230 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



is an abridged preliminary report on investigations reported in full 

 in Bulletin No. 100, noted below, prepared in response to a Senate 

 resolution. 



Practical Irrigation (Yearbook of the Dej)artment of Agriculture, 

 1900, pp. 491-512, figs. 9), by C. T. Johnston and J. D. Stannard, gives 

 simple directions for the use of the individual farmer. 



There were also prepared and submitted for publication the fol- 

 lowing : 



Report on Irrigation Investigations in California, under the super- 

 vision of Elwood Mead, assisted by Wm. E. Smythe, Marsden Man- 

 son, J. M. Wilson, Chas. D. Marx, Frank Soule, C. E. Grunsky, 

 Edward M. Boggs, and James D. Schuyler (Bulletin No. 100, pp. 411, 

 pis. 29, figs. 16), which gives an account of investigations conducted in 

 California during 1900 by this Office, cooperating with the California 

 Water and Forest Association, which consisted of observations by 

 irrigation experts on the existing legal, engineering, and agricultural 

 conditions along nine typical streams used for irrigation in the State. 



Irrigation in Field and Garden, b}^ E. J. Wickson (Farmers' Bul- 

 letin No. 138, pp. 40, figs. 18). For note on this bulletin see page 200. 



EXTENSION OF INVESTIGATIONS. 



In response to numerous requests from those engaged in irrigation 

 in the Hawaiian Islands, plans are being made for a bulletin deal- 

 ing with the irrigation laws and customs which now control the own- 

 ership and distribution of streams in those islands. The immense 

 sums of money already invested in pumping plants and irrigation 

 works required for the irrigation of sugar cane gives to this subject 

 an importance commensurate with the magnitude of these invest- 

 ments and with the value and scarcity of the water supply on which 

 success depends. It is manifest that the same problems which have 

 arisen in California and other arid States where streams have been 

 fully utilized will have to be dealt with in these islands, and it is the 

 belief of those most directly concerned that this investigation can 

 greatly promote tlie enactment of needed and salutary laws by an 

 earlj^ study of the subject and j)ublication of the facts disclosing 

 existing conditions and requirements. 



The utilization of underground water is becoming each season more 

 important, and it is destined to assume a general interest should irri- 

 gation be largely extended to the humid region. Requests for assist- 

 ance in determining whether or not pumping water for irrigation will 

 pay and the conditions which govern its profitable application are 

 being constantly received, but thus far but little has been done in 

 this direction, although a beginning has been made during the present 

 season. It is one of the lines of work which can be usefully and 

 profitably extended. 



In all of the older irrigated countries irrigation and drainage have 

 gone hand iji hand, and the experience of the arid States is that we are 

 not to bo any exception to this rule. The building of high-land canals 

 and the application of water to the farm beneath them sooner or later 

 tends to create an excess of moisture in the lower lauds. The percolat- 

 ing waters from the upper canals, or froui the irrigated fields, carry 

 with them an excess of alkaline salts which tends to accumulate in the 

 bottoui lands and thus render them worthless. As these salts are all 

 readily soluble, drainage is the readiest and most certain means of 

 removing both the excess of moisture and the excess of alkali, but 



