38 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



Of great importance to irrigators who depend on jd limping for 

 their water supply, and in general to those who apply power to farm 

 work, haye been the tests of the power yahie of denatured alcohol 

 carried on by this Office in the mechanical engineering laboratories of 

 Columbia University, under the direction of Prof. C. E. Lucke of 

 that university, and Prof. S. M. Woodward of this Office. These 

 experiments in the use of alcohol are of great importance to the 

 farmer not only because of its adaptation to his needs for power, but 

 also because the production of alcohol may open up a market for 

 many farm products now either unsalable or which can be cultivated 

 for this purpose at a profit. 



The study of effects of irrigation laws, public administrative sys- 

 tems, and ditch regulations upon the economical use of water has 

 been continued during the year. This has been one of the most 

 valuable lines of work done by this Office. Since its beginning seven 

 States and Territories have adopted either whole or partial codes of 

 irrigation laws correcting, as far as possible, the evils pointed out in 

 our reports, and three other States have appointed commissions to 

 draft such codes. The reports of this Office have not only shown the 

 lack of harmon}' between existing law and the public interest, but 

 have pointed out the lines upon which new legislation should be 

 cast, and the new codes without exception follow these suggestions. 

 Canal companies have revised the rules under Avhich they distribute 

 w^ater, bringing them into harmon}' with the demands of the in- 

 dustry and in this wa}^ promoting economy in water. 



It should be borne in mind that agricultural development in the 

 arid region is absoluteh' limited by the water supply, and that every 

 saving of water makes possible a proportional increase in the area 

 reclaimed. Every line of Avork followed in the irrigation investi- 

 gations of this Office has for its ultimate object this one thing — the 

 largest possible use of the water supply, which by nature is limited 

 in quantity. The carrying out of experiments and the making of 

 investigations are necessarily local and as a rule benefit the localities 

 where the work is done. But these benefits are only incidental. The 

 larger benefit comes to the country as a wliolc from a better use of 

 the resources on which the whole economic life of one-third the area 

 of the United States rests. 



DRAINAGE. 



The drainage work of this ()(lic(> covers two general fields: (1) 

 The wet lands in the arid region, which have been injured by seepage 

 water from canals and irrigated hinds, and l)y the accumulation of 

 alkali which usually attends the rise of the ground watei- with irri- 

 gation; (2) lands in the huniiil region which are too wet for agri- 



