368 HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 
The other is the question of stopping seepage losses, the improvement 
of methods of drainage, and the organization of some of those new 
districts in this rapid development that is going on there; that is, the 
organization of the people themselves, so that they can handle their 
affairs, their water, their ditches, so as to get the right results out of 
them. 
Ihave omitted in going over this one other thing. That is an 
important subject of investigation in California, and will be a factor 
in our States in the semiarid region. It is this matter of pumping 
water for irrigation. Within the last five vears several million dollars 
have been invested in pumps by individual farmers to irrigate their 
ten, twenty, or forty acres of land. That is becoming and has already 
become a great feature in irrigation. In the Santa Clara Valley in 
California there are over 1,500 pumps going. I think it is safe to 
say that in the beginning of that work for every $10 the farmers spent 
they lost $1 by putting down the wrong kind of wells, using the 
wrong kind of engines and the wrong kind of pumps, which were not 
suited to their peculiar conditions. 
The Cuarrman. Were they not the best available at that time? 
Mr. Mrap. No; they could have obtained others. 
The CHarrman. For many years we had thrashing machines and 
mowers that were the best obtainable at that time? 
Mr. Meap. Yes. What I mean is this, that farmers went and put. 
down rotary pumps when centrifugal pumps would have been better, 
while the rotary might have been better in another place. 
Mr. Brooxs. Are the farmers showing an appreciation of this work, 
and are you getting inquiries from it in other sections? 
Mr. Meap. Yes. 
Mr. Brooxs. Coming to a question which is suggested by Mr. 
Burleson’s comments in regard to the small farmers, are they cooperat- 
ing, and do they appreciate the work you are doing? 
Mr. Mean. Yes, sir. 
Mr. Brooxs. And is that work enlarging among the small farmers 
as the result of your own work? 
Mr. Mxap. Oh, yes; we have met with the most gratifying recep- 
tion for this work and a consequent increase in the number of practical 
inquiries from farmers all over the country. 
The Cuarrman. How many offices do you maintain now, Mr. Mead? 
Mr. Mrap. Two. 
The CuarrMan. One in Wyoming and one here? 
Mr. Meap. Yes. 
The Cuatrman. How much rent do you pay in Cheyenne? 
Mr. Mean. $720 a year. 
The Cuarrman. You estimate here for the rent of a building in 
Washington. Where is your headquarters now? 
Mr. Mrap. In the Department. 
The Cuarrman. What is the need of a new building? 
Mr. Meap. Well, I wes not consulted about that estimate for rent 
here, so I do not assume any responsibility for that. I did not know 
it was in there until I saw the estimate. 
The Cuarrman. You are satisfied where you are now? 
Mr. Mean. Yes, sir; we are satisfied where we are. I have nodoubt 
they would like to get rid of us, because we work almost on top of 
one another in the little rooms we have. 
