REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 73 



suitable buildings be erected, and unless the funds already appropri- 

 ated are made available for this purpose the contemplated extension 

 can not be made until July 1, 1912, thus causing the loss of an entire 

 season's work at these new stations. Such a delay at this time would 

 be very unfortunate, as these stations are in localities where the 

 drought has been very severe for the last two seasons and the settlers 

 are therefore in urgent need of all the assistance that can be given 

 them by this department, 



WORK OF THE FIELD STATIONS AT THE RECLAMATION PROJECTS. 



The opening of the reclamation projects to settlement has disclosed 

 many problems of a local character which must be solved before these 

 projects can be brought to their highest state of productiveness. In 

 order to assist in the development of this region, the department has 

 established experimental farms upon the following projects: Yuma 

 (Arizona, California), Truckee-Carson (Nevada), Umatilla (Ore- 

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

 (North Dakota), and Bellefourche (South Dakota). Experiments 

 to determine the tillage methods and crop rotations best adapted to 

 the conditions constitute an important part of the work at these sta- 

 tions. Special attention also is given to the utilization of native 

 forage and fruit plants and to the testing of special crops that seem 

 peculiarly fitted to the different conditions. 



Irrigated regions present problems in plant nutrition and crop 

 production that are not met elsewhere. A marked diminution in 

 yield after cultivation for a few years is by no means an uncommon 

 experience in irrigated regions. These troubles are often the result 

 of the translocation of the large amount of soluble material that is 

 usually present in irrigated lands, but there appear to be other causes 

 not well understood which give rise to a condition of malnutrition 

 in the growing crop. Particularly is this to be seen in the case of 

 irrigated orchards. It is highly desirable to undertake at once a 

 comprehensive investigation of the conditions giving rise to malnu- 

 trition of crop plants in irrigated regions if we wish to maintain our 

 irrigated lands in a high state of productiveness. 



Some serious pathological problems have also developed on some 

 of the projects, notably a disease of the potato which has proved 

 very disastrous on the North Platte (Nebraska) project. These prob- 

 lems are undoubtely closely associated with the time and manner of 

 applying irrigation water and also with the quantity of water ap- 

 plied. The previous crop grown upon the land seems also to be an 

 important factor in causing these diseases to develop. These various 

 problems and their interrelation are to be carefully studied through 

 cooperation among the several offices of the Bureau of Plant Industry 

 having charge of the respective lines of investigation. 



