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Show GREAT INCREASE IN IRRIGATION NEARLY T.H1RD OP A BJLJJON DOLLARS NOV INVESTED DITCHES WOULD EXTEND AROUND THE WORLD FIVE TIMES ALFALFA IS THE DIG CROP, WITH WILD GRASSES SECOND AND OATS THJRD GROWTH IN SUGAR BEETS LARGE. Statistics for irrigation in tho United Unit-ed StatcG are soon to be issued by Director Durand of the Bureau of tho Census, Department of Comricrco and Labor. It was prepared under the supervision of R. P. Tcole, special agent in charge of Irrigation. The special inquiry on irrigation by the Bureau of tho Census was limited limit-ed to that part of the Continental United States where Irrigation is commonly com-monly practiced, naraoly, tho arid region, re-gion, and tho rice dlstrlcL For tho purpoLcs of this report the "'arid region" has been held to in-1 elude all sections of Continental United Unit-ed States whore Irrigation Is generally general-ly practiced In the growing of farm crops As defined in this way, tho "arid region" includes tho western parts of the tier of states formed by the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma Okla-homa and Texas, and all of the states between these and the Pacific coast. In parts of this great territory there is abundant rainfall; but In each of the states comprised In It thero arc considerable sections, and In some cry extensive areas, where farming Is largely dependant upon Irrigation The special Inquiry was also oxtond-od oxtond-od to the rlce-growlng districts of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas, but the rice district has been treated separately sep-arately In tho reportB Number of Farms Irrigated. Tho number of farms reported Irrigated Irri-gated Is the number of farms on which Irrigation Is practiced, regardless of the extent of Buch Irrigation. The number of farms on which Irrigation was practiced, for purposes other than rice growing. In 190P In the statos of the arid region was 158,713, or 11 por cent of the total number of farms In the same states While the total number of farms In this region, Including In-cluding the entire area of states In which Irrigation Is practiced only In the western part. Increased 31.5" per cent betweqn 1900 and 1910, tho nura- Number of farmB (1) 1,4 J0.S22 1.095.C75 Approximate land area (1) acres 1.1G1.3SB.600 1,1C1,3S5,C00 Land In farms (1) acres 3S8.00G.99l 3S4.7S0.221 Improved land In farms (1) acros...... 173.433,957 119,709,o92 Number of farms Irrigated (2) 15S.713 (3) 107,489 Acreago Irrigated (2) 13,733,485 (3)7,51S,527 Acreage enterprises were capable of Irrigated.. 19,334,097 (4) Acreago Included In projects 31,111,142 (1) Numbor of enterprises 54,700 (4) Total length of ditches, miles 125.591 (4) Length of main ditches, miles S7,o29 (4) Length of lateral ditches, miles , 3S.0C2 (4) Number of reservoirs -"o6'512 n Capacity of reservoirs, acre-feet 12,081,129 (4) Number of flowing wells , 5.0J0 (4) Number or pumped uells 14,o58 (4) , Number of pumping plants 13.90C (4) Number of power plants, horsepower ' 243,4.o (4) j Acreage Irrigated with pumped water (2) 447,025 (4) Acreage Irrigated from flowing wells (2) 144,400 (4) Cost of Irrigation enterprise J307.8C0.3G9 (5)$GC.9G2,27o Averago cost por acre - ' (C)$lo.92 (7)?S.9l 'Av. cost opera, and mnlntenancc peracre (2) 1.07 0.3S (1) Figures relate to entire area I of statos Included in (he inquiry. (2) In 1909. (3) In 1S99. (4) Cost of sy stem operated In 1S99. (6) Based on cost to Julv 1, 1910, and-acreago enter prises were capable of Irrigating In 1910. (7) Based on acreage Irrigated In 1899. California Lands. California contained tho largest number of farms on which irrigation was practiced, having about oue-fourth oue-fourth (24.8 per cent) of the total number, and Colorado the next largest larg-est number, nearly one-sixth flC.3 por cent) of the total, v.-hllo Utah ranked third In this respect, with about one-eighth one-eighth (12 4 per cent ) of tho total. The percentage of Increase between 13S9 and 1899 In the number of farms Irrigated was more than double that during the succeeding decade, but the absolute Increases during the two decades de-cades were approximately equal. Nebraska Ne-braska showed the largest pcrccntago of Increase during tho former period and Texas during the latter period, but In neither state Is tho actual num. bn- of Irrigated farms large. In Nebraska Ne-braska and South Dakota there were decreases botween 1899 and 1909 The largest absolute Increase In both decades de-cades was In California In the period 1899 to 1909 tho next largest Increase was In Colorado, and In the period 1SS9 to 1S99 In Utah. In total acreage Irrigated California Califor-nia ranked first In 1S89, Colorado second, sec-ond, and Montana third In both 1S99 and 1009 Colorado reported the largest larg-est Irrigated acreage, while California Califor-nia and Montana were second and third respectively. Idaho followed closo'lv In 1909 From 1S99 to 1909 California Bhowcd tho largest absolute abso-lute Increase, followed by Colorado, Idaho, and Montana In the order named. nam-ed. In percentage of increase for thlH decade, however, Texas ranked first. Washington second, Idaho third, and New Mexico fourth. Tho total cost of Irrigation onter- bcr of farms on which Irrigation was practiced Increased 47.7 per cent between be-tween 1899 and 1909, the Irrigated farms fanning a lirgcr percentage of all rarms in 1909 than in 1899. Tho acreage reported as Irrigated in 1909 was 