148 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



tity produced in this country this year will be greatly increased. The 

 yields of seed vary from 1,000 to 1,500 pounds per acre, with occa- 

 sional yields much greater. The cost of production is being reduced, 

 and there is every indication that a permanent seed industry has 

 been established. It only remains to develop it until it is able to 

 provide the total quantity of seed required by the beet growers of 

 this country from year to year. 



AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES ON RECLAMATION PROJECTS. 



To aid settlers on Government reclamation projects to develop 

 productive systems of agriculture, the work of several specialists is 

 directed toward the promotion of the agricultural industries best 

 suited to the conditions on the several projects. In general, the con- 

 ditions of the different projects are shifting to a diversified agricul- 

 ture in which live-stock agriculture occupies an important position. 



PASTURES. 



On those reclamation projects where the dairy and sheep industries 

 are specially important, there is strong demand for information 

 regarding feasible methods of maintaining dairy cows and small 

 farm flocks of sheep during the summer months. In this connection 

 the use of irrigated pastures is being encouraged and is receiving 

 wide recognition by the settlers. The work of this bureau during the 

 year in connection with pastures has been done principally on the 

 Huntley, Shoshone, and Uncompahgre projects, and excellent results 

 have been secured. A rapidly increasing number of farmers on these 

 projects are planting pastures, and the great majority of them are 

 succeeding in their efforts. 



SUPPLEMENTARY FEED CROPS. 



On several of the projects some difficulty has been experienced 

 in the production of crops to use in supplementing alfalfa. The 

 work in the production of supplementary feed crops has been done 

 chiefly on the Truckee-Carson, Huntley, and Shoshone projects. 

 On the Truckee-Carson project tests of several varieties and cultural 

 methods of wheat, oats, barley, and mangels have been conducted in 

 cooperation with farmers, and very satisfactory results have been 

 secured. Preliminary tests have been successfully inaugurated on 

 the same projects for the purpose of securing information as to sat- 

 isfactory varieties and methods of production for silage corn, and 

 some attention has been paid on the Huntley and Shoshone projects 

 to the production of sunflowers for silage. This crop promises to 

 have value as a silage crop on those projects where the growing 

 season is short and where light frosts during early autumn make the 

 production of silage corn somewhat hazardous. 



IRRIGATION METHODS. 



A field man has been stationed on the Umatilla project, in Oregon, 

 where the topography is rough and the soil extremely sandy, to assist 

 the farmers in developing satisfactory methods of land reclamation 

 and irrigation. This work necessitates, in some instances, a complete 

 readjustment of the farm irrigation systems and equipment, in order 



