﻿522 
  ANNUAL, 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1922. 
  

  

  small 
  towns 
  in 
  which 
  is 
  gathered 
  a 
  population 
  equaling 
  or 
  exceed- 
  

   ing 
  that 
  on 
  the 
  farms. 
  These 
  latter 
  are 
  engaged 
  in 
  local 
  business, 
  

   in 
  buying 
  and 
  selling 
  supplies 
  both 
  from 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  farms, 
  and 
  in 
  

   transporting 
  these. 
  The 
  social 
  and 
  political 
  effect 
  of 
  this 
  rural 
  

   population 
  is 
  far 
  greater 
  than 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  if 
  all 
  in 
  one 
  locality. 
  

  

  These 
  reclaimed 
  areas 
  have 
  a 
  peculiar 
  significance 
  and 
  value 
  to 
  

   all 
  industries, 
  because 
  they 
  are 
  in 
  the 
  midst 
  of 
  vast 
  areas 
  of 
  graz- 
  

   ing 
  lands 
  surrounding 
  them 
  on 
  all 
  sides, 
  stretching 
  for 
  hundreds 
  

   of 
  miles 
  over 
  desert 
  and 
  mountains. 
  The 
  irrigated 
  lands 
  are 
  real 
  

   oases 
  in 
  this 
  desert 
  or 
  vast 
  extent 
  of 
  land 
  with 
  sparse 
  vegetation 
  

   furnishing 
  some 
  grazing 
  which 
  when 
  obtainable 
  depends 
  upon 
  the 
  

   erratic 
  rainfall. 
  The 
  cattle 
  on 
  these 
  open 
  ranges 
  may 
  increase 
  

   rapidly 
  throughout 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  relatively 
  wet 
  years, 
  then 
  in 
  time 
  

   of 
  normal 
  drought 
  the 
  cattle 
  and 
  sheep 
  are 
  unable 
  to 
  find 
  

   sustenance; 
  many 
  herds 
  would 
  be 
  completely 
  wiped 
  out 
  were 
  it 
  

   not 
  for 
  the 
  hay 
  and 
  grain 
  obtainable 
  at 
  these 
  artificial 
  oases 
  of 
  

   reclaimed 
  lands. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  same 
  way, 
  the 
  mines, 
  especially 
  of 
  low-grade 
  ores, 
  and 
  

   the 
  other 
  natural 
  resources, 
  become 
  more 
  easily 
  available 
  and 
  more 
  

   profitable 
  to 
  work 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  existence 
  of 
  local 
  food 
  supplies 
  

   from 
  the 
  irrigated 
  lands. 
  The 
  ultimate 
  conservation 
  and 
  best 
  use 
  

   of 
  the 
  timber, 
  grass, 
  and 
  minerals 
  is 
  thus 
  bound 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  existence 
  

   of 
  these 
  tilled 
  areas. 
  More 
  than 
  this, 
  however, 
  and 
  most 
  important 
  

   of 
  all, 
  is 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  these 
  lands 
  are 
  furnishing 
  homes 
  and 
  are 
  

   bringing 
  into 
  the 
  thinly 
  settled 
  arid 
  States 
  and 
  maintaining 
  there 
  

   a 
  permanent 
  and 
  prosperous 
  population 
  — 
  one 
  which 
  tends 
  to 
  stabilize 
  

   all 
  Government 
  and 
  business 
  institutions. 
  

  

  The 
  example 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  as 
  a 
  federal 
  whole 
  in 
  embark- 
  

   ing 
  on 
  work 
  of 
  this 
  kind 
  is 
  one 
  which 
  stimulates 
  the 
  individual 
  

   States 
  to 
  action, 
  also 
  many 
  corporations 
  and 
  individuals, 
  at 
  home 
  

   and 
  abroad. 
  The 
  works 
  and 
  resulting 
  homes 
  have, 
  therefore, 
  a 
  large 
  

   significance 
  not 
  only 
  to 
  the 
  citizens 
  of 
  our 
  own 
  country 
  but 
  to 
  those 
  

   of 
  other 
  lands; 
  for 
  in 
  nearly 
  every 
  large 
  country 
  of 
  the 
  world 
  are 
  

   vast 
  tracts 
  of 
  arid 
  and 
  semiarid 
  lands 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  used 
  ultimately 
  

   for 
  homes 
  for 
  the 
  people 
  as 
  the 
  population 
  increases 
  and 
  as 
  neces- 
  

   sity 
  is 
  found 
  to 
  provide 
  room 
  for 
  growth. 
  

  

  All 
  of 
  this 
  tends 
  toward 
  the 
  establishment 
  and 
  maintenance 
  of 
  

   world 
  peace, 
  in 
  the 
  sense 
  that 
  some 
  of 
  these 
  nations 
  may 
  expand 
  inter- 
  

   nationally 
  and 
  be 
  relieved 
  in 
  part 
  from 
  the 
  temptation 
  of 
  intrusion 
  

   upon 
  their 
  neighbors, 
  since 
  they 
  have 
  within 
  their 
  own 
  borders 
  lands 
  

   to 
  be 
  conquered 
  — 
  not 
  from 
  other 
  men 
  but 
  fVoni 
  nature 
  herself. 
  This 
  

   conquest 
  is 
  often 
  a 
  real 
  warfare 
  with 
  nature, 
  for 
  in 
  the 
  early 
  stages 
  

   of 
  pioneering 
  it 
  seemed 
  as 
  though 
  every 
  unusual 
  or 
  exceptional 
  

   occurrence 
  took 
  place 
  : 
  Unprecedented 
  floods, 
  or 
  droughts 
  ; 
  plant 
  dis- 
  

  

  