.21 
 1453 
 
^ 
 
 University of California Berkeley 
 
P R E E literature front 
 
 Union. Kerry Building. 
 
 4flT FRANCISCO, C 
 
 Publicity Series 
 
 National Irrigation 
 Congress 
 
 Bulletin No. 4 
 
 Guide to 
 
 Irrigation Practice on the 
 Pacific Coast 
 
 Issued by the 
 
 Publicity Committee of the Fifteenth National 
 Irrigation Congress 
 
 SEPTEMBER, 1907 
 
 
GUIDE TO IRRIGATION PRACTICE 
 
 ON THE 
 
 PACIFIC COAST 
 
 BY 
 *SAMUEL FORTIER, C. E., D. Sc. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 At the Irrigation Congress held in Boise, Idaho, in 1906, a 
 committee was appointed for the purpose of disseminating practi- 
 cal and scientific information concerning irrigation. This com- 
 mittee was composed as follows : 
 
 Samuel Fortier, Chairman Berkeley, California. 
 
 Frank C. Goudy Denver, Colorado. 
 
 Dwight B. Heard Phoenix, Arizona. 
 
 F. H. Ray Helena, Montana 
 
 C. R. Reeves Ely, Nevada. 
 
 L. G. Sinnard, Secretary. . . .San Francisco, California. 
 
 In planning the work to be undertaken, it was decided to issue 
 two sets of pamphlets. The first set was to consist of reliable in- 
 formation concerning lands open to settlement in various irrigated 
 districts of the arid region, and the second was to be prepared 
 with a view to aiding inexperienced settlers on irrigated farms. 
 Bulletins Nos. I, 2, and 3, of the first series, have been printed, 
 and are being distributed, and this publication, which the writer 
 was requested to prepare, is the first of the second series. 
 
 Reliable information concerning irrigation is eagerly sought 
 for at present. Extensive areas of desert and low-producing lands 
 are being rapidly reclaimed under the agencies of the Reclamation 
 Service, State governments and private enterprise. The necessary 
 result of making these large investments, and the sole object of 
 the government works is to establish prosperous rural homes in 
 the now sparsely settled arable lands of the West. The oppor- 
 
 * In charge of Irrigation and Drainage Investigations in the Pacific District, 
 Office of Experiment Stations, U. S. Department of Ag-riculture. 
 
 '. 3 
 
tunities which a fertile soil, an agreeable climate, and an abundant 
 water supply present to industrious farmers are certain to be taken 
 advantage of, resulting in a large influx of settlers. It is chiefly 
 for the benefit of this class that this Guide has been prepared. 
 
 The limited space available will not admit of anything like a 
 full discussion of important topics, but references have been made 
 to other publications, which the reader may consult. Many of 
 these are the publications of the Irrigation and Drainage branch 
 of the Office of Experiment Stations, U. S. Department of Agricul- 
 ture. Where these are referred to herein, the abbreviation "O. E. 
 S." is used. These bulletins may be had on application to Dr. A. 
 C. True, Director O. E. S., Washington, D. C. 
 
 Owing to the somewhat wide difference in climate, products, 
 and irrigation practice between the Rocky Mountain and Pacific 
 Coast States, it was deemed advisable to adapt the first publica- 
 tion of this series to Pacific Coast conditions. 
 
 HOW TO SELECT AN IRRIGATED FARM. 
 
 The chief points to be considered in selecting an irrigated 
 farm are a healthful and agreeable climate, the adaptability of the 
 location to grow profitable crops, proximity to railroads, towns 
 and markets, the fertility of the soil, a plentiful supply of water, 
 and good drainage. On the Pacific Coast the winters are mild. 
 January, February and March are rainy months, and the long sum- 
 mers are dry. Near the Coast the climate in summer is cool, while 
 farther inland it is warm. 
 
 One of the most marked advantages favoring the man Vvho 
 improves an irrigated farm is its probable increase in value. 
 When a 4O-acre tract can be purchased for $3,000, and in ten years 
 increased in value to $10,000, the owner is making good profits in 
 addition to the crops harvested. In order to reap the benefits of 
 good harvests and an increase in farm values, the crops chosen 
 for a given location must be those best adapted to soil and climate. 
 
 Perhaps the best test of raw land in its desert state is the 
 native vegetation it supports. Sage-brush, buffalo grass and cac- 
 tus indicate good land easily worked and well drained. Ink weed, 
 salt bush and salt grass indicate heavier soil, apt to bake when 
 wet, and charged with more or less alkali. 
 
 The hardpan of the Atlantic States is not found in the arid 
 region, but over limited areas of the Pacific Coast States there is 
 found a hard calcareous sheet of varying thickness, usually from 
 
 4 
 
two to five feet below the surface. The presence of this hard layer 
 can be readily detected by a steel probe or a soil auger. In orchards 
 and vineyards one can not count on utilizing the top six inches of 
 soil, as it is needed as a sort of blanket to protect the moisture 
 beneath. The roots of vines and trees frequently penetrate to the 
 eighth and tenth foot, and it is important to select a farm with a 
 deep subsoil of suitable composition and texture. 
 
 The land should also be well drained. If ground water rises 
 near the surface injurious salts are likely to appear, and the action 
 of both will greatly lessen the value of the land. This is the 
 greatest risk involved in buying irrigated farms. The great 
 majority of irrigated farms have been successful ; the small minor- 
 ity have been ruined by lack of drainage. 
 
 OBTAINING A WATER SUPPLY. 
 
 The physical source of water for irrigation, whether diverted 
 from streams by gravity ditches, stored in reservoirs near or re- 
 mote from the parent stream, or obtained from flowing wells or by 
 pumping, is of little interest to the irrigator except as the nature 
 of the source affects his supply in dry periods, and as it affects 
 the cost of water. In general, a gravity water supply from streams 
 is cheapest, but it diminishes after the winter rains and as the dry 
 season advances. Stored water, while it is more expensive, is 
 available whenever wanted. Water raised by pumping usually 
 costs several times as much, but pumping is justified by the 
 advantages of individual supply, proximity to the land watered, 
 and the fact that it draws on an unappropriated source of water 
 after the surface streams have been exhausted. 
 
 The day of the individual farm ditch is past, and water "for 
 irrigation must now be obtained from a canal operated either as a 
 co-operative enterprise of irrigators, as a ditch company selling 
 water at a profit, as an irrigation district having power to compel 
 owners of affected lands to join, or under State or Government 
 reclamation works which contemplate the ultimate ownership and 
 control of the works by the settlers thereunder. 
 
