26 BULLETIN 1026, XJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



generally unimproved, but might profitably be widened and made 

 permanent by grading and systematic maintenance work. Farm- 

 steads should not be held to a minimum and considerations of com- 

 fort and health should govern their size. For field laterals not more 

 than 2.5 to 3 per cent should be required, the percentage varying with 

 the crop, the slope of the land, and other conditions. Marginal 

 waste should not exceed 1 per cent. In general, not more than 2 feet 

 is required at the side of a field and at the end not more than 6 to 

 8 feet. 



CANAL SYSTEMS. 



In the section of the Cache la Poudre Valley under investigation 

 there are about 25 irrigation canals diverting from the river. Two 

 or three of these irrigate only a few acres each, but 23 were consid- 

 ered of sufficient importance to be included in the investigation. 

 Beginning at the head of the stream and listing them in the order 

 in which they head these canals are : North Poudre Canal or North 

 Fork Ditch ; Poudre Valley Canal ; Pleasant Valley and Lake Canal 

 or Highline; Larimer County Canal; Water Supply & Storage Co. 

 Canal or Ditch ; Jackson Ditch or Dry Creek Ditch ; Little Cache la 

 Poudre Ditch ; Taylor and Gill Ditch ; Larimer County Canal No. 2 ; 

 New Mercer Canal ; Arthur Ditch, Tom Ditch, or Fort Collins Canal ; 

 Larimer and Weld Canal or Eaton Ditch; Josh Ames Ditch; Lake 

 Canal; Coy Ditch; Chaffee Ditch; Boxelder Ditch; Greeley Canal 

 No. 2, or Union Colony Canal No. 2, or Cache la Poudre Canal; 

 Whitney Ditch ; B. H. Eaton Ditch ; Jones Ditch ; Greeley Canal No. 

 3, or Union Colony Canal No. 3; Boyd and Freeman Ditch; and 

 Ogilvy Ditch. The areas irrigated by the more important of these 

 canals in 1916 are shown in Plates X to XIII. 



Excepting many small ditches which are owned by individuals, 

 the canals of the valley are organized in some cooperative form. 

 There are two irrigation districts and a number of informal partner- 

 ships, but the great majority are joint-stock companies. 



The development of irrigation in the valley was so rapid that 

 nearly all the canal systems had been successfully completed before 

 financing by irrigation districts became necessary. For this reason 

 there are only two districts in the valley, the Park Creek and the 

 Greeley-Poudre. The Park Creek district includes a few sections 

 under the North Poudre Canal and receives its water from that canal 

 and from rights in Fish Creek. The Greeley-Poudre district covers 

 a large area between Greeley and Carr, but financial and legal diffi- 

 culties several years ago caused a suspension of activities after only 

 a part of its construction program had been carried out. 



The partnerships are rarely formally organized, but operate in 

 accordance with customs which have to a certain extent been crystal- 

 lized in the laws of the State. Often each partner does an amount 



