262 



THE IRRfGA 2 ION A GE. 



Department is now doing active work 

 along this line." 



"There is need," says Professor Elwood 

 Mead, who is carrying on this work in the 

 field, "for a systematic investigation to de- 

 termine the volume of water used in the 

 growth of crops, both to ascertain the re- 

 quirements of different crops and of differ- 

 ent climates, and to determine the relation 

 between the variations in the demands of 

 crops and the fluctuations in the flow of 

 streams. This information is needed as a 

 basis for the proper diversion of streams 

 by administrative officers It is needed by 

 canal builders in order to properly design 

 these structures and it is needed by farm- 

 ers to promote the saving of water and 

 thus limit losses through an inadequate 

 supply, or to extend the acreage which 



can be cultivated. "Measurements should 

 be made to show the utility of storage 

 reservoirs and the part they can be made 

 to perform in both saving the crops of 

 farmers, now living along streams and 

 making it possible for others to settle there. 

 Without a definite knowledge of the varia- 

 tions which exist between the use of 

 water in different months of the irrigation 

 season and the fluctuation in the discharge 

 of a stream, we can only conjecture as to 

 the amount of flood water available for 

 storage. It will be no small task accord- 

 ing to Mr. Mead to put into shape a cor- 

 rect and intelligible guide which may be 

 relied upon as an authorative summary of 

 the data on which the development of the 

 irrigation system of the great West should 

 be founded. 



