49 
Little has as yet been done in district No. I toward the reclamation 
of such lands as has been spoiled by seepage water, though their are 
seveml places of considerable area, probably 2,000 acres in all. which 
could be reclaimed with profit. The practice of draining land is of 
very recent origin in this State and the methods not well developed. 
The most common method and that giving best results is t<> dig an 
open trench along the upper edge of the swamped land or near the 
foot of the first raise of sufficient depth to intercept the inflowing seep- 
age water; having done this, the water is conducted by open cut or 
pipe with sufficient fall to give a good velocity to the river or into 
some ditch where it may he exchanged or used for irrigation in the 
same manner as reservoir water. The amount of water thus reclaimed 
is of ten sufficient to pay for the expense of draining. Attempt- to 
drain land with tiling under the surface and in the wet ground have 
not been successful. The abundance of land and the cost of tiling 
would in most cases make this method unprofitable, even if it "were 
practical. After reclamation this land soon returns to its former con- 
dition, producing excellent second bottom hay, or, if put into grain, 
sufficient moisture is present to mature the crops without irrigation. 
ADMINISTRATION AND DISTRIBUTION. 
In the administration of ditches and reservoirs and in the distribu- 
tion to the consumers there may be said to be two distinct sets of offi- 
cials, those of ditch or reservoir companies of a private character and 
those of the State and district of a public character. A ditch or res- 
ervoir company has a president, secretary, and treasurer, with duties 
similar to those of any incorporated company. There is a man who 
patrols the canal and distributes the water to the consumers accord- 
ing to their proportion of stock or rights in the ditch. He is called 
the ditch " boss," *' rider," or "superintendent," and acts generally 
under the direction of the other officers or directors. In most cases 
it is he who receives orders from the public officers and acts in con- 
junction with them. 
Various devices and units of measurement are used in distributing 
the water; the more common, and those used in this district, are the 
division box for pro rata division and the ordinary culvert placed 
through the bank of the ditch. Where ditches are small the division 
box is quite satisfactory. This is a simple flume with level bottom and 
vertical sides, and of about the same cross section as the ditch. It is 
divided by a partition running lengthwise of it, the respective widths 
of the parts being in proportion to the number of share- to be turned 
out and to the number of shares in the ditch at that point. For 
instance, if there are 100 shares in all and 20 had been taken out above, 
leaving so shares in the ditch, and it was desired to turn out 10 shares 
2817— No. 118—02 4 
