Show T i t t i Irrigation in United States 1 I Is Reviewed by Census Bureau I T Washington Jan Statistics 4 for tor Irrigation in tho United States are arc soon oon to 0 to bo be I issued b by Director Durand of the bureau of ot census department of oC commerce com corn merco merce ami all labor lalor It I was pi pl spared prepared parc under unter un un- un- un tIer der ter tho tilo of or i n 11 I F 1 Teele special special cial a agent ent in ip chal c of or irrigation Tim Tho special inquiry on Irrigation h by bythe bythe the bureau u of or the con census us W was limited to that part ot of tho continental United States where Irrigation al n Is commonly practiced namely the tho arid region and the rice district For tho purpose o of report the tile aId rId rc region lon has bc n n held to include all al ni sections of or continental United States at s whore irrigation Is 11 generl generally practiced In the tile growing of at farm tarm crops Ao s defined in this wa way tho the arid ari re region 10 ro- ro gion giors' Includes the western parts of oC the tha tier ter of states torm formed d b by the tile Dakotas Nebraska n. n Kansas Oklahoma and Texas Tex Tex- as ns and all 11 of ot tho the states between cen bot these an and the tle Pacific oc ocean an In parts of ot this great territory there ther Is abundant rainfall rainfall rain rain- fall but In each of ot the states oom- oom pd in It there thero are nrc considerable sections sec sec- tiOna tons anti and In some cr very extensive areas where farming is largely dependent upon irrigation The special was wag also 1150 extended to the rice growing districts of ot Arl Arkansas an as Louisiana and Texas Tc TeaM but tho the rico district has been trene treated separately In tho the reports The number of or farms farms- reported Irrigated Irrigated Irrl- Irrl gated s Is Js the tho number of t farms on which irrigation is practiced regardless of tho extent of a such Buch irrigation Tho The number of or farms on which Irrigation was practiced for tor purposes s other than rl growing ride in 1900 1909 In tho states of oC tho tile arid region was l or 11 1 percent per pel percent cent of or the thc total number of ot farms In tho tilo tl same states While the tile number of or farms farina in III this region including tho tile entire en- en tire tho area area- re of at states In which irrigation Is practiced only onh in the tho western part increased per cent between 1900 and ad 1910 1910 the number o of farms on which irrigation was practiced practice increased 47 per percent per cent between 1899 and 1909 the tho ir irrigated Ir- Ir z farms farina forming forming a 0 larger percentage percentage per per- of or all al farms in 1909 than in 1899 I The rho acreage reported as irrigated in 1909 was was' was 1 i 13 which constitutes 1 l 12 per cent cont of or the tho total land area arca of or orthe the samo states 2 35 G per cent of or the tho th total land in farms and 79 per POI cent of tho the Improved cd land nd in farms There was an Increase of ot 8 82 7 per pcr cent In such acreage between 1899 and 1909 arate ti a t rate rato of or increase much higher his than that In ti th tho number of farms Irrigated tho the average irrigated acreage per tarn farm beIng beins be- be ins jg greater for 1309 1909 than for 1899 Tho The acreage to which enterprises were read ready to supply water in 1910 was 1933 1007 or acres in excess ot of ottIle the tIle acreage ago irrigated in 1909 the tho ro included In all al projects h whether c completed or In Iii proc process ss of dev development in 1910 1920 was or 17 acres greater J than tho acre acre- ago ngo reported as irrigated In 1909 Tho IIo total length of at ditches used for irrigation in 1910 was 1 miles mUes There Thero were reservoIrs resel havIng ha a combined capacity of oC 1 acre acre- feet or nearl nearly one acre foot toot of ot r reser- reser ser ser- voir capacity for each acre irrigated from Crom any any an source in 1909 The number of ot pumping plants reported was 13 n and the acreage supplied by them 47 Go Tho The total cost of or Irrigation enterprIses enterprises enterprises enter enter- to July 1 1 1910 was wa wa G.