LXXXVIII REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 



wide Jittention in that State, while the investigations of Prof. F. H. 

 King, of the Agricultural Experiment Station of Wisconsin, at Mad- 

 ison *and Stevens Point, and of Prof. Edward B. Voorhees, of the 

 Agricultural Experiment Station of New Jersey, will serve to show 

 the value of irrigation in securing larger yields and providing an 

 insurance against drought. The indications are that irrigation is to 

 have a wide field of usefulness in manv sections where it is not a 

 necessity. Especial attention has been paid during the past year to 

 the subject of rice irrigation, and a comprehensive report dealing with 

 the methods of application, the cost of water, and the value of the 

 product will soon be ready for distribution. 



The fact that the United States is destined to become one of the 

 leading irrigated countries of the world makes it especially desirable 

 that the laws which control the ownership of streams and the methods 

 of applying water should represent the best thought and experience 

 of our time. Nothing can be more foolish than to continue to learn 

 experimentally for ourselves what is alread}^ know^n elsewhere. The 

 lessons of southern Europe should be placed before the growing com- 

 munities of the West through reports of experts familiar with our 

 conditions, and who can thus compare their methods and ours. The 

 first of such investigations, embracing Italy and Egypt, is now being 

 carried on. 



In no year since Western settlement began has the prosperity of the 

 irrigated farm been as marked as during the one drawing to a close. 

 The high prices of cattle and sheep have contributed to the profits of 

 the grower of forage crops. There has been a ready market and good 

 prices for all the surplus products of the irrigated farm and garden, 

 and these high prices have been accompanied by an almost uniform 

 record of large yields. 



AGRICDLTUEAL ENGINEERING. 



The prosecution of these investigations has led to the stud}^ of a 

 number of affiliated subjects, the relation of which to irrigation becomes 

 apparent only with a thorough understanding of the situation. In 

 one way or another the whole subject of agricultural engineering is 

 involved. Especially is this true of the applications of power to farm 

 work. The subject of pumping will serve as an illustration of this 

 relation. In many places pumping furnishes the most economical and 

 readiest means of securing a water supply. Farmers desire to avail 

 themselves of all the experience of others before wasting an}^ money 

 in gathering it for themselves. Hence this Department is called on 

 for information as to the amount of water required for a given acre- 

 age, the size of pump needed to furnish it, the cost of pumping for 

 different depths, the kind of power to be applied, whether steam, wind, 

 gas, water power, or electricity, the cost of machinery, the expense 



