393 



Report of ohemioal section, D. O'Brine, D. Sc. (pp. 46-18). — The 

 station laboratory was opened for work October 15, 1888. From that 

 time up to December 3, 188!), 541 analyses were made by the chemical 

 section of the station. The lesults of a largo share of this work were 

 reported in 1889 in IJnlletins Il^os. G-9 of the station (See Experiment 

 Station Eecord, Vol. I, pp. 10 and 190). 



Report of section of meteorology and irrigation engineer- 

 ing, L. G. Carpenter, M. S. (pp. 49-70). — The work of this section 

 in 1889 included meteorological observations, studies of evaporation, 

 observations of soil temperatures, and the collection of data regarding 

 irrigation as practiced in Colorado. 



Extent of the ir'>-i gated area in Colorado. — Preliminary estimates, given 

 in the report, from the data collected by the station and from other 

 sources, indicate that — 



The total amount of land nnder ditch in Colorado at present is not far from 4,500 

 square miles, or 3,000,000 acres. The amount of laud actually irrigated can not be so 

 reliably estimated at present. It is much less than the amount under ditch. From 

 the sections of the State whicli I have visited, it would be safe to estimate that not 

 over one third of this is under cultivation. 



It is interesting to compare this with other countries that have practiced the art 

 of irrigation much longer than we. In France, 400,000 acres are under irrigation. 

 In the valley of the Po, according to Baird Smith, 1,600,000 acres were watered iu 18.51, 

 and in 1882, according to Deakin (Fourth Progress Report, Royal Commission on 

 Water Supiily, Victoria), the amount had doubled. In Egypt, about 7,000 square 

 miles are irrigated, and in India, according to data given by Marsh, in "Man and 

 Nature," there seem to be about 18,000 square miles uuder ditch. When we remem- 

 ber that the subjugation of the arid region in Colorado has practically been confined 

 to the last 15 years, her progress and relative rank are all the more wonderful, and 

 suggest the energetic development that may be expected in the future. 



Precipitation. — The tabulated monthly record of the rain-fall at the 

 station for the years from 1873 to 1889, inclusive, shows an average 

 yearly rain-fall of 13.8 inches. Over 45 per cent of this falls in April, 

 May, and June, and some 72 per cent in the six months from April 1 

 to October 1. The rain-fall for 1889, as recorded in a table for fifteen 

 different localities in Colorado, varied from 7.3 inches to 14.8 inches. 



Temperature and sunshine. — The average temperature for 1889 at the 

 station was 46°; average daily range of thermometer, 29.3°, and the 

 maximum range, 55.5°. The average and daily maximum range of 

 temperature in Colorado is recorded for each month of 1889, and. com- 

 pared with similar data for New York for 1888. A table gives the 

 average per cent of sunshine as recorded at the New York State Station 

 during several years, as compared with the per cent of sunshine for 

 1888 and 1889 at the Colorado Agricultural College, and for 1889 at the 

 substations at Rocky Ford and San Luis. At the New York Station the 

 average per cent of sunshine for the year was 37, and at the Colorado 

 College in 1889 it was G4.7. Observations made at Fort Collins and 

 San Luis, as stated in the report, to determine the loss of sunshine due 

 to the intiuence of the mountain ranges iu shortening the day, showed 

 21500— No. 8 2 



