IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE INVESTIGATIONS. 33 



velopment of a peculiar kind of agriculture suited to its limitations. 

 In the greater part of the region it nuist be a combination of farm- 

 ing and stock raising, with the latter as the foundation factor. This 

 is the conclusion of a representative of the Colorado State Agri- 

 cultural College, who spent three years in traveling through the whole 

 of that semiarid territory studying what has been accomplished by 

 the settlers who came into that country in 1884 and who are still 

 there. The native grasses of that country are an evolution. Some- 

 thing superior to them as a forage crop may be found, but as yet 

 there is no assurance of this. It is certain that by the protection of 

 these grasses by harrowing and reseeding the surface and by changing 

 stock from one area to another, thus relieving it from continuous 

 cropping, the growth of grass can be largely increased. This has 

 been demonstrated at the Hereford ranch, near Cheyenne, Wyo., and 

 in a number of other places. 



The question is, Can this region be made anything but a range 

 countr}', and how far can the number of settlers be increased bj^ com- 

 bining cultivation with the pasturage of the grazing land? It is 

 believed that a great deal can be done if provision can be made to 

 irrigate a small tract of land in connection with each range holding. 



There are three ways of providing for the irrigation of this limited 

 area: (1) Pumping underground Avaters, (2) storing storm waters in 

 reservoirs, and (3) diverting storm waters in fall, winter, and spring, 

 so as to saturate the soil and subsoil of particular tracts. 



Experiments were begun last year to work out the methods of pro- 

 viding water for these small areas and of using -it to the best ad- 

 vantage. At Cheyenne. Wyo., a tract of land was secured for exper- 

 imental purposes. Wells were put down, windmills installed, and 

 a small reservoir constructed. Part of the land will be irrigated 

 and part will be farmed dry, as a check on the irrigated fields. This 

 station is under the direction of Mr. F. C. Herrmann and ^Mr. J. H. 

 Gordon, of this Office, the funds being furnished jointly by this Office 

 and the Union Pacific, Burlington, and Colorado and Southern rail- 

 ways. A similar station was established near Imperial, in Chase 

 County, Nebr., Prof. O. V. P. Stout, of the University of Nebraska, 

 being in charge, and the funds being furnished by this Office and 

 the State of Nebraska. In the nature of things, such work must 

 cover some years before conclusions can be reached. 



In addition to conducting experiments, this Office began last year 

 collecting information as to what had been done by settlers along 

 the same line. Mr. F. C. Herrmann collected data as to the con- 

 struction of small reservoirs foi- collecting storm waters and the 

 crops raised by the use of this water, and Mr. A. P. Stover made a 

 study in Oregon of the results of irrigation in the winter and spring, 

 when streams are high, where no water is to be had during the sum- 

 II. Doc. 924, 59-1 3 



