Arizona republican., 1916-01-04
FULLER TALKS
To SCIENTISTS
Mesa Expert Tells Washing
ton Convention of Scien-
tific Use of Irrigation
Water in the Salt River
Valley.

\ alley.
ON Decem Der oath. AT the third srs-
sion Of the Second American
Scientific Congress n Washington. l..
c.. from December o7th. 1914. to Jan
uarv >th. 1916. the principal address OF
the Gav WAS delivered BY Paul Edwin
Fuller Of Mesa. Arizona. Irrigation
Engineer Of the L. :. Department. Of
Agriculture in charge of thr Arizona
field
Tie subject of Mr.. Funer's paper
was The Uniformity 81 Distribution
OF Moisture in Soils subject IL
which the Salt River NalIe2 Of Arizona
is particularly Interested.
In introduction, his paper discussed
the importance Of irrigation as a factor
in the development of the west and an
creasine The pUoductiVereSS - the east.
as well as its possible influence in APP
pretending the abandoum-nt oI east
ern agricultural areas. It also showed
the influence o. irrigation in the estah-
lishment OF an equilibrium IetTcen
rrrplv and demand.
Comparatively large areas in many
Of the western states. 50 here moisture
is supplied by artificial application,
have been water-losScd owing To- the
ovcruse Of water. and that Consistently
increasing condition emphasizes the
inheritance Of immediate Sleps h-ing
taken to correct the evil. ]; mas heen
found that this can he accomplished
only BY uniformity of distribution OF
moisture in the soil and Withholding or
quantities IF moisture which formerly
escaped beyond the root zone II The
growing plant
To attain this end requi1 ~ IN eX-
tended scope Of scientific luvest:za-
ton and an actual demonstration or
the possibilities OF similar crop yields
with less quantities OF moisture ap-
piled to the surface Tie limited
means heretofore available iar TIE Use
Of the department in carrying out this
important work establishes tie impera-
tive need Of greater cooperation ana
financial support on the part Of the
different states and recommends the
appointment OF state bureau Wherely
Individual tracts Of land unoeI nriCa-
ton projects may lee extensively
STUFFED ana the best method ci irri-
gator practice determined WIKI re-
spect % those tracts I'm tbs cHnrec-
ton higher duties are iulTr' alive anu
the need Of the enaetme!.r &c avs
looking to the establishment o. mere
economic duties and their enforcement
by the judiciary is Necessity.
The misuse of water in the ras-
the general result of early practice in
f1uenced by an unregul9jed water sun
ply and. since this practice has become
| established. irrigators are no: prone to
| accept new ideas. Therefore the nee
! of legal enforcement OF water duties
which will denard more scientific
method of application
Heretofore, Investigations o. water
duties have been conducted with a yiev
| to determining the economic dcty f.
various crops rather than 81 de-er.
| mine the relation between head, grail
cnt.and duration of application. @hich
| factors have a primary bearing upon
| the uniformity Of distribution of r,ois-
| ture in the soil. and the Investigations
| discussed in this paper show the fun
| damertaI relation between these Ia
tors. While the results achicveG tn
| far are promising in establishing
| correlation between these factors a1.
show the important relation The. bear
! to the econ )miC use Of wate~. the field
| IS n wide one and almost unlimited
possibilities exist for a more extended
| study.
4
| HGrtance Of an understanding Of the
movement Of moisture in soils amt
| showing thu relation between the fac
| tors above mentioned, some fifteen
/ moisture diagram curves. advance
| curves. and penetration curves We're
| EMBODIED in the text OF tho nauer and
! were prepared fov lantern protection.
/ md from them means suggested
| whereby the urifoYmity OF moisture
| distribution may be accomplished.
! Tn connection with these curves.
! present methods Of irricatior-.he ap-
| nlicatiou of water by the fICodiro and
| furrow systems. as Well rs modifiCa-
| tions Of each-Were discussed and the
! errors resulting from Their use moi :ted
! ont. Conveyance loss was hIiefl.' dis
| olIssed and examples given showing the
! ma snitude Of such losses and .h@ir
! aieniCicance in the study OF conscFvs
| ton. The subject Of water duiv was
| lightly touched upon rs am index to
possible saving in water
! Various Examples We're given Of the
use of water upon fields of varyine
soil types FOR ;he purpose Of illustrate
| ing the economic use as opposed ~ the
-vastefuI use of water. ana tn" laws
Influencing tho loss Of uciStu" in
| soils WAS also contemplated.
Nh Fuller spoke from son 80 90
~ m and was enthusiastically re-
ceived. his address being followed by
| two hour discussion and his paper
| cxf.auetivelv catechised nv fhc deIe-
gates present. great in'erest haing
cviuced in irrigation methods rs nrac-
ticed in the Salt River VALLEY