The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-08-12

gion from national standpoint,
economy in water is moro important.
The highest estimate of the area
which can be served by the available
water supply Is about ten per cent
Of the total area. while the more con-
servative students of the arid region
place 1t at five per cent. All admit
that the. wfter supply is the limiting
factor In Y >.Xelopment of the west.
II followa S,sst every reduction
In the qua,. e 81 upon a given
area makes p6s. a.-responding
increase in the an @,oIs can be
peclaimed. Tho qua. :,ter
actually used by plants In. -
cesses Of growth is. very sin, a
compared with the quantities dive, ed
[sfroW streams for use in irrigation,
and 1t may be possible to decrease
this quantity by breeding drouth re-
fer q very large opportunity for saw
Ing on account Of the small quantity
required by any plants. But in or
der that plants may secure their sup
ply 1t is necessary to keep in the soil
considerably larger quantities of
moisture which must be held there
against losses by evaporation and
percolation. And in order that this
amount may be supplied to the soil,
much larger quantities must be di-
verted from streams to supply evap-
grafton and seepage losses in trans
It. Many farmers use much more
water than is necessary through mis-
taken ideas as to the quantities re-
CURED, while careless and wasteful
use is responsible for much loss.
"Seepage, evaporation, excessive
use, and waste are the great sources
OF loss, and while this loss is regret
able, there is hope in the fact that
most of It is preventable. 1t will
never be possible to limit the use to the
quantity consumed by growing crops,
but experiments and the experience
OF farmers in regions where water is
scarce and high-priced have shown
that by improved methods of applying
water and by intensive cultivation
after irrigation the larger part of
evaporation losses can be eliminated;
that by careful study Of his soil and
sHbsoil conditions, the farmer can ap-
ply water in such quantities and at
such intervals of time that little will
be lost by. precolation beyond the
reach o: plant roots.
"Seepage losses from bitches can
be eliminated, but not always within
the limits of cost allowed by. the val
ue OF the crops grown but they can
be checked to q large extent without
proh1b1ttve expense. Excessive use
under the belief of necessity can be
stopped by demonstrating that equally
large crops can be grown with less
water; while wasteful use must be
,stoppet by such changes In our laws
and ditch regulations as will make
the cost of water to the farmer de-
pend more largely upon the quantity
used. All these things we are trying
to bring about, in the belief that in
no other way can SO much be done
to extend tho agricultural develop.
ment of the arid regions.
Pumping Methods.
"As the value of water for use in
irrigation increases, increased ex-
penditures for developing water will
be justified, but large part of the
losses mentioned can be saved with
little or no expense. Estimates of
the possible saving vary, but 1t seems
OF tho irrigated area.
Our work along the third line
the use of power in irrigation-relates
primarily to pumping. In this field
as In tho others. wo are working
along two lines: Studies Of present
practice and the supplying of practic-
al information; and technical studies
for the purpose of working out i'm
provements in pumping machinery.
While our work is carried on prin-
cipally in tho arid regions, where ir-
rigation Is necessary to the growing
crops, it is not confined to that Sec
tion. The great plains are being set
tied rapidly by farmers who arc
growing crops without irrigation, and
1t 1t probable that large percentage
of these farmers will succeed. But
there will be abnormally dry ses.
sons when crops will fail, and tho
range Of crops which can bo grown
without irrigation is very limited. The
irrigation of small part of each dry
farm would make 1t possible to grow
trees, fruits, and vegetables, and in
dry years would provide feed for
work animals, thus helping to tide
over the lean years, which might 9th
erwfse ruin the settlers. We are
conducting experiments and collect
ing data to determine the possibilities
of this type of irrigation. where wa
ter must be pumped from wells or
secured by storing local run-off.
I'm the humid parts of Washington.
Oregon and California the dry sum
mers have led to the carrying on of
experiments to determine the meth
DDS and cost of securing water sup
plies. The results secured in the
Willamette valley. Oregon. have am
ply justified our work In that field."
Doctor True said that all but four
Of the arid states and territories--
California, Washington, Montana and
Arizona have adopted codes relating
to the use Of water. He said this
satisfactory progressing legislation
has led to O. lessening Of the depart
ment's work in the studies Of laws
affecting irrigation, although study of
the operations Of the laws from the
point Of view Of the influence upon
the use Of water Was still being con-
tinued.