OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 303 



rural engineering. But with the increasing demand for efficient labor- 

 saving devices resulting from the growing scarcity of farm labor, and 

 the organization and development in foreign countries of institutions 

 for the systematic study and improvement of farm nmchinery, it is 

 important that we should not longer neglect this field of inquiry if we 

 are to meet the reasonable requirements of our agriculture and main- 

 tain our supremacy. Systematic investigations of the kind mentioned 

 have been so limited in this country that at present the Department 

 is not in a position to answer the numerous requests for information 

 on these subjects which come to it, and these demands will undoubt- 

 edly increase with the growing application of new forms of power to 

 farm work and the development of new kinds of labor-saving machin- 

 ery. Interest in these subjects is already so widespread that the 

 agricultural colleges and experiment stations are broadening their 

 work so as to include courses of study and investigations in agricul- 

 tural engineering. They find great difficulty, however, in establishing 

 this work on an efficient basis, because of the lack of definite infor- 

 mation in available form. It is believed that this Department might 

 well undertake to collate and publish such information, as well as to 

 institute investigations which will broaden our knowledge of the prin- 

 ciples involved in these s.ubjects. Some of the more important lines 

 along which the proposed inquiries and investigations might be under- 

 taken with profit are, as already indicated, as follows: 



(1) Laying out of farms, including arrangement of fields, location 

 of buildings, water supply, and disposal of sewage. 



(2) Drainage. — This is a subject of universal application, but the 

 need of study of methods of draining irrigated land to remove excess 

 of water and alkali is especially urgent for the reason that with the 

 rapid extension of irrigation the subject of drainage is increasing in 

 importance. Moreover, the problems encountered under these condi- 

 tions are different from those which arise in regions where the surplus 

 water to be removed by drainage comes from rainfall. The introduc- 

 tion of an efficient system of drainage of irrigated lands will make 

 productive large areas of land now practically worthless, and will ren- 

 der available for irrigation an important water supply which is now 

 wasted. In response to numerous requests from the irrigated region, 

 the Irrigation Investigations of this Office has undertaken some work 

 along this line, as explained on page 294. While the need of drainage 

 investigations in connection with irrigation is especially urgent, there 

 are many features of the question as applied to humid regions which 

 have been but imperfectly studied. 



(3) Farm huildings, including the designing of the different build- 

 ings required on the farm, with studies of arrangement, materials to 

 be used, and methods of construction. Formerly farm buildings were 

 mainly storage places for implements and products and shelter for 

 stock; with the advance of agriculture farm buildings have become 

 more complex in construction and use, and should be as carefully 

 planned and constructed as factories. Not only is there a wide field 

 for study in the improvement of their design to more perfectly meet 

 the requirements of modern agriculture, but the question of the 

 materials used in their construction must receive attention in the near 

 future. So long as lumber was abundant and cheap wood was the 

 most desirable material, but with the growing scarcity and increasing 

 cost of lumber the time is not far distant when brick, concrete, stone, 

 and metal will have to be considered. Moreover, under modern con- 