 Under Government projects the actual cost of the enterprise, 
 including ten years' maintenance, is assessed against the lands 
 benefited, and collected in ten annual installments without interest, 
 the saving in interest being the principal advantage to the settler. 
 Eventually such works are to become the property of the irrigators. 
 Such projects are subject to the same general rules of appropria- 
 
tion, in obtaining their water supply, as govern the legal rights of 
 any other user of water, but owing to the size and scope of Gov- 
 ernment works facilities for storage are usually obtained, making a 
 continuous supply through the season certain. 
 
 Under Carey act enterprises, of which there are several in 
 Oregon, a construction company contracts with the State to build 
 works and colonize the lands, charging the settler a pre-agreed 
 rate per acre. Under the careful supervision of the State Engineer 
 such works have in many cases solved the irrigation problem sat- 
 isfactorily, as the settler is relieved from the perils of incompetent 
 organization and management, and is not financially responsible 
 beyond the contract price of the land and water. It is provided in 
 the act that the ownership of the works shall pass to the irrigators 
 under them after a certain part of the lands are paid for. 
 
 An irrigation district is theoretically the most desirable form 
 of enterprise, since it furnishes works at cost, and adjusts assess- 
 ments like taxes. The chief danger lies in the lack of skilled or- 
 ganizers among farmers, and in the difficulty of floating securities. 
 As an education in co-operation, and as a promoter of strong com- 
 munity spirit, the district form of enterprise has proved itself in- 
 valuable. The best districts are as strong financially as good 
 municipal works, and can sell 5 per cent or 6 per cent bonds quite 
 as easily. 
 
 Under works owned by corporations water is delivered at an 
 annual rate, and usually only to such lands as have a water right 
 attached. Water rights are usually sold by the ditch company for 
 stated parcels of land, to cover the cost of the works, at the same 
 time that contracts to deliver water are signed. The terms of the 
 contract seldom guarantee delivery of water, so the important 
 elements fixing the value of a water right or a water contract are 
 the supply available for the canal, and the condition of the works 
 for delivering it to users. The settler ought to assure himself on 
 these points which are too often taken for granted. 
 
 THE VALUE OF LAND AND WATER IN THE PACIFIC 
 
 COAST STATES. 
 
 The value of land depends mainly on the water supply, the 
 improvements and the crops that can be grown. Several million 
 acres of grain land can be purchased in the San Joaquin, Sacra- 
 mento and Willamette Valleys for an average price of about $40 
 per acre. When this land is irrigated, and seeded to alfalfa or 
 planted to orchards, vines and other special crops, its value is in- 
 
 6 
 
creased many fold. Good alfalfa land sells readily for $100, and 
 bearing vineyards and deciduous orchards are usually worth $350 
 to $500 an acre. Citrus orchards and in a few cases apple orchards 
 reach a value of $1000 or more. Where localities have been found 
 especially adapted to a particular crop, raw lands in their vicinity 
 are high. This is true of unimproved lands near Riverside and 
 Redlands, famed for their oranges, of Orange County for its wal- 
 nuts, of Fresno County for its raisins, of Santa Clara for its prunes, 
 of portions of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys for their 
 grapes, fruits or vegetables, and of such valleys as Pajaro, Rogue 
 River and Hood River for their apples. In time just as valuable 
 crops will be grown in other localities, and as soon as this fact is 
 demonstrated it will enhance the value of land. 
 
 The cost of water for irrigation varies greatly in different dis- 
 tricts. In Imperial Valley the cost of a water right in any one of 
 the nine mutual water companies runs from $15 to $25 per acre, 
 and the annual charge for maintenance and operation is about 50 
 cents per acre. There is an additional charge of 50 cents an acre- 
 foot payable to the California Development Company for diverting 
 and conveying the water. Taking interest at 6 per cent on the 
 cost of the water right, the total annual cost to the farmer using 
 only two acre-feet to the acre would average $3.20 per acre. 
 
 In the citrus belt of Southern California the cost of water is 
 much higher. Including interest on a water right worth $150 to 
 $250 per acre, the yearly cost of water often exceeds $20 per acre. 
 In 1904 under the two largest canals at Riverside, orange growers 
 paid $20.77 an d $21.85 P er acre, respectively, including interest. 
 
 In Fresno County the annual cost of water varies from 60 
 cents to $1.50 per acre. 
 
 In the Modesto and Turlock Irrigation Districts, organized 
 under the Wright law, the annual charge for liquidation and inter- 
 est on bonds, maintenance and operation is considerably less than 
 $1.00 per acre. 
 
 In Santa Clara Valley, creek water is worth about $2 per 
 acre, and water pumped from wells costs from $5 to $10 per acre. 
 
 In Sacramento Valley the Yolo County Consolidated Canal 
 Company sells water for $i per acre-foot. About two acre-feet 
 per acre are used each season. The Butte County Canal Company 
 sells water to lands provided with a water right at a charge of $i 
 to $2 per acre annually. The Orland Irrigation Company charges 
 $3.50 per acre for lands having no water right. The Central Canal 
 Company charges $10 to $15 per acre for water rights, and $i to 
 $2 annually for water rental. 
 
 7 
 
The cost of water in the Yakima Valley in Washington aver- 
 ages about $3 an acre annually, including interest on a water right. 
 
 In less developed parts of Eastern Oregon, the annual charge 
 for water is from $i to $3 per acre, the water right raising the 
 value of the land from $8 in the raw state to $50 or $100. 
 
 The cost of water under the various Government reclamation 
 projects on the Pacific Coast varies within wide limits. Specific 
 information may be obtained from Director F. H. Newell, Wash- 
 ington, D. C. 
 
 THE AMOUNT OF WATER USED IN IRRIGATION. 
 
 The service performed by irrigation water in the Pacific 
 States, that is, the amount used per acre, has been ascertained by 
 the Irrigation and Drainage branch of the United States Office of 
 Experiment Stations, under the direction of Dr. Elwood Mead, and 
 the few examples here given are from that source. 
 
 In the eastern part of Washington in 1904, the quantity of 
 water carried in canals serving 64,000 acres was sufficient to cover 
 that area 5.4 feet deep. The quantity lost in transit by seepage 
 was found to be as great as 50 per cent in some cases, but aver- 
 aged much less. The average depth of water actually applied to 
 crops was probably between 3.5 and 4 feet in depth. 
 
