794 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. . 



strated that the disease may be communicated in this way. The symptoms of geese 

 fed upon this material were the same as those which had become diseased under 

 natural conditions, and post-mortem examination revealed the same pathological 

 changes. Details of bacteriological work, in cooperation with Dr. Theobald Smith, 

 will be given in a future publication. A similar outbreak occurred in another locality, 

 where about 20 per cent of the geese w^ere lost. It is recommended that geese raisers 

 should divide the birds up into small lots in order that the disease may be more 

 readily controlled when outbreaks occur. 



The author made experiments to determine the effect of hothouse brooding on the 

 vitality of chicks. The birds subjected to these conditions appear to develop in a 

 strong and vigorous manner, and, judging by the appearance of their feathers and by 

 their weight and color, they were ecjual in vigor to hen-raised chickens. It is con- 

 sidered possible, however, that such birds might not be able to compete in the open 

 field with chickens raised by their natural mothers. 



AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING. 



Report of irrigation investigations in California {U. S. Dept. Agr., Office of 

 Experiment Stations Bui. 100, pp. 411, pis. 29, figs. 16). — This is an account of investiga- 

 tions made during 1900 by the Office of Experiment Stations in cooperation with the 

 California Water and Forest Association under the direction of Elwood ]Mead, expert 

 in charge of irrigation investigations of this Department, assisted by eight specialists 

 in irrigation. These specialists and the streams on which they studied irrigation 

 conditions were as follows: W. E. Smythe, Susan River; Marsden Manson, Yuba 

 River; J. M. Wilson, agent and expert in irrigation investigations, Cache Creek; 

 Prof. Frank Soule, of the University of California, San Joaquin River; Prof. 

 Charles D. Marx, of Stanford University, Salinas River; C. E. Grunsky, city engineer 

 of San Francisco, Kings River; Edward M. Boggs, Los Angeles River; James D. 

 Schuyler, Sweetwater River. 



The report reviews the agricultural situation in California and shows that in many 

 of the principal portions of the State agricultural development is greatly hindered 

 by the inadequacy of irrigation laws. It is claimed that the chief obstacles to such 

 development in the State are an unremitting jiroduction of cereal crops in the great 

 interior valley and a lack of more diversified farming; opposition to irrigation in 

 districts which the census shows to be measuraVjly decreasing in wealth and popula- 

 tion; a too great zeal on the part of advocates of the AVright district law, followed by 

 unwise investments w hich have led to loss and disappointment and a consequent 

 opposition to irrigation laws of whatever nature; overappropriation of streams, 

 resulting in confusing uncertainty as to the number and extent of valid appropria- 

 tions; the conflicting nature of the water laws, and the existence, side by side, of 

 the two opposing doctrines of appropriation and riparian rights; absolute private 

 ownership of water in face of the fact that all leading countries where irrigation is 

 necessary recognize only the rights of use and attach them not to the owner of land 

 or to canal companies, but to the land itself, from- which they are inseparable, and 

 finally, and most important of all, the absence of any State control of streams or of 

 any State administration of rights to their use. 



The conclusions of the special agents and experts who made the investigations are 

 that the State should ascertain the volume of available irrigation water, define all 

 rights to its use, whether already acquired or to be acquired hereafter, and provide 

 an efficient system of water administration. The definite recommendations for attain- 

 ing these ends embody, among other measures, the creation of a State board of 

 control of waters, similar to that in existence in Wyoming for the past 10 years, 

 the making of unapiDropriated waters State property, the limitation of all appropria- 



