AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING. 1029 



The Eepublican River goes dry nearly or quite every summer, and 

 hence tan not be relied upon for irrigation. The Frenchman River, 

 however, which flows into the Republican, like the Loup has a steady 

 flow and is being utilized to its full capacity. The area under ditch in 

 the Frenchman and Republican valleys is estimated at a little over 

 50,000 acres. "The information concerning acres actually irrigated is 

 not complete enough to constitute a basis for a reliable estimate, but 

 the number falls far short of the number of acres under ditch." 



Little definite data regarding the Platte and South Platte rivers are 

 given except that "canals of capacity suf&cient to utilize the entire 

 amount in dry years are already constructed," and that while the flood 

 value of the Platte is immense the summer flow is very uncertain. 



The storage of the flood waters is urged and some of the difficulties 

 encountered in such storage are pointed out. 



"The rather discouraging light in which the subject of storage iu ponds, lakes, or 

 reservoirs presents itself causes us to turn in another direction as we seek to prevent 

 the flood waters from passing by unused. In the development of one of the most 

 attractive projects now under consideration in the State it is proposed to place 

 entire dependence upon flood water, which is available in great quantity and i» 

 practically all that is available. It is proposed to prepare the subsoil of the fields 

 to receive the excess of water which can be furnished at flood period, and to hold it 

 there until it is needed and drawn up by the crops in the dry part of the growing 

 season. The recorded experience of many years in many countries goes to show that 

 a properly prepared subsoil is efficient as a conserver of moisture, and as previously 

 noted, the results of experiments already made encourage the belief that Nebraska 

 soil will prove to be exceptionally efficient in this way." 



The utilization of the underground water supply is discussed. 



" Irrigation by pumping from wells has not yet been practiced to any great extent 

 in Nebraska. It is almost certain, however, that within the next few years nearly 

 every farmer in the western and middle part of the State, where conditions are at all 

 favorable, will have from 2 to 15 acres under irrigation by this method." 



Detailed information on this subject is to be published in a future 

 bulletin of the station. 



Progress of irrigation (Jour. Frank. Inst., 139 (1895), No. 832, pp. 310-312).— k 

 summary. 



Wide tires, R. Stone ( U. S. Dept. Agr., Office of Road Inquiry Bui. 12, pp. 5-16).^ 

 This bulletin includes extracts from State laws, accounts of experiments with wide 

 tires, opinions of correspondents, newspaper notes, and statements regarding the 

 width of tires prescribed by law in various foreign countries. The evidence appears 

 to be overwhelmingly in favor of the adoption of wider tires than are now in general 

 use. 



Construction and ventilation of dairy barns, C. F. Curtiss (Iowa Sta. Bui. 27, 

 pp. 109-112, figs. 2).— The construction of a barn 40 by 70 ft. in size and costing 

 $4,000 is described, the special feature consisting in the construction of the ven- 

 tilators, for which pfirpose the hay chutes and some of the spaces between the 

 studding of the outer wall and between some of the rafters are utilized. 



An underground silo, W. W. Cooke and F. L. Watrous (Colorado Sta. Bui. SO, 

 pp. 21-23). — A silo with a capacity of 64 tons was built on the station farm at a cost 

 of 43 cts. per ton of capacity, or 65 cts. per ton including the cost of partitions for 

 4 compartments. On a spot which remained dry the whole year a hole 21 ft. square 



