The daily sentinel., 1913-01-10
PRES. l0RY would USE
SCHOOL To DEMONSTRATE
tContinued from Page ~

dltloh OF the appropriation would
not warrant us in AT empting to open
the school for students, even though
me buildings We're In proper shape
Tor doing so. We agreed also that
we should not try u open the school
unless the campus could be drained
and that the best use hat could be
made of the funds was to use them
for the employment Of a custodian
that could do extension teaching.
Use Extensive Instruction.
On account of the lack Of funds.
the experiment station was put TO the
J necessity of disseminating its field
work IN fruit Investigation and Rob-
ert Herrick in charee of these inves-
legations, stationed al Delta. was EN-
rloyed for custodian and instructed
to give as much time as possible 20
the fruit growers OF the section. He
did a great deal OF extension teach
Ing. instructing classes in various
parts of the county In the mean
/ time every effort was made to keep
the properly from deteriorating, and
plans were gotten under way for
studying the ground water condi-
tions. A series of wells was sunk.
and record kept Of the movement
of the ground water After extern
.
for the drainage .of the tract that
had been worked out by the Indian
service, some years ago, was gotten,
also plan worked out by Mr.. Eli
OFT, at that time chief of the drain
age Investigations, office of expert
ment stations. Washington
Peculiar Soil Condition.
The knowledge we had gained
through studying the movements of
the ground water. caused us to be-
lieve that further Investigations were
necessary before much money should
be spent in following either plan
presented by MIR. Elliott Arrange
ments were then made for very
careful topographic and sub-soil sur
vey. This survey was completed in
November and fun report prepared
by Mr.. V. NJ. Gone, in charge of ir-
r1gation and drainage investigations
of the Colorado Experiment Station
Very strange conditions were dis
covered, the most important of which
is that the whole tract is underlaid
with an impervious hard-pan. that
water beneath this hard-pan is under
pressure and will rise to the surface
II channel is open, that the drain
age of the tract will require the
sinking of wells through this hard
pan TO release the water under pres
sure and the laying of tile drains for
carrying it off. The estimated cost
of this IS placed at S11.774
Submit Map TO Assembly.
"A complete export and map has
been prepared for submission to the
nineteenth general assembly. We be
lieve the drainage of the tract of
first importance. We cannot start
the school in buillings with water
standing in the bsssments. Since our
Investigations began the surface of
the ground water ON the campus
has been less than two feet below
the surface and water has stood CON
tinuously in some of the Easements
This ground water is highly charged
with alllali and the concrete and
mcrtar of the foundations is deteri-
Grating rapidly Unless drainage
can be effected soon the buildings
will crumble.
We placed this whole matter be-
fore the members OF the special com
mittee when it visited this institution
and asked for an appropriation of
Sl5,OOO to carry on drainage inves-
legations. The reclamation of this'
tract is no easy problem. even after
drainage has been completed IL will
take some time to bring the soil back
into productive condition.
The legislature turned over to the
state board of agriculture and to
your local advisory committee very
difficult problem problem far
mere complex than the simple main
tenance of the buildings, if the
school is to be established. The so
luton of this problem cannot be
worked out in day Considerable
Investigations will be necessary. the
cost of the work cannot be definitely
estimated, nor can definite assur-
ance of ultimate success be made
at this time.
We believe that the best we can
expect of the property. at present.
and perhaps the line which would be
of the most good to the community
is to serve as a demonstration in the
drainage of heavy lands of the Grand
Valley. Respectfully yours,
A. A. EDWARDS,
Pres. State Board of Agriculture
CHAS. A. LORY.
Pres. state Agricultural College.