838 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



superiority over the native sorts that all available plants have been 

 distributed and 1,000 suckers ordered from Honolulu for further dis- 

 tribution among planters. Other introchictions that have not yet 

 fruited include oranges, lemons, pomelos, Japanese persimmons, 

 peaches, bananas, sapotas, grapes, etc. In additicm a number of 

 palms, rubber trees, ornamental, and hedge plants have been intro- 

 duced and are now growing on the station grounds. The avocado 

 seedlings, introduced from Hawaii since the American occupation, 

 have fruited and the quality of the fruit is said to be equal, if not su- 

 perior, to those grown in the Hawaiian Islands. 



During the past fiscal year Mr, D. T. Fullaway, entomologist of 

 the Hawaii Experiment Station, was detailed to Guam and a pre- 

 liminary survey was made of the insect fauna of the island, especial 

 attention being given to the pests of economic plants. A large num- 

 ber of specimens were collected, the most of which have been iden- 

 tified and reported upon in the annual report of the Guam station. 

 Through the efforts of Mr. Fullaway attempts are being made to in- 

 troduce predaceous and parasitic insects for the control of some of 

 the most common pests of the island. This work will be continued in 

 cooperation with the Hawaii Experiment Station. 



IBRIGATION INVESTIGATIONS. 



Dr. Samuel Fortier had charge of the irrigation investigations of 

 the office and continued the work during the year along the same 

 general plans as outlined in former reports. 



As heretofore, the chief work of the office has been the furnishing 

 of information to prospective settlers regarding irrigation methods 

 and practices and the conditions in different localities where irrigation 

 is practiced, and the rendering of advice and assistance to those who 

 have already established homes in the irrigated sections. The greater 

 part of the time of 25 men emploj^ed throughout the year and as many 

 more employed only during the irrigation season has been spent in 

 traveling about throughout the arid and semiarid regions collecting 

 data; advising settlers regarding the better irrigation methods and 

 practices; demonstrating the more economical ways of obtaining, dis- 

 tributing, and applying water; and aiding both individuals and the 

 officials of irrigation enterprises in every way possible in solving the 

 practical problems of irrigation. The value of such work can not be 

 estimated, as the improved method adopted by a single man to-day 

 becomes the common method of a locality a few years hence. An 

 idea of the urgent need of this line of work both at present and in 

 the future is shown by the results of the irrigation census taken in 

 1910 by the Bureau of the Census in cooperation with this office. 

 The decade from 1899 to 1909 was one of great activity in the settle- 

 ment of irrigated lands, the number of irrigated farms having in- 

 creased more than 50,000, and the area irrigated in the arid and semi- 

 arid States having increased from approximately seven and one-half 

 million acres to thirteen and three-fourths million acres. The enter- 

 prises, however, reported that on July 1, 1910, they would be able to 

 supply water to nineteen and one-half million acres and that the 

 projects in opera.tion and under construction included more than 

 31 million acres. Thus, if the acreage irrigated for irrigated farms 

 remains the same during the next 10 years, and if no new projects 