 In Eastern Oregon, under somewhat similar conditions, but 
 on more gravelly soil, water is habitually applied to a depth in 
 one season of 8 to 20 feet. On ordinary soils about 3.5 feet in 
 depth is the usual practice. Where winter irrigation only is avail- 
 able as much as 6 to 8 feet is often applied in one prolonged irri- 
 gation. 
 
 In California, water is used more economically, with few ex- 
 ceptions. In 1906 some alfalfa raisers under the Stony Creek 
 Canal near Orland used from 5 to 15 feet in depth on gravelly 
 soil. When water was first used in Modesto Irrigation District in 
 1904, the diversion from the Tuolumne in that year was sufficient 
 to cover the area irrigated to a depth of 13 feet. Under the Tur- 
 lock District in the same year the use was 8.3 feet deep. Both 
 districts now use far less water. 
 
 In Imperial Valley the duty of water under the various mutual 
 water companies averages about two feet in depth. This small 
 quantity is chiefly due to the fact that payments for water are 
 made on the basis of the measured volume received. 
 
Wherever water is pumped the amount used is small as a 
 rule. Under a large pumping plant at Lindsay in Tulare County, 
 the average duty for several years has been 16 inches in depth. 
 The average use under sixty pumping plants in Santa Clara Val- 
 ley in 1904 was 13 inches in depth. In the vicinity of Pomona in 
 1905 the average use was 9 inches for citrus fruits, and 28 inches 
 for alfalfa. 
 
 AMOUNT OF WATER REQUIRED IN IRRIGATION. 
 
 The proper amount of water to apply in one irrigation, the 
 interval between irrigations, and the total quantity required in any 
 one season all depend on a large number of soil, crop and climatic 
 conditions. 
 
 In light irrigations, three inches in depth over the surface 
 would be plenty if it could be applied without loss, but six inches 
 are often required. Similarly for heavy irrigations six inches of 
 water over the surface would, if it could be applied without loss, 
 moisten the soil to a depth of several feet, but in practice the 
 amount required sometimes exceeds nine inches. 
 
 Perhaps the best example of the proper use of water in irri- 
 gation is furnished by the citrus growers, of Southern California. 
 To cite a special case, the amount of water applied on over 8000 
 acres of citrus orchards under the Gage Canal near Riverside from 
 1898 to 1904 has averaged 25.6 inches in depth over the surface, 
 the average rainfall for the same period being 7.2 inches, making 
 a total of 32.8 inches each season. 
 
 HOW TO BUILD SMALL RESERVOIRS. 
 
 When the creeks on the Pacific Coast are bank full the soil is 
 usually wet from rain, and later when the soil becomes dry and 
 needs water there is little or none in the creeks. Under favorable 
 conditions it pays to store a part of the flood flow of creeks for 
 later use. It also pays to store the flow from springs which are 
 too small to make an irrigation head. A spring flowing three 
 miner's inches (34 gallons per minute) will, if stored, irrigate an 
 orchard or truck garden of ten acres. 
 
 The reservoir should be as near as possible to the land to be 
 irrigated, and high enough to give a down grade of at least a half 
 inch to the rod". In order to impound the greatest quantity of 
 water at the least cost, a site should be selected where the floor of 
 the valley is as flat and wide as can be found, and which can be 
 
closed by a dam at a narrow point. Some otherwise good sites 
 may be too porous. In some cases they can be lined to reduce 
 seepage. (See page 27.) Suitable material for an embankment 
 must be available near the dam site, and test holes should be dug 
 beneath the proposed dam to assure a suitable foundation. 
 
 All brush, weeds, turf or other material liable to decay must 
 be removed from the dam site. The site should then be plowed 
 deep and left as rough as possible, so as to make a good bond with 
 the material placed in the embankment. In all save the smallest 
 reservoirs a puddle trench should be .dug as an extra precaution 
 against leakage. Such a trench should be made wide enough to 
 admit scraper teams and should extend downward until a safe 
 impervious stratum is reached. It should extend into the hill at 
 either end. Water should be run into this trench, and it should 
 then be backfilled by dumping into the water, as shown in figure i. 
 
 The best material with which to fill a puddle trench is a mixture 
 of clay, sand and gravel. 
 
 Where gophers or other burrowing animals are liable to 
 breach the reservoir, some kind of a core wall is necessary. Such 
 a wall is placed near the center of the embankment, and may be 
 built of asphalt concrete, cement concrete or rubble masonry. 
 
 The outlet for a reservoir should be large enough to give an 
 irrigation head. As a pipe of given size will discharge less water 
 when the reservoir is nearly empty than when full, the size of the 
 outlet is usually figured for an average stage of water. For small 
 farm reservoirs a six or eight inch pipe will usually serve. 
 
 Many farmers use wooden boxes for outlets, which is a mis- 
 take, as they rot away in a few years and renewal is expensive. 
 Steel riveted pipe in lengths of about 20 feet can be had in any 
 size from 3 to 72 inches, and when coated with asphalt will last 
 twenty-five years. Cast iron pipe is the best for such purposes, 
 but is most expensive. Of late reinforced concrete pipe has to 
 some extent taken the place of cast iron for larger reservoir out- 
 
 10 
 
lets. For small reservoirs one of the cheapest and best outlets 
 is made of sewer pipe. It is made in two-foot lengths which are 
 connected with cement mortar joints. The following table gives 
 the relative prices of different kinds of pipe, in San Francisco, in 
 August, 1907. The prices are F. O. B. except on the sewer pipe, 
 which is F. O. B. warehouse. The cast pipe is sold at a ton rate, 
 the quotation here being for standard pipe. The redwood pipe i. 
 made with different styles of banding, for various pressures up to 
 300 feet, the quotation here being for pipe good for 100 feet pres- 
 sure. There is no standard weight for riveted pipe, the cost de- 
 pending on the number of rivets, weight and quality of steel and 
 thickness of metal specified for a given case. The figures given 
 here are for medium weight pipe, suitable for reservoir outlets, 
 and coated with asphalt. The price is very unsettled at present. 
 
 COST OF PIPE PER FOOT. 
 
 Redwood Vitrified Common 
 Size Cast Iron. Banded. Sewer. Black. 
 
