mons, and trees of 10 varieties have been secured for trial in different parts of the island. Peen-to peaches, several varieties of grapes, strawberries, some Philippine varieties of bananas, and many other fruits have been introduced and are being given a trial.

Miscellaneous plants, such as Ceara rubber, kola nut, camphor, hedge plants, and some ornamentals, are being tested. A Ceara rubber tree attained a height of 16 feet and a circumference of 10 inches, 3 feet from the ground, in a year from the planting of the seed.

Mention has been made in previous reports of the desirability of taking up experiments on the improvement of the live stock of the island. All stock is very much degenerated, owing to various causes. The horses are small and weak, likewise the cattle. A number of head of cattle were slaughtered for beef last year, and animals ranging from 20 months to 2 years dressed 125 to 358 pounds. There were purchased for the station 6 head of Morgan horses and 4 of Ayrshire cattle, and had it not been for the placing of the Army transport Dix out of commission for the summer they would have been in Guam before the end of the fiscal year. They were started from Seattle in September, and in addition some poultry and 4 head of Berkshire hogs were sent. If this preliminary introduction proves successful, other breeding animals will be introduced into Guam as opportunity offers.

A growing interest in the work of the station is noted and all requests for seeds and plants have been granted as far as supplies were available, and instructions given regarding their planting and care, every encouragement being offered to increase interest and bring success to the planter. The cordial cooperation of the local authorities in furthering the station's work has aided materially in the attempt being made to improve the agricultural condition of the island.

PROPOSED STATION OF TUTUILA.

The attention of the department has been called to the desirability of establishing an agricultural experiment station on the island of Tutuila. This and the adjacent Manua Islands, of the Samoan Group, came into the possession of the United States in 1899. The population of over 5,000 is mainly engaged in agriculture, copra, the dried flesh of the coconut, being about their only marketable product. The naval governor of the islands reports that the coconut beetle has appeared on Upolu, the largest of the Samoan Group, only about 40 miles from Tutuila. Wherever this pest has gained entrance it has proved very destructive, and means should be taken to keep it from gaining admission to Tutuila, or great injury will be done. At the same time it is believed that the establishment of a station would prove of great value to the people through the introduction of new crops, improved methods, better live stock, and more rational handling of their crops. A man educated along the lines of modern agriculture could instruct the natives in the proper methods of planting and be of inestimable value to the people who ceded their islands, containing Pago Pago, the best harbor in the South Pacific Ocean, to this country.

IRRIGATION INVESTIGATIONS.

Dr. Samuel Fortier continues to have charge of the irrigation investigations of this office. The various lines of work outlined in former reports have been continued with such modifications as existing conditions have warranted.

The widespread interest in irrigation, the large sums expended in securing water supplies, the rapid settlement of lands, and the great agricultural development under irrigation enterprises have necessitated the expenditure of much more time and funds in furnishing information to prospective settlers and in extending timely aid to those who are endeavoring to establish homes in the reclaimed portions of the arid lands of the West. The number of inquiries from eastern people for information concerning agricultural conditions in the different sections of the West has increased more than 40 per cent during the year. This demand has been so great that it has been necessary to have reprints of nearly all the bulletins of both the practical and State series described in former reports. During the year three additional bulletins of the State series have been published, leaving but five of the arid and semiarid States that have not been covered.

The thousands of settlers who have settled on irrigated lands during the past three years are for the most part ignorant of irrigation practice and methods, and both the most recent settler and the pioneer irrigator are continually confronted with new problems. To assist both the old and the new settlers, agents have been maintained throughout the entire year in 10 of the Western States, and in 3 others during the spring of 1911. These agents devoted a large part of their time to traveling from place to place in their respective States collecting data, studying conditions, giving practical advice to irrigators, consulting with the officers of irrigation enterprises regarding the improvement of methods, and addressing farmers' meetings upon practical irrigation questions. The work of the agents has been supplemented to a large extent by the bulletins and circulars of this office and the Farmers' Bulletins of the department, three additional bulletins and two circulars having been issued during the past year.

