AGRICULTUKAL ENGINEEKING. 999 



AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING. 



Drainage of southern Indiana, J. F. Newsom {Jour. Geul., 10 {1902), No. 2, pp. 

 l>!6-181, pi. 1). — Tliis article (li«'u.«so!^ tlie drainajic? of that portion of southern Indi- 

 ana which "lies south of a line running from Indianapolis east to the Ohio State 

 line, and from Indianapolis south westward along the course of the West Wliite River 

 to the mouth of that stream." The drainage of this area is dependent upon geo- 

 logical structure, and is not controlled primarily by glacial drift. The drainage, 

 except in the eastern jiart of the area, is toward the southwest, following the dip of 

 the strata. 



Report on irrigation investigations for 1900, E. Mead {V. >S. Dept. Ayr., 

 Office of Experiment Stations Bid. 104, PP- 3-U, ph. 25, figs. 29). — This is an account of 

 imestigations on the methods of conserving, distributing, and using water in irriga- 

 tion made in 1900 under the supervision of the expert in charge of irrigation investiga- 

 tions of this Office. It includes a review of the principal results of the investigations, 

 by E. Mead; a discussion of methods and results, by C. T. Johnston; and reports l)y 

 S})ecial agents and ()l)servers as follows: Irrigation along Pecos River and its tribu- 

 taries, by W. ^I. Reed; Irrigation in the Salt River Valley, by W. H. Code; Irriga- 

 tion at the Arizona E!xperiment Station farm, by A. J. McClatchie; Duty of water 

 under Gage Canal, Riverside, Cal., 1900, by W. Irving; Irrigation investigations in 

 Nevada, by J. M. Wilson; Water administration in Utah, and Duty of water on Big 

 Cottonwood Creek, 1900, by R. C. Gemmell; Irrigation under canals from Logan 

 River, by G. L. Swendsen; Irrigation under the Great Eastern Canal, Platte County, 

 Nebr., by O. V. P. Stout; The use of water for irrigation at Wheatland, Wyo., by 

 C. T. Johnston; Duty of water on the Laramie Plains, 1899, by W. H. Fairfield; 

 Duty of water in Idaho, bj' D. W. Ross; Use of water in irrigation in the Yakima 

 Valley, by 0. L. Waller; Irrigation investigations in Montana, 1900, by S. Fortier; 

 Progress report on silt measurements, by J. C. Nagle. The investigations made dur- 

 ing 1900 followed the same general lines as those of the preceding year (E. S. R., 12, 

 p. 895), although better equipment and increased skill and experience of those in 

 charge have permitted their extension in several important directions. Special 

 attention has been given to a study of the duty of water and the conditions which 

 influence it, since information on this point is necessary as a basis for planning irri- 

 gation works and to assist in framing contracts for supph'ing water, which will be 

 in accord with the necessities of users and enable those charged with the division of 

 streams to properly perform their duties. 



"An examination of the reports of the different exjjerts and special agents shows 

 close agreements between the average rainfall and average duty of water in 1899 and 

 1900. These averages are based on measurements made in 10 States and Territories, 

 at stations which are scattered over a region which embraces about one-third of the 

 United States. 



Feet. 



In 1899 the average rainfall for the irrigation period was 0. 44 



In 1900 the average rainfall for the same period was L .45 



The average depth of water applied to crops in 1899 was 4. 35 



The average depth of water applied in 1900 was 4.13" 



One of the more important new lines of investigation reported on is the deter- 

 mination of the volume and fertilizing qualities of the silt carried by the rivers of 

 the West and Southwest. This has an important bearing on the question of the 

 duration of storage works, and the results rej)orted show that the con.struction of 

 reservoirs should always be preceded by a careful investigation of this subject. 

 Examinations of samples of water from the principal rivers of Texas and the results 

 of studies of the silting up of the Austin and Pecos reservoirs are reported with sug- 

 gestions as to methods of dealing with the silt problem. 