 4-inch $0.54 $0.275 $0.12 $0.51 
 
 6-inch 79 -383 .18 -88 
 
 8-inch 1.08 .485 .27 1.66 
 
 10-inch 1.38 .613 .36 2.15 
 
 12-inch 1.84 .743 45 3-35 
 
 u 
 
Figure 2 shows an outlet used by the writer for a small reser- 
 voir on the Montana Experiment Station farm. It consists of a 
 6-inch sewer pipe built into a vertical box at the upper end. The 
 box has a double set of flash-boards to hold the water at any 
 height desired. As the supply in this case comes from a spring 
 the outlet acts also as a wasteway. Earth may be packed between 
 
 -Tot 
 .5/0,0 > 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 lOJf 
 
 =] 
 
 =3 
 
 ys 
 
 <^u 
 
 If'i- 
 
 * 
 
 .c 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 
 ^f/o-sh Soar 
 
 PLAN 
 
 the flash-boards to insure water-tightness. For larger reservoirs 
 a standard waterworks valve in the upper end of the outlet is the 
 best device. 
 
 The width of an earth embankment at its base should be about 
 five times its height. Thus a i6-foot dam to hold 12 feet of water 
 should have a base 80 feet wide. The usual slope is two horizontal 
 to one vertical for both faces. The top width of the above dam 
 should be at least 12 feet. 
 
 12 
 
The best material for an earth dam is a mixture of gravel, 
 sand and silt or clay. The writer once mixed a cubic yard of 
 gravel, half a yard of sand and one-quarter yard of silt, measured 
 dry. When mixed together wet the volume shrunk to one and 
 one-fifth yards, showing that the sand filled the spaces in the 
 gravel, and the silt filled in between the sand grains. As water 
 is required to effect such a compacting of material, dry earth 
 should never be used in a dam. In a distributing reservoir for 
 Ogden, Utah, built by the writer in 1892, a canal (Fig. i) was main- 
 tained in the center of the dam until the flow line was reached. 
 Where this cannot be done the earth should be put on in layers and 
 sprinkled. If no water is available, it is advisable to put off build- 
 ing until rainy weather. As the material is brought to the dam it 
 should be roughly sorted, all cobbles and coarse material being 
 dumped near the outer slope and the finer near the inner side. 
 
 The water slope of an earth dam needs to be protected from 
 wave action. This is sometimes done by means of bunches of 
 willows bound with wire and anchored with rocks. In other 
 cases a wave fence is built by driving boards in vertically and 
 bracing them from the bank. In Colorado a barbed wire fence 
 backed with straw is often used. But these are all makeshifts 
 and soon decay. The best protection is a layer of coarse gravel 
 or broken rock from six to nine inches thick overlaid with a layer 
 of rock as large as one man can handle. These paving stones are 
 laid like shingles, except that they are tipped toward the embank- 
 ment to prevent them from sliding out. 
 
 A channel must be provided to carry the water past the dam 
 when the reservoir is full ; otherwise it will flow over the top and 
 destroy the dam. More earth dams have been damaged in this 
 way than in any other. Where conditions are favorable the best 
 wasteway is formed by grading down a low ridge or gap near 
 the margin of the reservoir and at some distance from the end of 
 the dam. Often, however, a canal has to be cut or a flume built 
 along the hillside and around one end of the dam. This canal or 
 flume is made "V" shaped at the upper end, and on as steep a 
 slope as the material will stand without washing. It must be 
 large enough to carry all the water that is ever likely to flow in 
 the stream during the largest flood. 
 
 In small reservoirs in porous formation, it frequently pays to 
 
 For further information on earth reservoirs see O. E. S. Bull. 179, on Small 
 Reservoirs in Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota, by F. C. Herrmann. Also 
 Earthen Embankments for Storage Reservoirs, by Samuel Fortier, Vol. X, Tran- 
 sactions Canadian Soc. C. E. 
 
 13 
 
haul clay and spread it over the bottom and up the sides. It is 
 then moistened and packed. A layer of gravel spread over the 
 clay and rammed flush is very effective. If the reservoir is to be 
 used only for irrigating, it may be used for a time as a feeding 
 ground for sheep. A layer of clay, when . moistened and mixed 
 with straw, and packed by the feet of sheep, will make a good 
 lining. 
 
 THE COST OF PUMPING WATER FOR IRRIGATION. 
 
 The chief items of expense in pumping water are for fuel, at- 
 tendance, repairs and fixed charges. The latter include interest 
 on investment, depreciation, taxes and insurance, and vary from 12 
 per cent of the original cost of the plant to 20 per cent per annum, 
 depending both on the skill of operation and the grade of ma- 
 chinery installed. As these fixed charges must be met whether 
 the plant is used or not, they form a large part of the total cost 
 of pumping in cases where the plant is operated only for a short 
 time each season. A part of this expense is, however, properly 
 chargeable to crop insurance. A small plant will insure against 
 the total failure in a dry year of valuable crops, and in some cases 
 may save the life of trees and prevent the loss of years of toil. 
 The saving of one crop in a dry year may pay the fixed charges 
 of several normal years many times over. 
 
 In gasoline plants with gasoline at 7^ cents a gallon, the 
 cost for fuel alone is about 5 cents per acre-foot raised one foot. 
 If the water has to be raised 20 feet and two acre-feet are used 
 in irrigation, the fuel cost for the season would be $2 per acre. 
 Repairs and attendance are an additional charge. Such plants 
 consume about one-eighth gallon of gasoline an hour for each 
 indicated horse-power. 
 
 In motor driven plants, with electric current selling for two 
 cents per kilowatt hour, the cost for power alone is about 6 cents 
 per foot acre-foot, or 20 per cent more than for gasoline plants. 
 The comparison is unfair, however, as the cost for attendance and 
 repairs is considerably lower than for gasoline plants. 
 
 In steam driven plants with crude oil at 2 cents a gallon, the 
 cost for fuel alone is about 3 cents per foot acre-foot. This figure 
 cannot be fairly compared with those for gasoline or electric 
 plants, as it is the average cost for a number of large plants cost- 
 ing $5,000 to $50,000, and the unit cost of power in a large plant 
 is less than in a small plant. 
 
 For further particulars as to the cost of pumping in California see Mechanical 
 Tests of Pumping Plants in California, by J. N. Le Conte and C. E. Tait, in O. E. S. 
 Bull. 181. 
 
 14 
 
FIRST COST OF PUMPING PLANTS. 
 
 For boring wells from 50 to 100 feet deep in San Joaquin 
 Valley the current price per foot, including casing, is $1.75 for 
 12-inch, $1.60 for lo-inch and $1.50 for 8-inch wells. 
 
