136 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION. 



March, 



reservation in Minnesota. By Mr. Rum- 

 ple : Resolutions of the Muscatine Typo- 

 graphical Union, No. 251, of Muscatine, 

 Iowa, urging the reclamation of the arid 

 lands and the construction of certain 

 reservoirs. 



In the Senate, by Mr. Piatt : A peti- 

 tion of the American Federation of 

 Labor of Rochester, N. Y., praying for 

 the enactment of legislation providing 

 for the construction of storage works 

 to equalize the flow of streams for the 

 irrigation of the arid lands of the 

 West ; which was ordered to lie on the 

 table. 



By Mr. Gibson: Petition of J. W. 

 Ward and 182 other citizens of Missoula 

 and Ravalli counties, in the State of 

 Montana, praying for the enactment of 

 legislation providing for the reclama- 

 tion of the arid lands in those counties; 

 which was ordered to lie on the table. 



February 25. 



In the House, by Mr. Lacey : Reso- 

 lutions of the St. Paul Chamber of Com- 

 merce favoring storage reservoirs for the 

 reclamation of arid lands. By Mr. Rob- 

 inson, of Indiana : Petition of Advance 

 Grange of Fremont, Ind., against gov- 

 ernment irrigation projects. 



RECENT PUBLICATIONS. 



Irrigation in the United States. By Frederick 

 ^ . Haynes Newell, Chief Hydrographer, 

 U. S. Geological Survey. Pp. 566. Illus- 

 trated with 156 half tones and diagrams. 

 New York: Thos. Y. Crowell & Co., 1902. 

 Price, $2 net; postage, 20 cents. 



Thomas Y. Crowell & Company, of New 

 York, have just issued a new book entitled 

 ' ' Irrigation in the United States. ' ' The author 

 of thi^s book is Mr. Frederick H. Newell, the 

 well-known hj'drographer in charge of the 

 irrigation investigations of the Interior De- 

 partment. The aim and scope of the book are 

 well indicated in the opening paragraph of the 

 first chapter, as follows: 



"Home-making is the aim of this book. 

 The reclamation and creation there of fruitful 

 farms, each tilled by its owner, is its object. 

 The attainment of this end is sought by direct- 

 ing attention to the resources of our great un- 

 utilized public domain , in the hope that through 

 a more complete knowledge of these and the 

 methods of their utilization vigorous and wise 

 action may supersede the present la.x and im- 

 provident policy." 



About half the book is devoted to the details 

 of various methods of measuring streams and 

 determining water supply, the storage and 

 diversion of water, and its application to the 

 land. All these are set forth in a manner 

 very readable and instructive to the irrigator 

 and the general public. The duty of water, 

 both present and possible, is discussed. A 

 chapter is devoted to underground waters, 

 both surface and artesian, and another to 

 methods of pumping. 



The si;bject of irrigation law is discussed in 

 a general way, and some possible improve- 

 ments are indicated The writer, however, 

 believes that, although the laws of water dis- 

 tribution are nowhere ideal, the condition is 

 not as bad as is represented by some extrem- 

 ists, and it is not necessary that irrigation de- 

 velopment should await a complete revolution 

 of irrigation law. The latter part of the book 



is devoted to a more detailed discussion of the 

 local conditions and possibilities in each state 

 and territory. 



Though the author is an ardent advocate of 

 irrigation and sets forth vividly the possi- 

 bilities of our arid public domain, there is a 

 notable absence of exaggeration or partisan 

 argument, nor is there any concealment of its 

 weak points. The candid spirit that pervades 

 the whole book is best illustrated in the chap- 



Covirle.'iy of Thos. Y. Crowell & Co. 



MR. FREDERICK HAYNES NEWELL, AUTHOR 

 OF " IRRIG.ATION IN THE UNITED STATES." 