- G. or 1592 93 per por acre ocre of or tto the land hand which these enterprises enterprise were ere capable of or supplying supplying- with wih water in 1910 lQ The Tho increase in tho the items Hems relatIng latino to cost are tho the most conspicuous The Tho total cost COlt of Irrl irrigation aton en enterprises increased between 1900 and antl 1910 lJ by percent per percent pct cent and th the average a n cost per pr acre acio covered o Increased also although much I I less in Detail Statistics The following table shows in lir de detail n the statistics for Irrigation In the tue United States in 1900 and antl in 1910 I I. I US OF m mI I 1910 1510 I 19 Number uber o of farms 1 11 1 Approximate tn land D area nc acre 1 1 COO Ian In hi farms 3rD arms acres s 3 1 I to pro M. M 11 it land In 11 farms arms acres cr's 1 arns l f Number ot of forms Irrl l r gated fl 12 J 3 Acreage engo A 1141 irrigated I 2 1376 3 Acreage enterprIses es s were capable of or 1 Acreage Included la In pa projects h cl fn 4 Number r ab of or enterprises 5 1700 4 H rotu length of oC 11 mile 1 1 U 4 Ix ui min main ditches miles mie 1 4 f Length tu of oC lateral ditches mile P I 4 m of ot G. G I 4 of or re reservoIrs roh 1 acre feet et r t 1 I Number of ot lowing flowing n I 1 4 umber Number of or pum pumped cd weli 4 1 11 It 1 1 Number r of oC plants plant 1 W 4 t Capacity of oC plant 4 f Acreage Irrigate with purr pumped water iG 4 0 p r irrigated ted from florins wel wells wella 52 Z 1401 4 4 t Cn-t Cot of ct IC irrIgatIon enter l I cx I M t f A OtC c cost Ctt per pr acre 6 i j 7 JS SI SISO 1 A naomI cost cot of operation aol and main 0 t e nl per i acre 2 m S ji 07 SO 1 1 M iii relate to entire clr re r roa of or state Mate In In- ii I h In t 2 Cl In 10 IX 3 2 In Jn liftS lW H 4 f Not ot reported 9 O Cost Ct t of oC jy 1 tem ow rated 1 In UJ M. M m 4 C nn flayed ed on co cost Ct t to Jul 1 1 im inc OrIU and nd o 1190 enterprises w rero ro fe c P t of ot irrigating In ant in n 1510 7 7 on a cre acreage S Irrigated In 1 1559 California California- contained largest r st num num- ber bel of ot farms on which irrigation was wan practiced h having about one fourth T 48 per cent of the total number and Colorado the next largest number noarl nearly sixth one-sixth per por cent of ot tho the total while Utah ranked third in this thin respect with wih about one eighth one per percent percent pel cent of at tile the total total- total The percentage of 01 increase between 1889 1389 and 1899 1399 In tho tile number of ot farms Irrigated was moro more than double that during tho succeeding decade but the absolute increases during tho the two do- do cades were approximately equal Ne Nc- Nebraska braska showed tho the largest percentage or of increase during during the former Cormor period and Texas Te-as Te during during tho the latter period but hut butin butin hutIn in neither state is tho actual number of o irrigated farms large In Nebraska ka and South Dakota there thoro were decreases between IS 1899 and 1909 1009 The Thc largest absolute increase in both decades wa waIn was waK In California In tho period 1399 to 1909 09 tho next largest increase was In Colorado Colordo Colo Cob ratio rado rdo and in the the- period 1889 to 1899 in Utah In total acreage irrigated California ranked first In 1889 Colorado second and nd Montana third In Jn both 1899 1399 and 1909 1901 Colorado reported tho the largest Ir Irrigated irrigated Ir- Ir acreage while California an and Montana were second and thir ro- ro Idaho Idabo followed closely in 1909 rom 1899 to 1909 California showed tho rho largest absolute Increase followed by Colorado Idaho and and Montana Mon Mon- on- on tans tana In the order named In percentage of ot increase for this decade however Texas ranked first Washington second Idaho third and N New sw Mexico fourth Tho total cost of OC Irrigation enterprises enter enter- up to Jul July Juil 1 1910 was wag reported as which represents an on In- In increase crease creaso of 1 1094 2 or 3 2598 98 per cent over the over tho cost reported at