 Centrifugal pumps cost about $55 for 2-inch, $62 for 2^-inch, 
 $75 for 3-inch, $100 for 4-inch, $120 for 5-inch, and $150 for 6-inch 
 sizes. 
 
 Gasoline engines vary considerably in price, but the current 
 average prices (1907) are about as follows: $140 for 2 horse- 
 power, $170 for 3 horse-power, $250 for 4 horse-power, $310 for 
 5 horse-power, $320 for 6 horse-power, $425 for 8 horse-power and 
 $525 for 10 horse-power. 
 
 Electric motors cost $65 for 2 horse-power, $75 for 3 horse- 
 power, $83 for 5 horse-power, $158 for 7^/2 horse-power and $236 
 for 10 horse-power motors. 
 
 HOW TO BUILD FARM DITCHES. 
 
 Laterals should be laid out so as to bring water to the high- 
 est land in the piece to be irrigated, and should follow fence or 
 road lines as far as possible. As even a small ditch occupies a 
 
 FIGURE 3 --SKETCH OF "v" SCRAPER OR CROWDER 
 15 
 
TVPlCflL FORMS 
 
 F~1RM PITCHEIS 
 
 Mo. 2. 
 
 Mo. 3. 
 
 
 Another form of No. -A. 
 
 Mo. -5 
 
 Another form of 
 
 FIGURE 4 
 
 16 
 
strip of land 8 to 16 feet wide, it is evident that on valuable land 
 it will pay to locate laterals with care. Where possible they 
 should be g-iven as heavy grade as the material will stand with- 
 out washing, as smaller laterals will then suffice, and the growth 
 of water plants will be less rapid. It is good practice to make 
 laterals of generous size, so a good head can be handled without 
 danger of breaking over the banks, and so that a moderate growth 
 of weeds will not entirely choke the ditches. 
 
 Several forms for the cross-section of a farm ditch are shown 
 in figure 4. The shallow types shown are preferable to deeper 
 ditches on account of the ease of construction. Ditches numbered 
 i and 2 are made with a 14 and 16 inch lister, and will carry up 
 to 2.4 cubic feet per second, as given in the table below. Number 
 3 is made by enlarging a furrow with a "V" crowder, such as 
 shown in figure 3. Such a ditch requires no hand labor in finish- 
 ing it, but if it is necessary to back the water up on the banks it 
 will leak out and break through unless the loose soil thrown out 
 by the "V" is compacted by dragging. 
 
 Number 4 is about the smallest ditch that can conveniently 
 be made with teams and scrapers. The first form might be made 
 with an elevating grader. The rounded form of section shown in 
 the second form of numbers 4 and 5 results naturally from the use 
 of Fresno scrapers working back and forth across the ditch. 
 
 FIGURE 4 A USING THE "V" CROWDER 
 
The table below shows the capacities of the ditches illustrated, 
 with various slopes. The flow of water is computed for clear 
 channels carefully finished. The presence of weeds or trash may 
 reduce the flow to half or even less. Usually a velocity of about 2 
 feet per second is as high as permissible to avoid scouring. 
 
 Table Giving the Mean Velocity and Discharge of Ditches with Different Grades. 
 
 FARM DITCH NO. 1. 
 
 FARM DITCH NO. 4. 
 
 FARM DITCH NO. 5. 
 
 Grade 
 
 Mean ve- 
 locity in 
 feet per 
 second. 
 
 Discharge 
 
 Inches 
 per rod. 
 
 Feet per 
 100 feet. 
 
 Feet per 
 mile. 
 
 Cubic feet 
 per second. 
 
 Miner's 
 Inches un- 
 der 6-inch 
 pressure 
 head. 
 
 1-2 
 
 3-4 
 1 
 1 1-4 
 1 1-2 
 
 2 1-2 
 3 
 3 1-2 
 
 0.25 
 .38 
 .51 
 .63 
 .76 
 1.01 
 1.26 
 1.51 
 1.77 
 
 13.33 
 20.00 
 26.67 
 33.33 
 40.00 
 53.33 
 66.67 
 80.00 
 93.33 
 
 1.01 
 1.23 
 1.42 
 1.59 
 1.75 
 2.04 
 2.28 
 2.50 
 2.70 
 
 0.67 
 .81 
 .93 
 1.05 
 1.16 
 1.35 
 1.50 
 1.64 
 1.78 
 
 27 
 32 
 37 
 42 
 46 
 54 
 60 
 66 
 71 
 
 FARM DITCH NO. 2. 
 
 1-4 
 1-2 
 3-4 
 1 
 1 1-4 
 1 1-2 
 1 3-4 
 2 
 2 1-2 
 
 0.13 
 .25 
 .38 
 .51 
 .63 
 .76 
 .88 
 1.01 
 1.26 
 
 6.67 
 13.33 
 20.00 
 26.67 
 33.33 
 40.00 
 46.67 
 53.33 
 66.67 
 
 0.82 
 1.16 
 1.42 
 1.64 
 1.84 
 2.02 
 2.18 
 2.34 
 2.61 
 
 0.80 
 1.00 
 1.30 
 1.50 
 1.70 
 1.80 
 2.00 
 2.10 
 2.40 
 
 30 
 42 
 52 
 60 
 67 
 74 
 80 
 86 
 96 
 
 FARM DITCH NO. 3. 
 
