FARMING UNDER IRRIGATION 57 



vegetation and forests, which encourages the evaporation 

 of moisture and its loss after rains by rapid surface drain- 

 age. 



Seasonal distribution of rainfall. In considerable 

 portions of the arid territory there is sufficient rainfall 

 within a year's time to produce crops. Yet irrigation is 

 necessary because the distribution of the moisture is not 

 seasonable, but irregular or at the wrong time. In most 

 cases the rains come during the time of the year when the 

 crops are not in the ground. In some parts of Florida 

 where the annual rainfall is from 60 to 70 inches it is im- 

 possible to grow a crop without irrigation because the pre- 

 cipitation comes during the winter months. 



Regions of late summer droughts. In the central 

 west and eastern states there is considerable territory that 

 suffers more or less during the months of July and Au- 

 gust, for want of sufficient rainfall to set and mature the 

 grain, fruit, or trucking crops. In a very large number 

 of cases irrigation could be supplied without great expense 

 'to protect the farmer, fruit grower, or truck gardener 

 against failures of crop and so prove highly profitable. 



Even in the fruit sections of the Allegheny and Blue 

 Ridge Mountains where irrigation has not been seriously 

 considered many farmers would profit greatly by planning 

 systems of irrigation and by so doing extend the growing 

 season. Where now they are producing but one crop in 

 trucking, with the aid of irrigation and a carefully planned 

 system of rotation, it would be possible to produce two and 

 in some cases three crops. Much of this land could be fed 

 from the mountain streams and rivers with but little cost. 



2. Reclamation of Arid and Semi-arid Land 



Reclaimed land. By reclaimed land we mean land 

 that otherwise would be unproductive and of little or no 