tho the census of ot 1900 In no state In tho arid region was the Iho increase in cost for tor this period loss than per ner cent the highest percentage percent percent- ago age of oC increase being In North orth Dakota and tho the lowest In Oklahoma With ro- ro to absolute California ranked first Colorado second I Idaho aho thIrd an and Montana fourth The year 1910 was as In the midst of or a period of at great activity In tho the construction of 1 Ir- Ir aton works and nd on Jul July 1 1910 n n. largo number of works wore ere Incomplete pieto peto The Tile estimated d final cost coat re reported reported re- re ported i is tho the sum of or the to coat cost up to July Juh 1 a arid and d the tho estimated cost of ot completing these unfinished w worl works s. s The Tile average cost rost rost per aero acre based on tho tile acreage irrigated In 1909 was 2211 U that based bed on tho the acreage enterprises enterprises en en- were capable of ot irrigating In 1910 was wa 1592 and that based on a estimated total total cost and the acrea included In projects was 1364 Value ahue of ot Irrigated f ted CoP Crops Crop Tho The report shows hows for far all aI crops n r ported as Irrigated an average vatu alu per acre of 01 Tho The hl highest aera era a averal value per aero acre for crops cops raised on In irl IJ gated land Is Js that for tor which IB Is followed by that b fc Tex Texas B. B 1313 13 exclusive of ot rice a an n that for California O Wyoming showed tho the 10 lowest est average l value pc acre 1261 Gl As it I H Is to be bo o i the thc average value per acre acro Is higher In the states with wIh large areas arcis of fruit vegetables and other specialized cro crop raised h by means of or Irrigation while 1 those whore forage crops and graft graf predominate the tho a ciago a Is Js lower t tIn tIn In aerel acreage alfalfa ranked tanked first wi- wi per cent of tho the total report report wild wid salt bait tal or prairie gra grasses cor with Hh 21 1 pet per cent and oats third wll wil 10 2 per cent cent Forage Forgo crops ta taken en t ti gether occupied about 63 per cent cent- the total reported acreage cere about 3 per por POI cent sugar beets 2 p J cent cont potatoes 23 Z per cent fruit cro about 6 5 p per r cent and 11 tho the crops such i vegetables root forage c. cotton coton but bucl wheat and and others grouped under t tt hen head of al all au other 16 i 6 per cent In value also alfalfa wan was most I In it representing 28 S per cent i i tho tim total amount reported but orcha fruits truls and grapes ranked ranted second hi Ia 1 IM 1 respect among the tle crops shown sep and tropical fruits third n nc nd withstanding the tho relatively small smal act ac ago ago in those crops From Prom the tho report It appears that both censuses alfalfa was tho the crop grown under Irl Irrigation aton but tha occupied a n. considerably larger tion ton of ot the total acreage for tor at crops In 1909 than in 1899 Tie The cr cro next In importance In i respect expect to ac ncr age In both years cars was wild wid salt satt i c prairie grasses grasses which likewise cot core Irl ed ci a a larger percentage of or the tho tot tola in 1909 than in 1899 Oats was wa third J acreage in 19 1909 followed d b by while In wheat heat third an aD oats ants rl fO fourth Oats Oats' covered a much l li liper per ger percent percentage ige go of or the total acreage t 9 Irrigated crops in Ii 1909 than In jn 1899 all aili al wheat what a n much smaller percentage e 1 1 tho later than in 11 tho earlier year jear oal J The most notable relative increase that for sugar beets tho thio growing c o othis this crop In tho the irrigated region regIon h-cm h largely a a. development of ot tho the last dr dc crul Potatoes also Iso showed ed a n mari Increase In i-cativo i importance fro Trop toO leal and subtropical fi about the same samo saro place in tho tue two ec- ec With Ith tho tito execution exception of or wild as sal salor or grasses grases tho Irrigated crop which are arc aa increasing In acreage mot rapidly are nrc all nl amon among tic crops 1 wit relatively high values per acre ir tr |