 1-8 
 1-4 
 1-2 
 3-4 
 1 
 1 1-4 
 
 0.06 
 .13 
 .25 
 .38 
 .51 
 .63 
 
 8.33 
 6.67 
 13.33 
 20.00 
 26.67 
 33.33 
 
 0.79 
 1.13 
 1.60 
 1.97 
 2.28 
 2.57 
 
 2.08 83 
 3.00 119 
 4.20 168 
 5.20 . 207 
 6.00 239 
 6.80 270 
 
 1-16 
 
 0.03 
 
 1.58 
 
 0.84 
 
 4.20 
 
 168 
 
 1-8 
 
 .06 
 
 3.33 
 
 1.08 
 
 5.40 
 
 216 
 
 1-4 
 
 .13 
 
 6.67 
 
 1.54 
 
 7.70 
 
 308 
 
 3-8 
 
 .19 
 
 10.00 
 
 1.89 
 
 9.50 
 
 378 
 
 1-2 
 
 .25 
 
 13.33 
 
 2.20 
 
 11.00 
 
 440 
 
 5-8 
 
 .31 
 
 16.67 
 
 2.45 
 
 12.20 
 
 490 
 
 3-4 
 
 .38 
 
 20.00 
 
 2.69 
 
 13.40 
 
 538 
 
 1-16 
 
 0.08 
 
 1.67 
 
 1.03 
 
 11.6 
 
 464 
 
 1-8 
 
 .06 
 
 3.33 
 
 1.48 
 
 16.7 
 
 666 
 
 3-16 
 
 .09 
 
 5.00 
 
 1.82 
 
 20.5 
 
 819 
 
 1-4 
 
 .13 
 
 6.67 
 
 2.11 
 
 23.7 
 
 950 
 
 5-16 
 
 .16 
 
 8733 
 
 2.35 
 
 26.4 
 
 1.058 
 
 3-8 
 
 .19 
 
 10.00 
 
 2.58 
 
 28.0 
 
 1,121 
 
 7-16 
 
 .22 
 
 11.67 
 
 2.80 
 
 30.5 
 
 1,260 ' 
 
 18 
 
HOW TO PREPARE LAND FOR IRRIGATION. 
 
 Nothing is more certain in irrigation practice than that 
 thorough preparation of land for irrigation pays. Not only is it 
 easier to irrigate land well prepared, but the crop is larger, and 
 more easily handled, and the fine appearance of such lands makes 
 them far more valuable. 
 
 Sage brush, which on large areas of new land is the only kind 
 of vegetation found, is most easily and cheaply removed by drag- 
 ging with a rail, raking and burning. The cost of clearing by this 
 method is about $2.50 per acre. One advantage of the method is 
 that the rail takes off the high places, and aids materially in the 
 smoothing that is to follow. Sage brush is easily drowned by 
 irrigation, and is then readily raked without railing. 
 
 THE SHUART GRADER, NO. I 
 FIGURE 5 
 
 The grading or smoothing of the surface depends on the 
 method of irrigation to be used. In any case, the obvious humps 
 must be scraped off and the holes filled up to some extent. The 
 Fresno or Stockton scraper is the most commonly used implement 
 for the purpose. These are made in three sizes, for two, three or 
 four horses. The retail price in July, 1907, at Fresno, California, 
 was: For two-horse, 3*/2-foot cut, $20; for three-horse, 4-foot cut, 
 $21, and for the four-horse size, cutting 5 feet, $22.50. 
 
 19 
 
FIGURE 6 AN ADJUSTABLE PLANER 
 
 The Shuart grader shown in figure 5 is also extensively used, 
 especially in the Rocky Mountain States. The price at the factory 
 in Ohio is about $40. 
 
 An adjustable planer is shown in figure 6, and several kinds 
 of home-made graders, levelers and smoothers, as they are vari- 
 ously called, are described in O. E. S. Bull. 145. 
 
 For furrow irrigation head ditches should be put in across the 
 slope from 300 to 600 feet apart. Every furrow should have a 
 continuous though not necessarily uniform fall for its entire 
 length, and the leveling of land must proceed far enough to accom- 
 plish this end. With such crops as sugar beets it is essential to 
 confine the water to the furrows, as flooding kills the young plants. 
 A convenient method for running water into furrows from head 
 laterals is to make small wooden pipe by nailing four pieces of 
 lath together, and setting them into- .the lateral bank, one for each 
 two furrows. Figure 7 shows a home-made device much used in 
 Yakima Valley. 
 
 The favorite layout for alfalfa irrigation is the check system, 
 adapted to flat slopes and large irrigating heads. The most suc- 
 cessful size for checks is about three-quarters of an acre each. 
 Except where an entire district is known to have a definite slope, 
 it is necessary to run levels over the field and locate the check 
 levees accordingly. Where the land is rather rough or irregularly 
 sloping, levees should be built along the natural contours, making 
 the shape of the checks irregular. The distance between levees 
 going down the slope is governed by the fall, and should be such 
 that each check is 3 to 6 inches lower than the one above it. 
 
 21 
 
MAKING CHECK-LEVEE WIT 
 
 The floor of each check should be level, the earth for the 
 levees being all borrowed from the high side of the check. Water 
 should be supplied to each check directly from a ditch, and not 
 be run from one check into another, as the latter practice makes 
 the even distribution of water impossible. Levees should be very 
 broad, so the machinery can be run over them with ease, and in 
 
 FLOODING A CHECK. NEW ALFALFA IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA 
 
most soils the alfalfa will completely cover them. That being the 
 case there is no objection to making them 12 or 14 feet broad at 
 the base. The Fresno or Stockton scraper is the implement most 
 in favor for preparing checks. 
 
 In many cases it is cheaper to make use of the natural slope, 
 irrigating down the slope in long lands. To insure even distribu- 
 tion the lands must be level across, and borders are required at the 
 sides to confine the water. The principal disadvantage in the 
 method is the flooding of the lower end of the field with waste 
 
 -3' 
 
 FIGURE 7 
 
 water from the upper end. To avoid this there should always be 
 a waste ditch at the lower end, and a gate into it through the 
 lower levee. It is common practice to make the lands 50 to 100 
 'feet wide, and 40 to So rods long. The smaller lands are cheaper 
 
 23 
 
to grade and easier to irrigate. The large head required for 
 border irrigation makes large laterals necessary. 
 
 In some parts of California orchards are irrigated by running 
 ridges between the rows, making a square check for each tree. 
 These basins are filled from a system of laterals as in ordinary 
 check irrigation, or else the water is run into the upper basin of 
 a row, and allowed to pass down the slope from one basin to the 
 next in a zig-zag direction through openings in the levees left for 
 that purpose. 
 
 SOME HINTS ON IRRIGATING DIFFERENT CROPS. 
 
 Alfalfa is irrigated by means of borders and checks in Cali- 
 fornia, checks in Oregon, and furrows in Washington. Even in 
 such diverse methods there are features common to all. Young 
 alfalfa is a very tender plant, and its early treatment must be such 
 as to avoid caking the surface soil, too little or too much soil 
 moisture,, and too rank a growth of weeds. Irrigating very young 
 alfalfa is ruinous in most soils. It must be seeded when rains or 
 irrigation have supplied enough moisture to the soil to support 
 the plant till it shades the ground. In Washington and Oregon 
 a nurse crop is often used to advantage. 
 
