LFITER OF SUBMITTAL 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Office of Experiment Stations, 



Washington, D. C, June 8, 1904. 



Sir : I have the honor to submit herewith a report on investigations 

 and experiments in irrigation in different parts of the humid region 

 of tlie United States carried on by tliis Office in 1903. The report 

 deals almost exclusivel}' with the irrigation of market-garden crops. 

 Most of these grow rapidly and have but a short season, and a few 

 days of dry weather seriously check their growth. There are few 

 seasons when such dry periods do not occur, and irrigation as an insui-- 

 ance against them has x>roved very profitable. In some sections this 

 is becoming so well known that many inquiries are received as to 

 equipment and methods of irrigating. The rej)ort of Professor Voor- 

 hees describes a number of jjlants now in use, and will be useful in 

 answering such inquiries. 



In sections farther west there is doubt as to the value of irrigation 

 and some ijrejudice against it, and the experiments at Columbia, Mo., 

 reported by Professor AVaters, have been made for the purpose of 

 testing the value of irrigation in that section. As may be seen from 

 the report, irrigation has generally proved profitable. 



The report of Professor Crane on the artesian basin of South Dakota 

 shows that there have been large preparations for irrigation, but that 

 the use of too much water has swamiDcd the land and has in this way 

 created a prejudice against irrigation in general and especially against 

 the use of artesian water. However, irrigation is still practiced by 

 market gardeners with good results, and experience has shown that 

 there is no danger in the proper use of the artesian water. It is the 

 use of too much water, rather than the quality of the water, which 

 has done the damage. 



The great success of irrigation of market gardens and the increased 

 demands for agricultural products are leading to the adoption of irri- 

 gation for field crops in the humid sections of our country. In this 

 the farmers of America are repeating the exj)erience of farmers of 

 Europe, who have found that there are few sections where irrigation 

 will not pay sim^jl}^ as an insurance against drought. The irrigated 

 portions of France, Switzerland, and Italy have a greater rainfall 

 than the Mississippi Valley. The average rainfall for eighty years 