13,738,485, which constitutes consti-tutes 1 2 per cent of tho total land area of the same Btates, 3.5 per cent of the total land In farms, and 7.9 per cont of the Improved land in farmB. There was an Increase of 82.7 per cent in such acreage between 1S99 and 1909, a rate of Increase much higher than that in iho number of farms irrigated, tho average irrigated acreago per farm being grcate for 1909 than for 1S99. Tho acreago to which enterprises were ready to supply water in 110 was 18,334,697, or 5.59G.212 acros In excess of tho acreage Irrigated in 1909, while the acreage Included In all projects, whether completed or in process of development, in 1910 was 31,111,112, or 17.372.G57 acres greater than the acreage reported as irrigated irri-gated in 1909. The total length of ditches used for Irrigation in 910 was 125,591 miles. There were G.S12 rcservolrB having a combined capacity of 12,581,129 acro-feet, acro-feet, or nearly 1 acro-foot of reservoir reser-voir capacity for each aero Irrigated from any source In 1909. Tho number num-ber of pumping plants reported was 13.90G, and tho acreage supplied by them 477.G2G. Tho total cost of irrigation enterprises enter-prises to July 1, 1910. was ?307,86G.-3G9, ?307,86G.-3G9, or 15.92 por acre of tho land which theBo enterprises were capable ot supplying with water In 1910 The Increase in the Items relating to cost are the most conspicuous Tho total to-tal cost of Irrigation enterprises Increased In-creased between 1900 and 1910 b 359.S per cont, and the average cost per acre covered Increased also, although al-though much less In degree I Tho following table shows In detail tho statistics for Irrigation In the Unltod States In 1900 and In 1910- prises up to July 1, 1910, was reported report-ed as $307,SGG,3G9, which represents an Increase of $240,904.09G, or 3o9,S' por cent over tho cost reported at the census of 1900 In no Btate In the arid region was the increase in cost for this period less than 100 per cent, the highest percentage of Increase being be-ing in North Dakota, and the lowest low-est In Oklahoma. With respect to absolute Increase California ranked first Colorado second. Idaho third, and Montana fourth. The year 1910 was In the midst of a period of great acthlty in tho construction of irrlgn-. Hon works, and on July 1, 1910, a large number of works were Incomplete. Incom-plete. The "estimated final cost" reported. re-ported. $424.2SL1SG, is tho sum of the cost up to July 1 and the estimated cost of completing these unfinished works. The acragc cost per acre based on the acreago Irrigated In 1909 was 922,41: that based on the acreage enterprises en-terprises were capable of irrigating in 1910 was $15.92. and that based on tLe estimated total cost and the acreage acre-age Included In projects was $13 G I. Value of Irrigated Crops. The report shows for all crops reported re-ported as Irrigated an averago value per acre of $25.08. The highest aer-age aer-age value por acre for crops raised on Irrigated land Is that for Washington, Wash-ington, $19S2. which Is followed by that for Toxas, S 15.43 (bxclusive of rlco), and that for California, $43.50. Wyoming showed tho lowest average valuo per acre, $12 Gl. As Is to be oxpected. tho average valuo por acre is highest In the states with large areas of fruits, vegetables and other specialized crops raised by means of Irrigation, while In those where forage for-age crops and grains predominate the average 1b lower In acreage alfalfa ranked first, with 30 6 per cont of the total roported. "wild salt or prairie graBSos' second, with 21 1 por cont, and oats third, with 10 2 per cont. Forago crops, taken together, occupied about G3 per cent of the total reported acreage, cereals about 23 per cent, sugar beets 2.4 per cont, potatoes 2.3 per cent, fruit crops about 5 per cent, and tho crops such as vegotables, root forage, cotton, buckwheat and others grouped under the head of "all other" 4.6 per cent. In valuo also alfalfa was most Important, Im-portant, ropresontlng 2S per cent of the total amount reported, but orchard or-chard frultB aud grapes ranked second sec-ond In this respect among the crops shown separately and tropical fruits third, notwithstanding the relatively small acreage In theBc crops. From tho report It appears that at both censuses alfalfa was the leading lead-ing crop grown under Irrigation, but that It occupied a considerably larger proportion ot the total acreage for Irrigated Ir-rigated crops In 1909 than In 1899. Tbo crop next In Importance In respect re-spect to acreage in both ycarB was "wild, salt, or pralrlo grasses," which llkowlFe comprised a large percentage percent-age of tho total In 1909 than In 1S99. Oats was third In acreage In 1909, followed fol-lowed by wheat, while In 1899 wheat ranked third and oats fourth. Oats covored a much larger pcrccntago of the total acreage of Irrigated crops In 1909 than In 1899 and wheat a much smaller percentage In the latter than In tho earlier year. The most notable relative Increase Is thnt for sugar beets, the growing of this crop In tho Irrigated region being largely a development of tho last decado. Potatoes also showed a marked Incroase In relative importance. import-ance. Tropical and subtropical fruits occupied about the same place In the two censuses. With tho exception of "wild, salt or prairie grasses," the Irrigated crops which aro Increasing in acreage most rapidly are all among the crops with relatively high values per acre. oo |