118 



THE BOOK OP WHEAT 



The Extent of Wheat Irrigation in 1899 is shown in the table 

 below i 1 



While considerable wheat is irrigated in some states, practi- 

 cally all that is grown in them, yet the average per cent of 

 irrigated wheat in all the irrigating states is relatively small, 

 only 14 per cent. Excluding California and Washington, where 

 much wheat is raised and little irrigated, this rises to 36.5 per 

 cent; 17.7 per cent of the wheat produced is irrigated, com- 

 pared to 14.1 per cent of the acreage. On this basis which, 

 however, takes no account of differences in soil, rainfall and 

 climate, the yield in these states would be increased over 25 

 per cent if all the wheat were irrigated. 



The Problems of Irrigation in our country are, and have been, 

 along two general lines: Agricultural and engineering; and 

 legal and social. Of these two lines, the latter has presented 

 the greatest difficulties. Litigation and controversy have been 

 a menace and a source of loss to many communities because no 

 institutions existed for adequately defining, limiting and pro- 

 tecting water rights. The claims of navigation came into 

 conflict with those of irrigation. When streams flowed through 

 more than one state, interstate difficulties arose. Some of these 

 are the basis of a suit by the state of Kansas against the state 

 of Colorado. 



Work at the solution of either class of problems has been 

 immensely handicapped by a most lamentable lack of knowledge 

 12t,h U, & Census, 6;825-870> 



