280 Bulletin 38. 



ers were unable to get any trace of cream upon the milk when 

 allowed to stand. 



As stated above, this should not in any sense be taken as a 

 report of results of a test of the different makes of separators 

 The results given show this : That close skimming can be done 

 with hand separators when properly operated ; th at excessive 

 losses result from careless handling ; and that every owner of a 

 hand separator should run a Babcock tester and test the milk 

 from his separator as well as from his cows. 



Gordon H. True, 



Department of Animal Husbandry. 



WELL WATERS FOR IRRIGATION. 

 No. 30, April i. 



As the number of artesian wells, and those from which water 

 is pumped for irrigation, increases, interested inquiry is made as 

 to the probable effects of these waters upon the soils to which 

 they are applied. 



In answering questions of this nature for irrigating waters in 

 this region, three factors must be considered : 1, the silt which 

 they carry ; 2, the various soluble "alkaline" salts; 3, soluble 

 plant foods, especially nitrates. 



Silt is, of course, absent in all well waters. In river waters 

 this material, containing organic matter and mineral plant foods, 

 is of great value to the lands upon which it is applied. The de- 

 ficiency of silt in well waters, however, is not without advantage, 

 since these waters are more uniformly wholesome for stock and 

 dairy purposes, the offensive character of river waters at flood 

 time being a matter of common observation. 



Alkaline salts in solution vary greatly in amount in different 

 localities. In irrigated districts, well waters are usually heavily 

 charged with salts, originally contained in solution in irrigating 

 water or leached from the soil, and carried down to ground water 

 level by drainage. In Salt River valley, the average for thirty - 

 six wells, from fifteen to 146 feet deep, was 169 parts of soluble 

 salts in 100,000 parts of water. In some instances these solubles 



