TWENTY FIFTH ANNUAL MEETING. 199 



single acre by the leaves of the crops. This does not take into account 

 the water given off from the surface of the soil, which, depending on the 

 character of the soil and the season and the amount of cultivation it 

 receives, will vary in amount; but we can safely say that from ten to fif- 

 teen inches will be evaporated from the surface of the soil, under average 

 conditions, in twelve months. 



We have these two sources of loss, — from the surface and from the 

 leaves; and we have to consider also that in the average season a large 

 amount passes off by percolation into the springs and drains and streams; 

 and more than this, we must not forget that, of the yearly rainfall, a large 

 amount is lost in winter by running off the surface into the streams. So, 

 after making allowance for all of these things, we will find that thirty-five 

 inches of water are needed to secure a crop, and we should have the rain- 

 fall distributed through the season, with one-half of the amount after the 

 first of March. During the last few years we have fallen short of this. 

 Hardly a year has passed when the rainfall during the summer has not 

 fallen short, there being an inch where we should have had two or three 

 and sometimes four inches. 



During the twelve months ending July 31, the rainfall was but about 

 one third of what we should have had to secure full crops. We had 

 twelve inches and a fraction, where thirty-five inches are desirable. 



The subject of cultivation goes hand in hand with irrigation. Many 

 people have claimed that by cultivation alone, good crops could be grown, 

 and that the benefits from irrigation, provided the land was properly cul- 

 tivated, would not repay the cost; but, while cultivation will do much to 

 conserve water, it will not provide it. 



For success in irrigation, we must first have an ample supply of water. 

 Too many people go to work with a small windmill, or some other 

 inefficient power, with which to pump the water, expecting sufficient sup- 

 ply to irrigate a considerable area. They may say that they have a reser- 

 voir into which they can pump, but these seldom hold more than 100 bar- 

 rels, and this amount only goes a short distance. 



We have during the past year established at the College a special irri- 

 gating plant. While we desire to grow good crops, we have found, in 

 testing varieties and in other experimental work, we have not been able to 

 secure the best results, owing to the drouths, and for that reason we 

 arranged this spring to put in a plant to supply water to the vegetable 

 garden, and some of the small fruits. We have not yet been able to 

 extend this to the orchard or the raspberries, and what I can tell you 

 today, regarding the method we have used, will apply only to certain of 

 the vegetable crops and strawberries grown on eight acres in the garden. 



This soil is a mixture of sand and clay, a moderately heavy loam, but 

 for our purpose it is not desirable, from the fact that at from one to two 

 feet there is a layer of quicksand, and, in a dry season, the crops suffer 

 from want of water. 



Yesterday the chairman spoke of the cost of this plant. It was given 

 as |1,000. While this |1,000 was actually spent, it was not all spent for 

 the portion used for irrigating. This included the cost of a long line of 

 pipe, buried in the ground, for use for fire protection, which was the main 

 used to carry water to the garden, and on this we placed three fire 

 hydrants, all of which cost two or three hundred dollars. We have also a 



