214 



T HE I K 11 1 G A T I C) X AGE. 



167-J-60, and the repairs to be made to the floor and walls 

 between station 173+50 and station 205+50. Work was 

 continued on the construction improvements on the South 

 Canal. The rail grills and concrete piers were removed from 

 four of the drops. The construction of a four-room section 

 house, located on the west side of Coal Creek Valley, at the 

 head of the King Lateral extension, was completed. Mainte- 

 nance work on the Government canals was carried on as 

 follows : On the Montrose and Delta Canal system 10 miles 

 of the main line and 14 miles of laterals were cleared of 

 brush ; repairs were made to the timber flumes crossing over 

 Happy Canyon Creek and Spring Creek ; the old bridge over 

 the canal at Happy Canyon Creek was replaced; a new 

 timber headgate was built for the East Coal Creek Lateral 

 and some riprapping was placed at the King Lateral diversion 

 dam below the "Big Drop" on the Montrose and Delta Canal. 

 On the Loutsenhizer Canal system two miles of the main 

 line and four miles of laterals were cleared of brush ; and a 

 uew timber flume was built to replace the old Lupher Flume. 

 Five miles of the main line of the High Line Canal, two 

 miles of the Twin Buttes Lateral of the High Line and one 

 mile of the Reservation Canal were cleared of brush. Bids 

 were opened on the 23d for the construction of the West 

 Canal from station 52+50 to station 605+00. Eleven bids 

 were received, five of which covered all shedules, and four 

 covered the tunnel schedule. Work was begun on the location 

 of the Spring Lateral extension to Dry Creek and on the 

 traverse surveys of the Ironstone Canal system ; the traverse 

 survey of the High Line Canal from the Uncompahgre River 

 to Cedar Creek was completed; and idditional topography 

 was taken along the line of the East Canal. The contractors 

 completed the erection of the dredge preparatory to active 

 construction on the enlarging of the East Canal. Severe 

 weather conditions retarded construction work, the ground 

 having been frozen to a depth of from two to three feet. 

 The temperature ranged from a maximum of 51 to a 

 minimum of 7, mean 30. 



Idaho, Boise Project (exclusive of Arrowrock Reser- 

 voir, 89 per cent completed; Arrowrock Reservoir, 75 per 

 cent completed). Enlargement of the Main Canal, between 

 stations 789 and 799, by contract, did not progress satis- 

 factorily. It was, however, about 99 per cent completed at 

 the close of the month. The gravel facing on the Lower 

 Deer Flat embankment was completed and part of the equip- 

 ment was shipped to Arrowrock for use on the dam. A 

 portion of it was hauled to the Upper Deer Flat embank- 

 ment for further use at that point if repairs become neces- 

 sary. Only very desultory work was in progress on the con- 

 struction of the lateral system. Considerable work was ac- 

 complished, however, at the camps in sawing up lumber and 

 getting it into shape for installing structures when the 

 weather becomes favorable. 



Arrowrock Reservoir : Cold weather and unusually heavy 

 snows interfered considerably with progress, and several 

 times the work was threatened with flood due to rain which 

 fell on freshly fallen snow but no damage was done and 

 the work is now beyond danger from floods this season. A 

 total of 78J/2 inches of snow has fallen so far during this 

 winter. Labor conditions remained about the same as during 

 the past several months. The force was reduced consider- 

 ably during the latter part of the month on account of the 

 completion of present operations on the diversion works. 

 The sawing of lumber was continued with fairly good suc- 

 cess considering the unfavorable weather conditions. Con- 

 crete and timber lining of the diversion tunnel was com- 

 pleted. The concrete work in the inlet and outlet bell mouths 

 was completed and the timber crib construction in these bell 

 mouths was completed as far as it will be carried this sea- 

 son. Snow slides caused some trouble in the operation of 

 the railroad but the daily train schedule was maintained with 

 very few exceptions and no delay was experienced in getting 

 the necessary materials and supplies. Satisfactory progress 

 was made on the work at the power house at the diversion 

 dam, considering the unfavorable weather conditions. The 

 generator floor was completed the trash rack forebay was 

 finished, the installation of the wheel-pit gates was well under 

 way, and the installation of the hydraulic machinery was 

 commenced. A number of small items of equipment were 

 received and two cableways and a 70-ton steam shovel are 

 en route. 



