who is in charge of the Pacific
coast division, proceeded to tell more
of the nature and scope of the wsrk
which is being done. According to
him, II is his office to investigate
conditions as they exist in irrigated
sections, taking note of the manner
in which the water is applied, the ma
ture of the crops raised and other
incidental features. From the report
which he makes to the chief of the
department recommendations on the
subject are made and distributed
among the irrigators in much the
same way as is done by the depart
ment on other subjects
Success of Winter Irrigation.
When seen Mr. Fortier had Just
returned from II trip to the Butter
Creek country and expressed himself
as highly pleased with the manner
In which irrigation is being carried
on there, especially winter irrigation.
In this method Mr.. Fortier has great
faith, and believes that the success
that has been had on Butter Creek
from irrigating during February and
March. While on Butter Creek he
was the guest of o. +. Thompson,
who has been n leader In winter ir-
rigation in that section. 1t has been
demonstrated on Butter Creek that
two or three crops of alfalfa may be
raised from land that is irrigated
simply during the winter when water
is plentiful.
Speaking of the way in which win
ter irrigation has been adopted over
the coast, Mr. Fortier mentioned that
in the Santa Clara valley, in Califor-
MIA, rs per cent of the land is now
irrigated and mostly by this method,
whereas IL years ago 1t was consid-
cred impossible to use the land for
any purpose whatever. AS to the
possibility of reclaiming the large
tracts of land west of here by win
ter irrigation Mr.. Fortier could see
no obstacle, although he declined to
go into that subject, as 1t was out
of the line of his department.
Two Important Suggestions.
Two of the suggestions that are to
be made as the result of his investiga-
tions are the use of wider check
boxes and also Of manure dams. The
first is favored so as to make it pos
sible to cover piece of land as rap
idly as possible when the water is
turned on.
Following Mr.. Fortier's visit here,
another man of the same branch of
the service will be sent here on May
/. It is A. p. Slower, who has lived
most of his life on an irrigated farm,
and has been in the service of the
deDartment for five wears Some time