[fir. 122— B.] 



THE WORK OF THE TRUCKEE-CARSON EXPERIMENT FARM 



IN 1912/ 



By F. B. Headley, Farm f^iiitcrintoitlent. Office of Western Irrigation 



Af/riciilturc. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The Tnickee-Carson Experiment Farm - was established by the 

 Bureau of Plant Industrj^ of the Department of Agriculture in 1906 

 on 160 acres of land 1 mile south of Fallon, Nev. The land was with- 

 drawn from entry by the Reclamation Service for use as an experi- 

 ment farm. 



The Truckee-Carson Project is situated in one of the driest regions 

 in the United States, the average annual rainfall being less than 5 

 inches. The native vegetation of the project is extremely sparse, so 

 that the virgin soil is lacking in vegetable matter. Furthermore, the 

 high evaporation has resulted in the accumulation of alkali salts in 

 the surface soil on many parts of the project. 



Since irrigation was commenced several years ago, surplus water 

 has accumulated in many of the low-lying lands and a water table 

 has thus been established. In certain parts of the project this water 

 table is within 2 to 4 feet of the surface and its presence has a detri- 



1 Issued Apr. 19, 1913. 



= The Truckoe-Carson Experiment Farm is maintained by the Office of Western Irriga- 

 tion Agriculture of the Bureau of I'lant Industry. For a report on the worli of the farm 

 previous to 1909, see Scofleld, C. S., and Rogers, S. J., " Tlie Truclcee-Carson Experiment 

 Farm," U. S. Department of AgricuUure, Bureau of Plant Industi-y, Bulletin l."iT, 1909. 

 More recent publications relating to the investigational work are as follows : 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry : 



Bulletin 211, 1911. Bacteriological studies of the soils of the Ti-uckee-Carson Irriga- 

 tion Project, by K. F. Kellerman and E. R. Allen. 



Circular 91, 1912. The nematode gallworm on potatoes and other crop plants in 

 Nevada, by C. S. Scofleld. 



Circular 110, p. 21-25, 1913. Agriculture on the Truckee-Carson Project: Vegetables 

 for the home garden, by F. B. Headley and Vincent Fulkerson. 



Circular 113, p. 15-22, 1913. Commercial truck crops on the Trujckee-Carson Project, 

 by F. B. Headley and Vincent Fulkerson. 



Circular 114, p. 25-30, 1913. Climatic conditions on the Truckee-Carson Project, by 

 F. B. Headley. 



Circular 118, p. 17-2S, 1913. Fruit growing on the Truckee-Carson Project, by 

 F. B. Headley and Vincent Fulkerson. 



The arrangement of the fields and the location of the crop experiments in 1912 are 

 shown in figure 1. 



13 

 [Cir. 122] 



