﻿520 
  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1922. 
  

  

  ing 
  from 
  the 
  distant 
  reservoir. 
  With 
  abundant 
  sunshine 
  and 
  plenty 
  

   of 
  water, 
  the 
  previously 
  barren 
  landscape 
  is 
  transformed. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  a 
  decided 
  advantage 
  in 
  establishing 
  new 
  or 
  pioneer 
  homes 
  

   in 
  an 
  unpopulated 
  or 
  sparsely 
  settled 
  area, 
  such 
  as 
  that 
  reclaimed 
  

   from 
  the 
  desert. 
  In 
  such 
  a 
  new 
  country 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  experi- 
  

   ment 
  and 
  to 
  adopt 
  new 
  methods 
  of 
  farming 
  and 
  of 
  home 
  making, 
  de- 
  

   vised 
  to 
  meet 
  new 
  conditions, 
  but, 
  as 
  an 
  offset 
  to 
  these 
  disadvantages, 
  

   it 
  is 
  not 
  necessary 
  to 
  pull 
  down 
  old 
  institutions, 
  to 
  overcome 
  rooted 
  

   prejudices, 
  and 
  to 
  unlearn 
  many 
  things 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  obstacles 
  

   to 
  success 
  in 
  older 
  countries. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  undertaking 
  more 
  difficult, 
  

   in 
  connection 
  with 
  settlement 
  and 
  home 
  making, 
  than 
  to 
  try 
  to 
  

   locate 
  successfully 
  new 
  people 
  in 
  an 
  old, 
  partly 
  settled 
  community 
  

   where 
  discouragement 
  has 
  prevailed. 
  There 
  the 
  infiltering 
  popula- 
  

   tion 
  is 
  discouraged 
  by 
  the 
  tales 
  of 
  woe 
  of 
  the 
  " 
  oldest 
  inhabitants." 
  

   The 
  true 
  melting 
  pot 
  of 
  Americanism 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  newly 
  re- 
  

   claimed 
  or 
  cultivated 
  lands 
  where 
  all 
  men 
  are 
  beginners 
  and 
  all 
  are 
  

   forced 
  to 
  work 
  with 
  a 
  certain 
  degree 
  of 
  equality, 
  and 
  where 
  health, 
  

   strength, 
  and 
  ability 
  count 
  for 
  more 
  than 
  previous 
  social 
  position. 
  

  

  The 
  works 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  country 
  has 
  been 
  transformed 
  and 
  condi- 
  

   tions 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  created 
  making 
  possible 
  these 
  homes 
  for 
  new- 
  

   comers 
  have 
  been 
  frequently 
  pictured. 
  The 
  great 
  reservoirs, 
  canals, 
  

   and 
  various 
  structures 
  of 
  the 
  Keclamation 
  Service 
  are 
  fairly 
  well 
  

   known, 
  but 
  the 
  really 
  important 
  things 
  from 
  the 
  standpoint 
  of 
  home 
  

   making 
  and 
  its 
  bearing 
  upon 
  political 
  geography 
  and 
  upon 
  the 
  Na- 
  

   tion's 
  life 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  as 
  well 
  described. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  generally 
  agreed 
  that 
  the 
  visible 
  works 
  have 
  been 
  built 
  with 
  

   a 
  high 
  degree 
  of 
  skill 
  and 
  economy. 
  The 
  important 
  point 
  to 
  be 
  con- 
  

   sidered 
  is 
  therefore 
  as 
  to 
  whether 
  or 
  not 
  these 
  expensive 
  works 
  are 
  

   being 
  fully 
  utilized 
  in 
  the 
  production 
  of 
  opportunities 
  for 
  useful 
  

   citizens. 
  Unless 
  this 
  result 
  has 
  been 
  attained, 
  the 
  works, 
  no 
  matter 
  

   how 
  picturesque, 
  fail 
  of 
  their 
  object. 
  It 
  is 
  therefore 
  of 
  interest 
  to 
  

   all 
  citizens 
  to 
  ascertain 
  at 
  the 
  expiration 
  of 
  20 
  years 
  of 
  effort 
  some- 
  

   thing 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  real 
  conditions 
  of 
  homes 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  people, 
  and 
  also 
  

   of 
  the 
  reclaimed 
  land 
  itself, 
  pointing 
  out 
  to 
  what 
  degree 
  the 
  results 
  

   of 
  scientific 
  research 
  have 
  actually 
  been 
  made 
  available 
  for 
  the 
  

   benefit 
  of 
  mankind. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  no 
  doubt 
  but 
  that 
  great 
  benefits 
  have 
  come 
  to 
  the 
  State 
  

   and 
  Nation 
  as 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  the 
  expenditures 
  made 
  ; 
  nor 
  can 
  there 
  be 
  

   any 
  question 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  rapidity 
  of 
  the 
  transformation 
  of 
  the 
  West, 
  

   or 
  desert 
  country, 
  when 
  after 
  a 
  decade 
  of 
  effort 
  there 
  are 
  brought 
  

   about 
  visible 
  results 
  greater 
  than 
  those 
  attained 
  by 
  generations 
  of 
  

   men 
  in 
  older 
  countries. 
  This 
  rapid 
  change 
  is 
  illustrated 
  by 
  plate 
  3. 
  

   The 
  upper 
  portion 
  of 
  plate 
  3, 
  figure 
  1, 
  shows 
  a 
  vast 
  extent 
  of 
  vacant 
  

   public 
  land 
  in 
  the 
  condition 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  has 
  remained 
  for 
  thousands 
  

   of 
  years. 
  Immediately 
  below 
  this 
  is 
  a 
  view 
  (pi. 
  3, 
  fig. 
  2) 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  