RURAL ENGINEERING. 409 



levees and in leveling. Flooding was found best adapted to irrigation of -rain- and 

 grasses. It requires little preliminary preparation, buj large am. Mint- of labor in 

 applying the water to the fields. Furrow irrigation is nsed for orchards and culti- 

 vated crops. The losses of water by evaporation are smaller, and .-mall streams can 

 be used to better advantage than under the other methods. 



The data collected regarding cosl of preparing land for irrigation show thai the 

 removing of Bagebrush, leveling and smoothing the land, and the construction of 

 lateral- varies from $3.50 to $35 per acre. 



A large pari of thearid region can not be supplied with water from streams, and 

 during 1904 the possibilities of suppl} ing this Bection by mean- of pumps was in 

 gated. The average cosl of windmills per acre irrigated was found bo be ml*, mid the 

 annual cosl of maintenance, $2.35 per acre. Computing interesl on the investment 

 at 7 per cenl and depreciation at in per cent, the annual cosl for windmill irrigation 

 amounts to an average of $9. i'» per acre Tins is a heavy charge, and when consid- 

 erable areas are to be irrigated some other kind of power will be found cheaper. 



Information was collected from a large number of localities as to the cosl of pump- 

 ing plants and of their operation. The plants examined showed the following av< 

 fuel cost per acre-foot of water raised l ft. for the pumps of different sizes: All sizes, 

 3 cents; less than I cu. ft. per second, 9.4 cents; I and less than 5 cu. ft. per secom 

 cents; 5 and less than 10, 2.5 cent-; lo or more, 2.3 cents. This brings out the great 

 economy in fuel cosl of using large plant-. The saving in cosl of attendance i- even 

 greater than in fuel. Laboratory tests of typical pumps showed the greal importance 

 of having the pump proportioned t«> the work to be done. Each pump works most 

 efficiently al a particular speed and with a fixed lift, and these matters Bhould be 

 taken into consideration when the pump is purchased. 



Measurements of the water used in rice irrigation, carried on for 4 year-. Bhowed a 

 tendency to use less water. It was found that when water is maintain* (1 at too greal 

 a depth on the rice tields the soil ia not sufficiently warmed to produce the besl 

 results. I hiring low water in the streams along the Gulf Coast,',sal1 water sometimes 

 sets in from the < rulf and it was feared that the use of this water might, in addition 

 to injuring the crop to which it was applied, permanently injure the land, but so far 

 no such permanent injury has taken place. The rains of winter and the irrigation 

 with fresh water have washed out the salt, leaving the land in g 1 condition. 



The drainage work summarized in this report includes the drainage of the land- 

 injured l>y seepage water and alkali in the arid region, the drainage of larg 

 bottom land through the Middle West* the protection of river-bottom lands by l< 

 and the drainage of lands within the levees, the drainage of farm lands, and the pro- 

 tection of hillsides from erosion by the use of underground drain-. 



The most serious defect- in levees for protecting the bottom lands are found to be 

 insufficient preparation of the land on which the levees are to rest, thus allowing 

 water t<> seep under the levees; and insufficient care in maintaining the levees 

 that when tl Is come weak places are found. 



A list of the publications issued during the year l!»04 is given. 



Disposal of household wastes at summer resorts, encampments, and farm 

 houses. Pure water supply and other sanitary conditions, R. lnniiii: 



Y. //. Sanit. Bui., 1905, July, Sup., pp. .'•-', figs. 8). — Tins paper, prepared for the 

 New Hampshire state Board of Health, treats this subject with reference to a pun- 

 water supply and other sanitary condition.-. 



It deals with intolerable means of disposal; methods and appliance- for disposal 

 of wastes, including fecal matter, kitchen and chandler slops, and other liquid Be wage 

 and garbage; the construction of wells and their protection from contamination. 

 The septic tank method of Bewage disposal receive- special attention. Farm< 

 Bulletin 4:; of this Department is one of the principal sources from which the paper 



i- compiled. 