A great amount of data concerning the organization and management of irrigation enterprises has been collected during the year

a cooperative agreement with the Bureau of the Census. These data will enable the series of bulletins on irrigation in the several States and Territories to be brought up to date and will make possible a much needed series of bulletins on the organization, maintenance, and operation of canal systems and other economic phases of irrigation.

The value of water for irrigation purposes is rapidly increasing as the more plenteous and accessible supplies have been appropriated. As the cost of water advances the need of greater economy in its use becomes more and more urgent and consequently one of the most important features of the irrigation investigation work continues to be its efforts to obtain better irrigation laws, more efficient administrative systems; and a higher duty of irrigation water by lining earthen ditches, by more thorough preparation of the land, by more

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equable delivery of water from the canals, and by more skillful application of the water to the fields.

The increasing cost of utilizing surface supplies of water has also led to the installation of many pumping plants to use the underground waters. This has created a great demand for information regarding wells, pumps, and kinds of power adapted to irrigation. At least six of the State agents have devoted a considerable portion of their time to this phase of the investigations, and as a result many costly mistakes on the part of the irrigators have been prevented and more efficient plants have been installed.

The demonstration farms described in former reports have been continued at Davis, Cal., Gooding, Idaho, Newcastle and Cheyenne, Wyo., and Eads, Colo., for the purpose of demonstrating proper methods of using water and the possibility of irrigating small tracts in connection with larger areas used for dry farming. The experiments to ascertain the losses of water from irrigated soils under different conditions have also been continued during the year at Agricultural College, N. Mex., Bozeman, Mont., Williston, N. Dak., Sunnyside, Wash., Reno, Nev., and Davis, Cal., the experiments for the fiscal year having been planned to show the effects upon the evaporation of cultivating the soil at different depths.

The demands of rice growers in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas for information and advice regarding the methods and the effects of irrigating rice have become very urgent. Two men were added during the year to this field, but the number is still inadequate to solve the many new problems arising from time to time. The interest in irrigation in other sections of the humid regions which have suffered so from drought during the past two years has also greatly increased, and requests for information regarding the methods adapted to eastern conditions and the possibilities and costs of supplementary irrigation have been received almost daily. Cooperative experiments were continued in Wisconsin, Iowa, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and New Jersey during the year. Only a small amount of data, however, is available as yet, but this points to the conclusion that before many years all high-priced, intensively farmed crops in the humid section will be insured against drought by the means of irrigation.

During the year the office has cooperated with 10 States, either directly or indirectly through their experiment stations, in carrying out irrigation investigations. The total amount expended by the several States and Territories in funds and services under these cooperative agreements has exceeded $20,000. These cooperative agreements have enabled the field of investigations to be greatly extended, have afforded trained men to oversee experiments, and many results have been obtained which could not have been possible otherwise.

WORK IN THE FISCAL YEAR 1912.

The increased appropriation made by the last Congress for irrigation investigations, together with a number of new cooperative agreements, will make possible many needed improvements and extensions of the work in 1912. The general plan of the work will be the same as in 1911. In States where work has been in progress heretofore, it will be increased and the scope broadened, and as far as possible State agents will be assigned to those States in the irrigated region in

which it has not been possible to have agents heretofore. The investigations in the rice regions and the power and pumping investigations will both be materially increased and publications will be prepared on these subjects.

The investigations for determining the evaporation losses from irrigated soils and the best methods of checking these will be continued, as will also the field experiments, to ascertain the proper time to irrigate, the most economical amounts of water to use, and the best methods of supplying water to different crops in different localities. The several demonstration farms will also be maintained.

It is intended to publish additional bulletins of the series dealing with irrigation in the several States and Territories, and also of the practical series dealing with the irrigation of standard crops.

The investigations in the humid regions will be extended. The present experiments will be continued and enlarged and new investigations will be carried on in other sections of the East. The engineering force in this field will be increased in order to better meet the demands made upon it, and bulletins and circulars will be published giving practical information concerning the methods adapted to humid conditions and the possibilities and advantages of irrigation in the East and Middle West.