 The best rule is to irrigate alfalfa in such a way as to allow 
 no breaks in its steady growth. In some places this is best ac- 
 complished by irrigating as late as possible before cutting, and not 
 after cutting. Where the weather is very hot newly cut alfalfa 
 may be scalded if flooded, and some soils will bake very hard if 
 watered when the soil is so little shaded. In other places it is the 
 universal practice to irrigate after cutting. 
 
 The important point in irrigating beets is to have the land 
 laid out with enough care so that no water will leave the furrows. 
 Caking of the surface chokes the beet even after it is half grown, 
 and will kill young plants. Caking may be largely prevented by 
 using a small stream in a deep furrow. The usual practice is to 
 turn 5 to 10 miner's inches into each shallow furrow, and to as- 
 sume the irrigation complete after one or two hours if the stream 
 has reached the lower end. A better plan, in suitable soil, is to 
 turn in less than one miner's inch, and permit it to run 12 to 24 
 hours. Deep cultivation between the rows is to be recommended, 
 both in order to soak the water deeper into the ground and to give 
 the beet room to expand laterally. In some porous soils it is an 
 aid to irrigation to drag a log through the furrows before applying 
 
 24 
 
water, to compact the sides and bottom. Longer furrows can then 
 be used. 
 
 The same general rules apply to the irrigation of potatoes and 
 other root crops. The best potatoes are raised from seed grown 
 on unirrigated land. Ideal moisture conditions are attained when 
 the moisture around the roots of the potato is gradually increased 
 until the plant blooms and the tubers are formed, and is then as 
 gradually diminished until the crop is harvested. This ideal may 
 be approached by skillful irrigation and thorough cultivation. 
 
 In irrigating vineyards as little water should be used as will 
 produce normal healthy growth. Water should only be applied 
 when persistent cultivation fails to conserve sufficient moisture in 
 the soil. Irrigation is usually required for young vines in their 
 first year of growth, and in later years when the mature vines 
 yield heavy crops, spring irrigations are beneficial. The furrow 
 method is recommended. 
 
 Orchards* should not be. set in any but deep and fertile soils, 
 and in making suggestions as to orchard irrigation, such soil is 
 assumed. The object of the orchardist should be to train the roots 
 outward and downward, and this can be done by proper irriga- 
 tion. In all warm localities the upper six inches or more of the 
 soil should be kept as a dust mulch. Roots that are lured into 
 this layer by the winter rains will later perish by drought. Hence 
 the only proper way to irrigate is to apply the water in deep fur- 
 rows with a considerable interval between irrigations, and to cul- 
 tivate deep and often. Figure 9 shows the substantial sort of 
 head flumes used in Southern California. 
 
 WAYS AND MEANS OF CHECKING THE WASTE OF 
 
 WATER. 
 
 Some horses should not have free access to the grain bin, and 
 some farmers should not be permitted to take all the water they 
 want from a canal. The most effective way to reduce the waste 
 of water is to measure each man's share, and have each man pay 
 only for what he receives. 
 
 Another loss that is often considerable is due to seepage in 
 the feed ditch from the main canal to the individual field. Under 
 the head of "canal linings" some hints are given as to the best 
 method of lessening this loss. 
 
 *For further information see Farmers' Bulletin No. 263, by Samuel Fortier, on 
 Practical Information for Beginners in Irrigation. Also O. E. S. Bull. 145, issued in 
 co-operation with the State of California. 
 
 25 
 
Other losses of water are due to the farmers' inability prop- 
 erly to prepare the surface, or to his carelessness in using water. 
 Such waste usually entails damage to the soil and decreased 
 yields. 
 
 Again the majority of irrigators permit the greater part of 
 the water they apply to crops to pass off into the atmosphere 
 without any benefit to the crop, owing to their failure to cultivate. 
 Frequent light irrigations applied to the surface without being 
 followed by the cultivator, whenever it is practicable to cultivate, 
 are of little value. In the more valuable crops of the Pacific 
 Coast, such as oranges, grapes, and vegetables, a great saving 
 of water may be effected by running small streams in deep fur- 
 rows until the second and third foot of soil are thoroughly mois- 
 tened, and then to cultivate the surface to a depth of about six 
 inches. Experiments by the writer show that well pulverized dry 
 soil if sufficiently thick is a complete protection to the moisture 
 beneath. The diagram in figure 8 shows the effect of mulches of 
 different thicknesses on evaporation from an orchard soil.* 
 
 *See Evaporation Losses in Irrigation, and Water Requirement of Crops, by 
 Samuel Fortier, O. E. S. Bull. 177. 
 
 FIGURE 8 SHOWING THE DECREASE IN EVAPORATION DUE TO SOIL MULCHES OF 
 DIFFERENT THICKNESSES 
 
CANAL LININGS. 
 
 A large number of measurements made by the Irrigation and 
 Drainage branch of the United States Office of Experiment Sta- 
 tions show that about one third of the total amount of water 
 diverted for irrigation purposes is lost by seepage from earthen 
 channels. This loss may be largely prevented by linings of 
 various kinds. 
 
 Cement concrete from 2 to 3 inches thick made of one part 
 cement, two sand and four gravel is the most durable and 
 efficient lining, but also the most expensive. Before applying the 
 concrete, water is run in the ditch for a time to settle the banks. 
 The channel is then carefully trimmed to an even section, and the 
 concrete is applied and finished to conform to a wooden template. 
 It is mixed of such a consistency that it can be applied Irke plaster. 
 
 On some canals in Southern California cement mortar from 
 one-half to one inch thick, composed of one part cement to four 
 of sand and fine gravel has been used. 
 
 A heavy grade of crude oil containing a high percentage of 
 asphalt promises to be extensively used in canal linings. It is 
 not so water-tight as either concrete or mortar, but it is less ex- 
 pensive, and it also prevents the growth of weeds and tends to 
 prevent damage from gophers. 
 
 Clay puddle, particularly where the. clay contains a good deal 
 of alkali makes a fairly good lining. The cost depends chiefly on 
 the length of haul for clay. Where it is found along the ditch it 
 sometimes needs only to be puddled by the feet of animals. 
 Where it has to be hauled the cost will often run to $i a cubic 
 yard. 
 
 The following table* gives the relative efficiencies and cost of 
 the .four linings just described.The price of cement is taken at 
 $2.75 per barrel, and of crude oil at 85 cents per barrel of 42 
 gallons : 
 
 Per cent Total cost 
 
 Kind of Lining leakage saved. per square ft. 
 
