930 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING. 



Progress report of cooperative irrigation investigations in California, S. 

 Fortieb ( U. S. Dept. Agr., Office of Ex per 'muni station* Oirc. 59, pp. 28). — This 

 circular gives the terms of the agreement under which cooperative investigations of 

 this Office and the State Board of P^xaminers are carried on in California, ami sum- 

 marizes the work there along the following lines: "(1) Description of plants in use, 

 ( 2) field tests of pumping plants in operation, (3) laboratory tests of typical pumps, 

 and (4) duty and value of water under pumping plants. The lirst three lines have 

 been in charge of J. N. Le Conte, of the University of California, assisted by A. J. 

 Turner; and F. H. Tibbetts has collected a part of the data pertaining to the last 

 line." 



Tests i >f a number of pumping plants are reported which show that the cost of 

 raising enough water to cover one acre of ground to a depth of 18 in. to a height of 

 30 ft. varied from 90 cts. to $3.60. Laboratory tests of the efficiency of pumps under 

 different heads and speeds showed that the highest efficiency was obtained with a 

 speed of 893 revolutions per minute and a head of 40.6 ft. It was also found that 

 with a lift of 40 ft. efficiency increased as the pump was placed nearer the water 

 supply. 



Data collected from 12 owners of pumps regarding the amount of water used and 

 the cost of raising it show an average depth of 1.24 ft. of water applied at an average 

 cost of $6 per acre. 



In the studies reported the total annual evaporation at Tulare was 74.68 in., at 

 Pomona 66.62 in., and at Calexico 108.23 in. In all cases the greatest evaporation 

 occurred during the months of June, July, and August. 



In a study of the influence of temperature on evaporation it was found that at 

 89.2° F. evaporation was almost 10 times (3.92 in. weekly) as great as at a temper- 

 ature of 55.5° (0.42 in. weekly). 



A comparison of methods of applying water showed that much less water was lost 

 when it was applied in deep furrows than when applied by means of surface flooding 

 or shallow furrows. A comparative examination of irrigated and unirrigated fruits 

 gave results favorable to the former. 



Report of the irrigation engineer, B. P. Fleming ( Wyoming Sta. Rpt. 1904, pp. 

 47-51). — A summary account is given of the work of the year in this department, 

 especially that relating to seepage and return waters on the Laramie River, which 

 was done in cooperation with this Office, and studies of the water requirements of 

 potatoes which have been carried on at the station for several years. 



Report of progress of stream measurements for the calendar year 1903, 

 J. C. Hoyt (U. S. Geol. Survey, Water-Supply and Irrig. Paper No. 98,p>p.313, map 1). — 

 This is part 2 of the series of 4 papers (97-100) which constitute the report of prog- 

 ress in stream measurements for the calendar year 1903 (E. S. R., 16, p. 721). Parts 

 1 and 2 of this report contain data collected from the territory east of the Mississippi 

 River, part 2 being confined to the southern Atlantic, eastern Gulf of Mexico, and 

 eastern Mississippi drainage. 



Report of progress of stream measurements for the calendar year 1903, 

 J. C. Hoyt ( U. S. Geo!. Surrey, Water-Supply and Irrig. Paper No. 99, pp. 422, map 1). — 

 This is part 3 of the series of 4 papers (97-100) which constitute the report of prog- 

 ress in stream measurements for the calendar year 1903. Parts 3 and 4 of this report 

 are devoted to data collected from the territory west of the Mississippi River, part 3 

 dealing with western Mississippi River and western Gulf of Mexico drainage. 



The underground waters of Gila Valley, Arizona, W. T. Lee ( U. S. Geol. 

 Surrey, Water-Suj>j>ly and Irrig. Paper No. 104, PP- 71, pis. 5, jigs. 9). — "In this report 

 there is presented all of the available information regarding the geology of the super- 

 ficial formations in Gila Valley between The Buttes, 12 miles east of Florence, and 



