90 



MONTANA 19U 



promptly and the money was used over again to reclaim other lands. The 

 strongest j-tleas for extension of time of repayment, and for the amelio- 



ration of the conditions, 



come froni men who are 

 w'linly trying to cultivate 

 more land than they can 

 successfully handle. In a 

 numl)er of instances where 

 men have had possession of 

 areas upon which they were 

 making failures, it has 

 jiroved advantageous to 

 them to cut the unit in 

 half. 



As Avas to be expected 

 since tlie beginning nf irri- 

 Spillway on Lower Yellowstone Project o-ation the rise in the 



ground waters on the various projects has been marked. Where irrigation 

 >s confined to small areas or narrow valleys witli open subsoil conditions, 

 the rise in ground waters is not ordinarily sufficient to interfere 

 Drainage Is with agricultural operations, the excess waters which are put 

 a Matter of on the land during the irrigation season being in general drain- 

 Mudh ed out and carried away before the next season's irrigation is 



Moment. begun. Where, however, large areas are being irrigated and 

 where the ground water must travel for a considerable distance 

 before finding any natural outlet, a general rise in the water plane ordinarily 

 occurs. The keeping down of the water plane to the required depth blow 

 the surface is being accomplished by' the coustruction of drainage works and 

 by reducing the quantity of water used in irrigation to a minimum. 



In order to maintain in irrigability of the land, investigations are being 

 carried on relative to the elevation of ground waters, and wherever neces- 

 sary the construction of drainage works is being undertaken. On account 

 of the varying conditions of soils and topography encountered on the differ- 

 et projects, various plans for drainage are required. The general purpose, 

 however, in each case is the same, this being the removal from the subsoil 

 of excess waters which have been carried into it through over-irrigation and 

 unavoidable seepage from canals and laterals. 



The crops produced upon the Reclamation Service farm units, measured 

 by the returns of the average farmer, are satisfactory. The possibilities in- 

 dicated by the returns obtained by the best farmers, and which are within 

 the reach of the average farmer, are astounding. Small farm 

 The Results unit, residence upon land, intensive cultivation, ample water 

 Have Been supply, intelligence and industry in combination cannot but 

 Very result in abundant success, where the farm unit is scientifically 



Satisfactory, located and is as nearly as possible potentially equal to every 

 other farm unit. 



The government irrigation projects in ^Montana, their status of con- 



— Electric power is cheap and abundant in Montana. 