 Cement concrete 3 inches thick 90 8 cents 
 
 Cement mortar ^ inches thick 70 3^ cents 
 
 Heavy oil, 3 2-3 gal. per square yard. 50 I 1-5 cents 
 
 Heavy oil, 2^/2 gal. per square yard. 30 ^ cents 
 
 Clay puddle, 4 inches thick 50 % to I 1-5 cts 
 
 *See Bull. 188, Cal. Exp. S'ta., Linings for Ditches and Reservoirs, by Professors 
 Mead and Etcheverry. 
 
 27 
 
FIGURED 
 
 CEMKNT AND CONCRETE HEAD-FLUMES USED IN 
 ORCHARD IRRIGATION. 
 
HOW TO DRAIN THE WET PORTIONS OF AN IRRI- 
 GATED FARM. 
 
 Drainage may not be required where water is skillfully and 
 economically used, as there is then much less water to remove 
 from irrigated land. In many cases, however, it is impossible to 
 prevent the accumulation of water in low places. The condition 
 of such low places should be carefully watched during the early 
 stages of irrigation in any locality, and preventive measures 
 adopted at the proper time. The first remedy to apply is to exer- 
 cise care in the use of water. If this will not suffice, all natural 
 ravines and draws should be cleaned out, and a ditch dug to carry 
 off the surplus. Whenever irrigation ditches cross low places by 
 means of levees, pipes should be laid underneath to carry away 
 any water that would otherwise collect on the upper side. Their 
 omission is one of the commonest errors. 
 
 Where there are no natural ravines, drain ditches must be 
 dug of the requisite depth. Unless they are cleaned out at reg- 
 ular intervals they will be choked with weeds and earth sliding 
 in from the banks. For this reason open drains are often a 
 nuisance, and it is better practice to lay drain tile. 
 
 The cost of drain tile in San Francisco (August, 1907) in car 
 lots was as follows : 
 
 Feet in car of 
 Size Inside. Weight per Foot. Price per Foot. 30,000 Ibs. 
 
 Four inches 5^ pounds 4 cents 5,460 feet 
 
 Five inches 8 pounds 6 cents 3,75o feet 
 
 Six inches 10 pounds 9 cents 3,000 feet 
 
 Eight inches 18 pounds 15 cents 1,670 feet 
 
 Ten inches 20 pounds 25 cents 1,43 feet 
 
 These prices are high, even for the Pacific Coast. On account 
 of the cost of tile, it is well to lay them in deep trenches. On irri- 
 gated lands tile should be laid from 4^ to 5 feet deep. Deep-laid 
 tile not only serve a larger area, but the roots of trees and vines 
 are less liable to clog them. 
 
 The belief is common that the rise of ground water is due to 
 seepage from irrigation channels. But the chief cause, as shown 
 by recent experiments by the writer is the irrigation of lands at 
 higher levels. With this in mind, it is often possible to intercept 
 this seepage by a ditch or tile drain. 
 
 Where land is valuable, and where there are no natural out- 
 lets for drains, it will prove a good investment to drain into a 
 
 29 
 
sump, and pump the water out into surface canals. The sump 
 should be at least 7 feet deep, and located on the lowest part of 
 the tract. The most convenient power to use -is an electric 
 motor. The cost of running a 3 horse-power motor driving a 
 No. 3 centrifugal pump for six months, running continuously, will 
 be about $175, including current and operating expenses. This 
 would drain from 40 to 80 acres of land with lines of tile ex- 
 tended out from the sump to collect the water. 
 
 UNITS OF MEASUREMENT OF WATER. 
 
 The quantity of water used for irrigating an ordinary farm 
 is so large that it is convenient to have a large unit of measure- 
 ment. The acre-foot is such a unit, and is the amount of water 
 that will cover one acre to a depth of one foot. It is convenient 
 to use, as one can see at a glance that one acre-foot of water will 
 irrigate two acres six inches deep, three acres four inches deep, 
 etc. In old well developed irrigated sections water is commonly 
 sold by the acre-foot. 
 
 But water can very seldom be measured directly in acre-feet, 
 and hence some unit for the rate of flow must be used. The cubic 
 foot per second is a particularly good unit, since one cubic foot 
 per second will deliver very closely two acre-feet a day (24 hours). 
 It is also the unit used in all stream measurements. 
 
 For pumping, the gallon per minute is used, 450 gallons per 
 minute being equal to one cubic foot per second. 
 
 The miner's inch is an indefinite unit, depending on the head 
 of water above the orifice. For correct measurement the head 
 should be taken to the center of the orifice in every case. The 
 miner's inch under four-inch pressure is about 1-50 cubic foot pei 
 second, and is so fixed by statute in Washington. Under six-inch 
 pressure the inch is 1-40 cubic foot per second, nearly. 
 
The equivalents of the various units are given below for ref- 
 erence : 
 
 i acre foot=43,56o cubic feet. 
 
 i acre foot=325,85o gallons. 
 
 I cubic foot per second 450 gallons per minute. 
 
 i cubic foot per second=i acre-foot in 12 hours. 
 
 i cubic foot per second=2 acre-feet per day. 
 
 i cubic foot per second= : 4O miner's ins. under 6-in. pressure. 
 
 i cubic foot per second=i acre-inch per hour. 
 
 i miner's inch under 4-inch pressure^i acre-foot in 25 days. 
 
 i miner's inch under 6-inch pressure^! acre-foot in 20 days. 
 
 i horse-power=55o pounds raised i foot per second. 
 
 i kilowatt=i 1-3 horse-power. 
 
 LIST OF BULLETINS 
 
 Bulletin No. i. The Butte County Canal, Sacramento Valley, California 
 
 Bulletin No. 2. The San Luis Valley, Colorado. 
 
 Bulletin No 3. The Modesto and Turlock Irrigation Districts, San 
 
 Joaquin Valley, California. 
 Bulletin No. 4. Guide to Irrigation Practice on the Pacific Coast. 
 
 For copies of these bulletins, apply to L. G. Sinnard, Secretary 
 Publicity Committee, Room 946 Flood Building, San Francisco, 
 California, or to members of the Committee. 
 
 In quantities of 1000 or more copies, Bulletin No. 4 will be fur- 
 nished at actual cost of publication, to Irrigation Districts and to 
 canal and land companies, for distribution among irrigators. 
 
 BOLTE & BRADEN CO., PRINTERS, SAN FRANCISCO