EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol. X. No. 10. 



The irrigation investigations in charge of this Office have already 

 been referred to in the present volume of the Record (p. 201). The 

 appropriation for this purpose having been increased at the recent 

 session of Congress from $10,000 to $35,000, of which sum $10,000 was 

 made immediately available, these investigations are being further 

 developed and the work in connection with them is being more 

 thoroughly organized. The scope of the investigations has been more 

 accurately defined in the last appropriation act. As there stated, funds 

 are provided "To enable the Secretary of Agriculture to investigate and 

 report upon the laws and institutions relating to irrigation, and upon 

 the use of irrigation waters, with special suggestions of better methods 

 for the utilization of irrigation waters in agriculture than those in 

 common use, and for the preparation, printing, and illustration of 

 reports and bulletins on irrigation; and the agricultural experiment 

 stations are hereby authorized and directed to cooperate with the 

 Secretary of Agriculture in carrying out said investigations in such 

 manner and to such extent as may be warranted by a due regard to 

 the varying conditions and needs of the respective States and Terri- 

 tories, and as may be mutually agreed upon." 



The first bulletin prepared in connection with these investigations, 

 which has recently been issued, contains a discussion of the irrigation 

 laws which control the diversion and use of water from the Missouri 

 River and its tributaries, by Prof. Elwood Mead, including papers on 

 the water laws of Colorado and Nebraska, by the engineers of these 

 States. Other bulletins of a similar character are in preparation. 



For the present the investigations on the use of irrigation water will 

 be largely confined to the determination of the actual amount of water 

 used by successful farmers in different parts of the irrigated region on 

 different soils and in the growing of different crops. 



A temporary organization for the administration of these investiga- 

 tions has been effected by the appointment of Prof. Elwood Mead as 

 irrigation expert in charge, and headquarters have been established at 

 Cheyenne, Wyoming. It is hoped that some work may be done the 

 present season in most of the States and Territories west of the Mis- 

 sissippi River in which irrigation is practiced to any considerable 

 extent. Arrangements have also been made to aid the New Jersey 



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