132 lEKIGATION INVESTIGATIONS IN CALIFORNIA. 



agreed to pay the Browns Valley Irrigation District $100 a year in two equal pay- " 

 ments and keep the main ditch in repair and lilled to its original capacity. Page 

 repaired the main ditch, spending about $12,000 on it, but he did nothing to develop 

 power. In October, 1897, he transferred the lease to John Martin, who built a small 

 power house. John Martin transferred it to the Yuba Power Company on October 

 29, 1897. February 4, 1899, the Yuba Power Company transferred it to the Yuba 

 Electric Power Company. The Yuba Electric Power Company, on May 25, 1900, 

 transferred it to Andrew S. Morally; Andrew S. Morally on June 8, 1900, to Bay 

 Counties Power Company, which holds it at present. 



By reason of the scarcity of water this year, due to the reconstruction and 

 enlargement of the flume below the headworks and the serious litigation now 

 pending, actual irrigation is almost at a standstill. Of the 44,500 acres in the 

 district, 10,500 are above existing distributing ditches. Of that portion below these 

 ditches, the irrigable area is from 5,000 to 8,000 acres, of which only about 600 acres 

 are actually iri-igated, as outlined on the map of this district, which accompanies 

 this report. 



PRACTICE OF IRRIGATION, 



DUTY OF WATER. 



It is not possible to determine the duty of water with any degree of accuracy in 

 the district, bj' reason of the inaccurate methods of measuring water. J. H. Perkins, 

 in the town of Browns Valley, successfully irrigates 4 acres in clover and grass, and 

 one-half acre in addition, covered with an orchard, with 7 inches of water used once 

 a week for twenty-four hours. This is equivalent to the continuous use of 1 inch. 

 This land has a slope of about 4 feet to 100, and no water runs to waste. The crops 

 are as large as any in the valley, if not the largest. The opinion of most of the 

 people of the district is that 1 inch to the acre, running continuously during the 

 irrigating season, should be used on large tracts of grass and alfalfa. For orchards, 

 about 1 inch to 3 or 4 acres is considered necessary. The duty of water in this 

 district will always be low, because of the shallow soil and rapid evaporation, due to 

 high temperature and dry atmosphere. 



Alfalfa is the principal crop irrigated, there being about 300 acres of alfalfa 

 under irrigation at the present time. Besides alfalfa the other crops irrigated are 

 citrus and deciduous fruits, garden truck, and corn. 



lEKIGATION OF ALFALFA. 



There seems to be some difference of opinion in regard to the best time to sow 

 alfalfa. Some claim if it can be got in and up to a height sufficient to resist the win- 

 ter frosts, that late fall or early winter is the best time to sow, thus taking advantage 

 of winter rains. Others think that early in April or May is the proper time. Many 

 sow the alfalfa with grain, using the grain for a shade to the tender alfalfa. 



The first crop reaches maturity in three or four months, and is generally light. 

 From three to four weeks are required for the second crop and from six to seven for 

 the third. Four crops could be cut, but the fourth crop could not be cured on account 

 of the winter weather; so the field is generally pastured or cut and fed green. 