NEBRASKA'S IRRIGATION STATISTICS. 



The total number of farms irrigated in 1909 was 1,852, 

 afainst 1,932 in 1899, a decrease of 80, or 4.1 per cent. 

 Within the same period the number of farms in the state 

 had increased 6.5 per cent. Neither item changed mate- 

 rially during the period covered. 



The total acreage irrigated in 190^9 was 256,350 acres, 

 against 148,538 acres in 1899, an increase of 107,812 acres, 

 or 72.6 per cent. During the same period the improved 

 acreage on farms increased but 32.1 per cent, showing that 

 irrigation development was more rapid than agricultural 

 development generally. The area irrigated is but 1 per 

 cent of the improved land in farms, and lies principally 

 in the valley of the North Platte river. 



The total acreage which all enterprises were capable 

 of irrigating in 1910 was 429,725 acres, an excess of 173,375 

 acres over the area irrigated in 1909. The acreage in- 

 cluded in projects either completed or under construction 

 in 1910 was 680,633 acres, an excess of 424,283 acres over 

 the area irrigated in 1909. This indicates the area which 

 will be available within the next few years for the exten- 

 sion of irrigation, and shows that the area irrigated can 

 be more than doubled without the construction of addi- 

 tional works. 



The number of independent enterprises reported in 

 1909 was 474. The total length of ditches in 1909 was 

 2,725 miles, against 1,701 miles in 1899, an increase of 1,024 

 miles, or 60.2 per cent. The number of reservoirs reported 

 was 44. having a combined capacity of 2.097 acre-feet. The 

 number of wells pumped for irrigation was 66 and the 

 number of pumping plants 75. The engine capacity of 

 pumping plants was 52 horsepower, but this does not in- 

 clude windmills, which are counted as pumping plants. 

 The acreage irrigated with pumped water was 157 acres. 

 The total cost of irrigation systems reported in 1910 was 

 $7,765,110, against $1,276,978 in 1899, an increase of $6,488,- 

 132, or 508.1 per cent. The average cost per acre in 1910f 

 was $18.07, against $7.43 in 1899, an increase of $10.64, or 

 143.2 per cent. The average annual cost of operation and 

 maintenance per acre in 1910 was $1.09. 



The acreage irrigated in 1909 has been classified ac- 

 cording to the state and Federal laws under which the 

 works were built or are reported, as follows: United 

 States Reclamation Service (act of congress June 17, 

 1902), 30,536 acres, or 11.9 per cent of the total; United 

 States Indian Service (various acts of congress), 300 acres; 

 irrigation districts, 76,448 acres, or 29.9 per cent of the 

 total; co-operative enterprises, 79,005 acres, or 30.8 per 

 cent; commercial enterprises, 24,834 acres, or 9.7 per cent, 

 and individual or partnership enterprises, 45,227 acres, or 

 17.6 per cent of total. 



Streams supplied 254,523 acres, or 99.5 per cent of 

 the total; of the balance, wells supplied 139 acres, springs 

 686 acres and reservoirs 1,002 acres. 



BEET GROWING A PAYING CROP. 



That beet growing is one of the most profitable of Mon- 

 tana agricultural industries is again proved from the figures 

 just given out by the Billings Sugar Company in making its 

 anouncement of winners of prizes offered by a local business 

 house to the farmers whose commercial yield per acre was 

 the highest. Records of every grower, the acreage culti- 

 vated, the tonnage produced and the amount paid to him, 

 are kept by the big mill, and the list has been carefully tab- 

 ulated into three groups, according to acreage. 



Group No. 1, 5 to 15 acres; No. 2, 15 to 30 acres; and 

 No. 3, over 30 acres. A buggy was awarded as a prize to 

 the farmer making the best record in each class. 



H. S. Tippetts held the high mark in the first mentioned, 

 his check being $797.34 for 7.03 acres, an average of $113.42 

 per acre. His crop grew in northern Wyoming, in the vicin- 

 ity of Lovell. 



In the second group, J. G. Eiseman, of Park City, scored 

 first with 15.11 acres, for which he received $106.04 per 

 acre, a total of $1,602.26. 



John Stewart, who grew 40 acres of beets near Billings, 

 was top-notcher in Group 3, and his bank account was 'in- 

 creased $4,028.80 by the Sugar Company's check, the average 

 per acre being $100.72. 



