REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 71 



water required by the different crops. It has been found that the 

 evaporation from a freely exposed tank of water is the best criterion 

 of the water requirements of a crop, as this gives the combined effect 

 of temperature, humidity, and wind. The evaporation has been 

 shown to vary greatly in different dry-farming sections, being nearly 

 twice as great in northern Texas as in North Dakota. A higher 

 rainfall is consequently necessary in regions of high evaporation. 

 This is a subject which every prospective settler in dry-farming 

 regions should study carefully, and will be found fully discussed in 

 a recent publication of the Department. 



PROGRESS OF WORK AT FIELD STATIONS ON RECLAMATION PROJECTS. 



The Department is now operating field stations on the following 

 reclamation projects in the Western States: Yuma (Arizona-Cali- 

 fornia), Truckee-Carson (Nevada), Umatilla (Oregon), Klamath 

 (Oregon), Huntley (Montana), North Platte (Nebraska), Williston 

 (North Dakota), and Bellefourche (South Dakota). Among the 

 more important features of the work are the testing of newly intro- 

 duced varieties of crop plants, plant breeding, investigations in plant 

 nutrition, experiments in the utilization of native forage and fruit 

 plants, and experiments in tillage methods and crop rotations. 



At the Yuma Project particular attention has been given to experi- 

 ments in growing Egj'ptian cotton. It has been demonstrated that 

 this type of cotton, characterized by the superior length, strength, 

 and fineness of fiber, gives large yields and produces lint pronounced 

 by American spinners equal to corresponding grades of imported 

 Eg}'ptian cotton. 



The ])lant-nutrition problems offered by certain peculiar soil types 

 of the Truckee-Carson Project are being chiefly investigated. Coop- 

 erative work by bacteriologists and pln'siologists of the Department 

 looking to the correction of these unfavorable conditions is in prog- 

 ress. Experiments with orchard and small fruits seem to indicate 

 that owing to the likelihood of late spring frosts in the valley bottoms 

 the higher lands ofler the best prospects of success. Alfalfa, the 

 cereals, and sugar beets appear to be the most promising crops for the 

 lowlands. 



The Umatilla Project appears to be adapted to orchard fruits, 

 grapes, and small fruits, such as strawberries These crops are 

 therefore receiving special attention on the experiment farm. 



On the Klamath, Huntley, Williston, and North Platte projects 

 experiments were begun last year with the crops that appear to be 

 best adapted to the respective local conditions. It is as yet too early 

 to report results. On the Bcdiefoiirche Project water for irrigation 

 has not so far been available on the experiment farm, and the work 

 has been confined to dry-land agriculture e.\periments on that portion 

 of the farm lying above the ditch. 



