1906 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



277 



are able to add materially to their 

 salaries. In the matter of subsistence 

 and other expenses the Government is 

 not as liberal as other employers, and 

 it is not to be wondered at that Uncle 

 Sam is losing ' a large number of 

 skilled and experienced *men whose 

 services are greatly needed. The gravi- 

 ty of the situation is appreciated, and 

 is giving the department much con- 

 cern. 



, . . The Secretary of the In- 



Decision on , , 



Reaidence tenor has received a re- 



quest for an opinion as 

 to whether a citizen of the United 

 States, whose duties compel him to 

 reside temporarily in Washington dur- 

 ing the session of Congress, is en- 

 titled to purchase lands within the 

 limits of a reclamation project from 

 present owners and obtain the bene- 

 fits of the Reclamation Act, providing 

 he complies so far as his duties will 

 permit with the rules and regulations 

 as prescribed. 



The Assistant Attorney General 

 states that the question of residence is 

 usually a mixed question of law and 

 fact, and it would be impracticable to 

 attempt to formulate a general rule 

 to govern all cases ; each must be de- 

 termined upon the peculiar facts. 

 Temporary absences do not neces- 

 sarily terminate a residence once es- 

 tablished. If the citizen shall estab- 

 lish in good faith a residence upon the 

 land or in the neighborhood of the 

 tract, and shall maintain such resi- 

 dence in accordance with the true in- 

 tent of the law, his temporary absence 

 would not disqualify him from receiv- 

 ing and holding a water right. His 

 right would have to be determined by 

 the facts as they develop in the future. 



The Reclamation ser- 

 Work CratlVe Ylce 1S cooperating heat- 



ily with the Bureau of 

 Plant Industry in a series of experi- 

 ments which the latter is initiating in 

 the vicinity of Yuma, Ariz. A plot of 

 ground controlled by the service has 

 been turned over to the plant experts 

 who propose to experiment with cot- 

 ton and other crops. 



The delta of the Colorado River has 

 always possessed a singular fascina- 

 tion for the scientific men of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture, and the re- 

 sults of these experiments cannot fail 

 to prove of inestimable value to the 

 settlers, who will take up homes in 

 this region as soon as the Govern- 

 ment's irrigation works are completed. 



It is a demonstrable fact that no 

 othef portion of the United States, 

 when irrigated, is capable of support- 

 ing a denser population than the Col- 

 orado delta. Five acres properly cul- 

 tivated and irrigated will support a 

 family in comfort as the crop season 

 is practically continuous. One crop 

 follows another throughout the year. 

 Oranges, pomelos, melons, all the 

 small fruits and vegetables mature 

 earlier here than in California, and 

 consequently are marketable at the top 

 prices. 



In connection with the cooperative 

 work between the United States Re- 

 clamation Service and the Department 

 of Agriculture, Prof. F. C. Miller, of 

 the Forest Service, will at once begin 

 a study of the tree planting possibili- 

 ties in the North Flatte irrigation 

 project. 



In cooperation with the work of the 

 Reclamation Service on the Truckee- 

 Carson irrigation project, Nevada, the 

 Bureau of Forestry will begin at once 

 a thorough study of the tree planting 

 possibilities in that project. The work 

 will be directed by Mr. E. O. Bierke. 



Southern 



Stream 



Gaging 



Mississippi and eastern 

 Louisiana are abort to 

 receive the attention of 

 the Geological Survey. In response 

 to numerous requests from many parts 

 of this drainage area the Hydro- 

 graphic Branch will establ'sh at once 

 a number of river stations for the pur- 

 pose of collecting data in connection 

 with the development of water power 

 and the irrigation of truck farms. 



Mr. W. E. Hall, a representative of 

 the Hydrographic Branch, has recent- 

 ly made reconnaissances to locate suit- 

 able points for obtaining reliable data 

 concerning the flow of several streams 



