1904 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



2 33 



quite similar to those followed by the 

 wheat-growers of the Northwest. Fewer 

 laborers are required and larger areas can 

 be cultivated than in the Atlantic region. 

 The large initial expense for pumping 

 plants and the construction of many 

 miles of canals and ditches is more than 

 offset by the acreage covered and the 

 assurance of large crops. 



The year 1902 in Louisiana was one of 

 great extremes. The growing season 

 was marked by excessive drouth, while 

 the hot season of harvest was one of 

 great rainfall. The increased number of 

 pumping plants drew so heavily upon the 

 rivers and bayous in the prairie region 

 that their levels were lowered, and salt 

 water came up from the Gulf. Consid- 

 erable damage was also caused in the 

 parishes of Plaquemines and Lafourche 

 in the delta lands. The intrusion of 



salt water into the rivers and bayous 

 forced the canal-owners to take steps to 

 prevent further losses from this source, 

 and dams costing many thousands of dol- 

 la'rs have been built or are being planned 

 to shut out the water from the Gulf. 



Irrigators from wells, the supply of 

 which had heretofore proven ample, dis- 

 covered that many of these were too 

 shallow, and deeper ones have been sunk . 



A very important lesson taught by the 

 experience of 1902 is the necessity of 

 more careful grading of the rice fields. 

 Additional levees, with less fall between 

 them, have been thrown up, thus making 

 it possible to irrigate with less water and 

 with more uniform depth, as well as bet- 

 ter to utilize the rainfall, which alone 

 will oftentimes enable the planter to save 

 the expense of operating his plant for 

 several days. 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION IN CONGRESS 



A CALENDAR OF NATIONAL LEGISLATION WITH REGARD 

 TO THE PUBLIC LANDS, IRRIGATION, AND FORESTRY. 



April J. 



In the House : By Mr. McGuire : A 

 bill (H. R. 14674) providing for free 

 homesteads on the public lands for actual 

 and bona fide settlers, and reserving the 

 public lands for that purpose. 



April 2. 



In the House: The bill (S. 1558) 

 granting certain vacant public lands in 

 the State of Minnesota to that state for 

 forestry purposes was read, and received 

 formal objection from Mr. Williams, of 

 Mississippi. 



ByMr.Mondell: Abill (H. R. 14710) 

 authorizing the use of earth, stone, and 

 timber on the public lands and forest 

 reserves of the United States in the con- 

 struction of works under the national 

 irrigation law. 



April 5. 



In the Senate: The bill (S. 4401) 

 granting public lands to the State of 

 Minnesota for forestry purposes was 

 passed with amendment. 



In the House: Mr. Mondell, from the 

 Committee on the Public Lands, to which 

 was referred the bill (H. R. 14622) pro- 



hibiting the selection of timber lands in 

 lieu of lands in forest reserves, reported 

 the same without amendment. 



April 8. 



In the Senate: Mr. Warren submitted 

 amendments to the appropriation bills 

 proposing to appropriate $375,000 for 

 the care and administration of forest 

 reserves, and $250,000 to meet the ex- 

 penses of protecting timber on the pub- 

 lic lands. 



April 16. 



In the House : The bill (S. 4636) to 

 validate certain original homestead en- 

 tries and extend the time to make final 

 proofs thereon was passed. 



April J8. 



In the Senate: Mr. Perkins introduced 

 a bill (S. 5567) to exclude certain lands 

 from the Yosemite Park and include the 

 same in the Sierra Forest Reserve. 



In the House: Mr. Mondell, from the 

 Committee on Public Lands, reported 

 without amendment the bill (H. R. 

 14710) authorizing the use of materials 

 on the public lands for building national 

 irrigation works. 