It is also planned to make use of the data collected under the cooperative agreement with the Bureau of the Census in preparing bulletins upon the organization of irrigation enterprises, the operation, maintenance, and management of canals, and other economic phases of irrigation.

WORK IN 1913.

The investigations and experiments which are being carried on at the present time, or will be begun in the fiscal year 1912, should not only be continued, but should be extended in 1913. An agent should be established in each western State, together with one or more assistants in the more important ones. The field force in both the humid and rice-growing sections should also be increased. The demand for practical information, both by old and new settlers, is certain to continue and should continue to be supplied through the medium of bulletins, lectures, demonstration farms, and the personal advice of agents. The greatest needs, however, will probably be for experiments and investigations for the purpose of securing a wiser and more economical use of water by preventing unnecessary wastes; of demonstrating the effects upon the yield and quality of crops of irrigation to different depths and at different times; and of securing better organization of irrigation enterprises, better management of canals, and better administration of improved irrigation codes.

DRAINAGE INVESTIGATIONS.

Mr. C. G. Elliott continues to have charge of drainage investigations of this office.

During the past year the unfinished projects of the year previous have been completed and many new projects and investigations taken up. A summary of the work done embraces surveys, working plans and profiles, and reports made for various drainage districts, which may be classed as follows:

DRAINAGE SURVEYS.

I. Reclamation of lands subject to overflow, as by floods.-Alabama: Little Hurricane Creek (Tuscaloosa County). Nebraska: Bench lands of upper Elkhorn River (Holt County). Oklahoma: Black Bear Creek (Noble and Pawnee Counties).

II. Reclamation of lands continually wet-swamps, marshes, etc.Arkansas: Crooked Bayou drainage district (Chicot and Desha Counties). Mississippi: Belzoni drainage district (Washington County). North Carolina: Back Swamp and Jacob Swamp (Robeson County). South Carolina: Little Wambaw Swamp (Charleston County).

III. Improvement of natural watercourses or construction of new channels to provide outlets.-Georgia: McRae Branch (Telfair County). North Carolina: Third Creek and Fourth Creek (Iredell County). Haw River (Rockingham County). Virginia: Chickahominy River (Hanover and Henrico Counties).

IV. Farm drainage.-Arkansas: Penitentiary farm (Lincoln County). Georgia: McRae farm (Telfair County). Maryland: Bureau of Animal Industry farm (Prince George County). Mississippi: Rogers farm (Attala County), Walnut Grove plantation (Coahoma County). North Carolina: Pender County test farm, Edgecombe County test farm, Red Crest test farm (Iredell County). South Carolina: James Island (Charleston County), Clemson College farm (Dorchester County). Virginia: Sterling demonstration farm (Loudoun County), Arlington experiment farm (Fairfax County).

V. Drainage of irrigated lands.-Colorado: Grand River Valley, San Luis Valley, Arkansas River Valley. Idaho: Payette and Boise River Valleys, drainage district No. 1 (Lemhi County). New Mexico: Pecos Valley. Texas: Lower Rio Grande Valley. Utah: Various tracts in several counties. Washington: Spokane County, Yakima Valley, including Moxee Valley. Wyoming: Big Horn Basin, including Grey Bull Valley, Shoshone Valley.

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS AND CONSTRUCTION WORK.

In addition to preliminary examinations having been made and reports written for all the projects enumerated under drainage surveys, similar examinations and reports have also been made for the following:

Alabama: Prairie lands. California: Lands injured by alkali in Orange County. Georgia: Effingham County, Telfair County. Maryland: River bottom lands in Montgomery County. Massachusetts: Green Harbor River marsh lands (Plymouth County). Missouri: Wyaconda River (Clark County). North Carolina: Flea Hill drainage district (Cumberland County), Salem Creek (Forsyth County), Beaver Dam Swamp (Harnett County), Brown Marsh (Bladen and Columbus Counties). South Carolina: Sumter, Levy Bay (Hampton County), Wappahoola plantation (Berkeley County), Dean Hall plantation (Berkeley County), Wadmalaw Island (Charleston County), Switzerland (Hampton and Beaufort Counties), Great Pedee River (Darlington County). Virginia: