HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 851 
several years, I understand, or at least last year the appropriation was 
aon like $65,000. This money has been expended in different 
parts of the country in quite a number of different States of the Union, 
but not 1 cent of it has ever been spent in the section of the State that 
I now speak of. I believe there has been a little expended in the 
eastern part of the State where rice culture is being carried on, but 
in this great semiarid region of the State that I speak of, not 1 cent, 
so far as I know, has ever been expended, and the Government has 
never sent anybody there to make experiments. 
I do not say that the State of Texas has been discriminated against 
by the gentlemen. I do not contend that at all. Of course they had 
to take up their work in some part of the country and pursue it in the 
way they thought best, but for some reason they have not reached our 
State. Now, if the appropriation that has heretofore been made has 
been insufficient to reach that section of the country, I hope the com- 
mittee will increase it to the extent that will justify the Department 
of Agriculture in going into that section of the State and doing for 
those people what it has been doing for other people in other parts of 
the country. ? 
Mr. Burueson. As I understand you, Judge, what you want is some 
experiments made with a view of determining whether the small 
sources of water supply there can be conserved and utilized for irri- 
gation purposes? 
Mr. Smurru. Yes, sir; that is one of the objects of the experiment, 
but I think it would be well to carry on nearly all of the experiments 
that have been usual by the Department, showing those people, who 
are absolutely ignorant of the methods of irrigating, and of raising 
crops by irrigation, how to apply the water, when to apply it, and so 
on, and, as you say, how to utilize the small supply of water. 
I believe, gentlemen, that is aboutall I desire to present. As I say, 
Ido not care to take up the general discussion of the propriety of 
making the appropriation further than to say that I hope the com- 
mittee will make an appropriation that is sufficient to reach that part 
of the country which is, right at this time, so badly needed. 
Mr. Grarr. How much of an area have they there that is now irri- 
ated 4? 
B Mr. Surrx. It is very small. I do not suppose that they have over 
30,000 or 40,000 acres out of 100,000,000 acres unirrigated. 
Mr. Grarr. Have they commenced to enlarge the area? 
Mr. Smrru. Wherever it can be done, yes, sir-—they are experi- 
menting with it. This irrigation that I speak of—all that is worth 
speaking of—is where it is carried on by the ditch companies in the 
larger streams. 
Mr. Scorr. Have you done anything there, Judge, in the way of 
raising water? 
Mr. Smrru. No, sir. 
Mr. Scorr. You stated there was plenty of it? 
Mr. Srra. No, sir;’ we have not tried that except by artesian water 
along the west side of the Pecos River. There is some irrigation by 
artesian wells. 
The Cuarrman. Is your home in that part of the State? 
Mr. Smirn. Yes, sir. 
Mr. Brooxs. These places where you want experiments tried are, 
in a great many instances, is I understand it, places where the sources 
