390 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



" Considerable space has been given to mettiods of preparing land and apply- 

 ing water, for the reason that the manner in which these are done determines 

 to a large degree the profits derived by the farmers and the success of canal 

 companies. . . . The manner in which water is used in irrigation as described 

 in these pages is nation wide. The same care and attention which were paid 

 to the irrigation of cotton and sugar cane in the Southwest, to rice in the 

 Gulf States, and to truck and fruit crops along the Atlantic seaboard were 

 given to the irrigation of forage and cereal crops in the mountain States and 

 to vineyards and orchards along the Pacific." 



The author states that the contents of this publication are drawn in the main 

 from the publications and worlj of the Irrigation Investigations Division of 

 this Department. 



Treatise on engineering studies and works for water transportation, H. 

 Engels {Handbuch des Wasserbaues fiir das Studium und die Praxis. Leipzig: 

 W. Engelmann, 191^, pp. XII +1499, figs. 1623; rev. in Engin. News, 73 (1915), 

 No. 3, pp. 116, 111). — This book, in two volumes, contains, in addition to sev- 

 eral sections giving a large amount of general hydraulic engineering informa- 

 tion and. working data, a section treating of agricultural hydraulics, especially 

 drainage and irrigation. Sections of the pumps used for drainage purposes in 

 the Holland polders and elsewhere are given and tide gates are described. The 

 reclamation and cultivation of peat lands are also con.sidered. 



Report of the state engineer, A. J. Parshall (Bien. Rpt. State Engin. Wyo., 

 12 (1913-14), PP- 201, pis. 16). — This reports the activities of the state engineer- 

 ing force during the years 1913 and 1914, which included, among other work, 

 irrigation and stream gaging. 



[Irrigation and other experiments, Umatilla project, Oregon, 1914], R. W. 

 Allen (U. 8. Dept. Agr., Bur. Plant Indus., Work Umatilla Expt. Farm, 1914, 

 pp. 1-8, fig. 1). — Climatic and agricultural conditions on the project are de- 

 scribed briefly, including the results of measurements of precipitation, evapora- 

 tion, wind velocity, and temperature, and irrigation experiments to determine 

 the most economical methods of handling water are reported. 



It was " found that upon virgin land without crops a 2i-in. application of 

 water is retained in the first 4 ft. of soil. Five in. of water applied under iden- 

 tical conditions filled the first 10 ft. to its full carrying capacity and part of the 

 water passed even below this depth. Twenty-four hours after 5-in. and 10-in. 

 applications of water were made on two plats having the same kind of soil there 

 remained an equal quantity of water in each plat to the depth of 4 ft., and this 

 quantity was practically the same as was retained by the same layer of soil 

 where a 22-in. irx'igation was applied. On land of a finer texture and bearing a 

 crop of alfalfa, a 4-in. application of water was all held in the upper 4 ft. 

 This shows that in either case heavy losses result from applying heavy irriga- 

 tions to the lighter soils of this project. . . . 



" The frequency of applying water had a very marked influence upon crop 

 yields. A plat of alfalfa given 4.4 ft. of water at eight applications yielded 4 

 tons of hay. . . . Another plat given 5.3 acre-feet applied in twelve irrigations 

 yielded 5.3 tons. ... A third plat given 9.7 acre-feet of water in twenty-four 

 irrigations yielded 5.57 tons. . . . Thus, the best results were obtained from 

 5.3 acre-feet of water applied in twelve irrigations. . . . 



" To got the greatest benefit from irrigation water on these sandy soils it 

 should be very carefully handled. The necessity for economical use requires 

 that special emphasis be placed on (1) using short irrigation furrows, ranging 

 from 100 to 200 ft. in length, (2) making irrigation furrows 20 to 30 in. apart, 

 (3) using fairly shallow furrows, well opened, to facilitate the flow of water. 



