East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-08-08

Arthur p. Slower, irrigation en-
gineer, who has conducted expert
ments In winter irrigation for the de-
partment of agriculture, In Umatilla
county, for the past year, has report
ed to his department. and although
the report has not yet been distribut-
ed in Oregon, the following advance
report has been issued:
Oregon farmers who resort to irri-
cation will be deeply interested in a
30-page circular just issued by the
department of agriculture, entitled,
Investigations of Irrigation Practice
in Oregon" says the review of the
report The booklet is written by A.
p. Slower, irrigation engineer, who
spent last season in Oregon, making
study of irrigation as 1t is practlced,
so as to find out the errors that have
been made and gather data which
would be helpful in instructing the
irrigators how to avoid the mistakes
of the past The report is not as
comprehensive as might be desired,
but contains a great many valuable
suggestions, and is worth the perusal
OF every farmer who is obliged to ar
tificially water his lands.
Mr.. Stover made a study of the pre-
cipitation In various parts of the
state, and to limited extent gathered
data on the discharge of the principal
streams that can be utilized for irri-
cation. He states in opening his re-
port, that the greater part of the ara
BILE land of Oregon lies in the arid sec
ton and can be brought under in
tensive cultivation only by irrigation.
He found that the low water flow Of
most OF the streams OF eastern Oregon
has already been appropriated for pri-
vate irrigation, but as yet practically
no steps Have been take nto conserve
the winter floods.
Water Now Wasted.
He finds that little of the water
now being diverted is used econom-
ically. so that there is a large supply
for future development. Mr.. stover
is not connected with the government
reclamation service, and his studies
have no reference to government pro-
jects. Indeed, while he made investi-
cations in the very country where the
government is about To build the
Umatilla project he makes no men
tion of that work though he com
ments on private irrigation that Is Ia
be brought under the government sys-
TEN.
Because of its comparatively low
elevation and consequent mild climate
Mr.. Stover says that northeastern
Oregon has advantages over the south
east.
The investigations made last sum-
mer were confined to the Umatilla
country, Crook county and the Kla-
math region, F. l.. Kent of the oregon
experiment station being in charge OF
the latter work, and Elias Nelson in
Crook county. Mr. Stover himself
went into the Umatilla valley.
Mr.. Slower embodies in his report
valuable suggestions about removing
sagebrush from the virgin land. and
leveling the land preparatory TO con
structing the ditches. He explains the
different methods of applying water
to the lands. viz: by flooding, by
small burrows and by a system o'
checks the particular values of the
respective methods being fully Sc
forth
Winter Irrigation In Umatilla.
The practice of winter irrigation
now practiced along the Umatill;
river Is described. and the value o
this practice is indicated. 1t is showI
that these Umatilla lands, under thu
Maxwell flood-water canals, yield 1
net profit of S24 an acre, when plant
ed i'm alfalfa. IT seems that the Una
tilla valley however, is EXCEPTIONAL.
well adapted for this sort of irriga
ton, because of the unusual forma
tion of the soil and the underlying
bedrock.
on Butter creek, where winter ir
rigation has reached the highest stag
of perfection, fruits are successful,
grown by combining the principles o
winter irrigation and dry farming.
Several pages are devoted to "A de
tailed description of irrigation canal
along the Deschutes river, which hav
been in operation for the past FEY
years and also of the Maxwell and Ir
rigon canals in the Umatilla country
For some reason there is nothing II
the report bearing directly on privat
irrigation in the klamath country
The report however, contains some
thing of interest to all irrigators an
will be furnished by the department
upon application.
Twenty-two thousand depositor