RURAL ENGINEERING. 7n. r > 



The Distribution and Use of Water in Modesto and Turlock [irrigation Districts, Cali- 

 fornia, by Frank A. lam-: Relation of Irrigation to Yield, Size, Quality, and Com- 

 mercial Suitabilit) of Fruits, by E.J. Wickson; Irrigation Conditions in Imperial 

 Valley, California, by J. E. Roadhouse; Mechanical Tests of Pumps and Pumping 

 Plants used for I rrigation, by J. N. Le Conte; 1 rrigation in Klamath County, < Oregon, 

 by F. I.. Kent; Irrigation Investigations in Yakima Valley, Washington, L904, by 

 o. L. Waller; Irrigation < londitions in Rafl River Water District, Idaho, 1904, by W. 1". 

 Bartlett; Irrigation Investigations al NVu Mexico Experimenl Station, Mesilla Park, 

 1904, by J. J. Vernon; Irrigation Investigations in Western Texas, by Harvey Cul- 

 bertson; Pumping Plants in Texas, by C. E. Tait; Irrigation in Southern Texas, by 

 A. .1. Bowie; Rice Irrigation in Louisiana ami Texas in I'.'".'! ami L904, by W. B. 

 Gregory; Rice Irrigation on tin- Prairie Land of Arkansas, by ( '. E. Tait; Irrigation 

 Experiments at Fori Hays, Kansas, L903 and 1904, byJ.G.Haney; Irrigation near 

 Garden City, Kansas, L904, by A. E. Wright and A. B. Collins; Pumping Plants in 

 ( Jolorado, Nebraska, and Kansas, by 0. V. P. Stout; Irrigation near Rockyford, Colo- 

 rado, 1904, by A. E. Wright; The Irrigation and Drainage of Cranberry Marshes in 

 Wisconsin, by A. R. Whitson; ami Reporl of Drainage Investigations, 1904, by C. G. 

 Elliott. 



A leading line "t' work lias been the collection of information regarding the duty 

 of water. This has included the measurement of the water at the heads of main 

 canals where they leave the streams, at the heads of laterals from main canals, and 

 at the margins of fields where the water is actually applied to the crops. Tie- differ- 

 ences in the quantities found at these different points represent approximately the 

 losses of water in transit. The average depth to which the water measured would 

 cover the land irrigated was found to he as follows: Main canals 5.13 ft., laterals 4.03 

 ft., farms :*..i>7 ft. 



In addition to these measurements of the quantities of water used in common 

 practice, experiments were made to determine the results of applying the water at 

 different stages of the crop's growth. These experiments look to a more scientific 

 use of water in irrigation, and if possible a more economical use. The experiments 

 indicate that the largest product from the use of given quantities of water and the 

 largest product per acre do not coincide. 



At tin' \ew Mexico Station it was found that the Largest product per acre inch 

 of water was secured when the depth of water applied was 24 in., but the Largest 

 product per acre was secured with a depth of 35 in. These experiments have not 

 been extended far enough to give any definite conclusions as yet. 



Experiments have also been made in increasing the duty of water by lessening the 

 Losses in apylying it to crops. Experiments in California in applying water byflood- 

 ing in shallow furrows and in deep furrows showed comparative losses as follows, tak- 

 ing the loss in flooding as LOO per cent: Flooding, 100 per cent; furrows 3 in. deep. 

 87 percent; furrows 12 m. deep, 7"> percent. 



A Large number of measurements of the losses from canals by seepage and evapo- 

 ration are repotted. A general average of all of these measurements gives 6.76 per 

 cent of the water entering the headgates of canals lost permileof Length, the losses 



varying from almost nothing to almost 100 per cent. The measurements show, how- 

 ever, a large decrease in the percentage of loss with increase in the size of the canals. 

 Averaging all of the measurements according to the sixes of canals gives the results 

 shown in the following table: 



Lossi >• ,,/' ,nih rfrom canals by seepage <ni<l * vaporation. 



Percentage 

 Loss per mile. 



13 canals carrying 100 cu. ft. per second or more 0. 95 



15 canals carrying between 50 and LOO cu. it. per second 2.58 



L 5 canals carrying oetween 25 and 50 cu. ft. per second 4. L'l 



24 canals carrying less than 25 cu. ft. per second 11.28 



