63 \ flcaU ' 4 3 l ENGINEERIN' 1 SC0£v2t Engineering "Library Utfft&StY [Separate 690, from United States Department of Agriculture Yearbook, 1916.] AGRICULTURE ON GOVERNMENT RECLAMATION PROJECTS. By C. S. Scofield, Agriculturist in Charge, Western Irrigation Agri- culture, and F. D. Farrell, Agriculturist in Charge, Demonstrations on Reclamation Projects, Bureau of Plant Industry. FARMING UNDER IRRIGATION. T HE development of agriculture under irrigation involves conditions that are essentially different from those of ordinary farming. In general, the labor cost of crop pro- duction is somewhat greater, the necessary investment of capital is larger, and the requirements of social organization are more complex. These conditions require that irrigation farming shall yield larger returns than ordinary farming if it is to be successful. Of the three conditions mentioned o the essential complexity of the social organization is the o least understood by those who have to take part in it. The development of an irrigation enterprise necessitates a : " period of pioneer existence. This period, unlike most of the pioneering with which many people are familiar, involves community problems w T hich must be dealt with from the very beginning. On Government reclamation projects these problems are more conspicuous than elsewhere, chiefly 4 & because the colonists who occupy them have come together ^ 4, suddenly from widely different conditions of life and usually r «d without previous experience to guide them. The underlying purpose that has influenced legislative ^ and administrative policies regarding Government reclama- ^ tion has been to establish homes on the land rather than to provide the most efficient means for increased agricultural production. But successful home making is dependent upon a reasonable degree of material prosperity. Thus, the economic problems and possibilities of irrigation farming must be understood and realized if this great experiment in the reclamation of arid lands is to be made a success. 67466—17 1 P 49*275 2 Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture . COURSE OF DEVELOPMENT. Prior to the recent rapid expansion of irrigation develop- ment it was generally believed that the reclaimed lands could be utilized profitably for the production of such special crops as orchard fruits, truck crops, sugar beets, and alfalfa. Recent experience, however, has demonstrated that these crops can not be depended upon to meet the requirements of the situation. New projects do not show immediately the assortment or balance of industries that ultimately are to become established. There is instead a rather regular se- quence of development, beginning with the production of alfalfa and small grains and gradually reaching a great diversity of crops and industries. Finally, out of this diver- sity a few major industries become permanent. Almost invariably it is desirable to get the land seeded to alfalfa as soon as possible, not only because of the useful- ness of the crop itself but also because its growth greatly increases the productivity of the soil. It is a common prac- tice to seed wheat, oats, or barley as a nurse crop for the alfalfa. Moreover, many farmers plant small grains as a first-year crop because of the quick returns and as a method of preparing the new soils for the production of perennial crops. Hence, on the newly irrigated lands, alfalfa and small grains occupy a large proportion of the cultivated acreage. As the soils begin to respond to cultivation, sugar beets, potatoes, truck crops, orchard fruits, and, on the southwestern projects, cotton are added to the cropping system. Thus the agriculture of these projects is gradually chang- ing and developing toward a diversity which ultimately will include a number of different crops, with the chief emphasis placed on those which under local climatic and economic conditions prove to be most profitable. The rate and direc- tion of this development vary, of course, on the different projects. If account is taken of the 24 Government reclama- tion projects now in operation, including at present about 19,000 farms with about 800,000 acres in production, the areas devoted to the more important crops are approximately as follows, in terms of the total irrigated acreage: Forage (chiefly alfalfa), 50 per cent; cereals (chiefly wheat, oats, A griculture on Government Reclamation Projects. 3 barley, and corn), 25 per cent; fruit crops, 7 per cent; pota- toes, 3 per cent; seeds (chiefly clover and alfalfa), sugar beets, and cotton, each 2 per cent ; and truck crops, 1 per cent. PROBLEMS OF CROP DISPOSAL. The problems encountered in the production of crops are much less difficult than the problems of profitable disposal and utilization. The reclamation projects are all located in the sparsely settled Western States, far removed from the great consuming centers. Because of this fact the supply of crop products in these areas exceeds the local demand, and the problems of distant marketing must be worked out. Transportation costs from the reclamation projects to the great marketing centers are high. Furthermore, as the un- derlying purpose of Government reclamation is to provide homes for as many families as possible, the farm units on the reclamation projects are small. This results in a rela- tively small output per farm, and this in turn necessitates cooperation in marketing and in some of the enterprises of production. Groups of farmers must work together to at- tain those objects which the individual farmer is powerless to accomplish. This does not mean that cooperation should be regarded as a panacea, but rather that the solution of certain specific problems of production and of marketing requires coopera- tion. In view of the fact that our farmers are still rela- tively inexperienced in matters of cooperation, there is need for a clear understanding of the purposes to be accomplished and for special attention to the methods of procedure. To secure the necessary efficiency in meeting these prob- lems of crop disposal requires that settlers on the reclama- tion projects endeavor as early as possible to develop definite agricultural industries for which the local conditions are favorable. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss briefly a number of the agricultural industries that have been or may become important on reclamation projects. This discus- sion may serve to show something of the present status of agriculture on these projects and to indicate what now ap- pears to be the direction of progress. 4 Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture. THE SUGAR-BEET INDUSTRY. The production of sugar beets has been one of the impor- tant industries on these irrigated lands. Where the climatic and soil conditions are favorable the crop has been fairly profitable, and while the returns are seldom very large they are reasonably certain. There is no serious marketing prob- lem in this industry, because the beets are grown under con- tract at a price stipulated in advance of planting. The seed, and, if the farmer so desires, the necessary hand labor, are provided by the manufacturing company which purchases the beets. This company also provides field men to visit the farmer from time to time and advise with him as to the best cultural methods to use in producing the crop. These factors have been influential in maintaining and extending the irrigated area devoted to beets, in spite of the fact that the possible profit from beets appears to be less than from many other crops. There are some undesirable features in the sugar-beet in- dustry. The production of the crop requires much hand labor during two brief periods of the season — one in early summer, when the beets must be thinned and weeded, and one in the autumn, when the crop is harvested. In some places where the population is dense this labor may be locally available, but ordinarily it is necessary to import labor, and the people usually brought in and the circum- stances under which they live are such that they constitute an undesirable social element. There is also a tendency in ‘the sugar-beet industry toward the rental of land for beet production and toward continued cropping on the same land without a suitable crop rotation. Such intensive spe- cialization does not make for the best development of an agricultural community. The production of sugar beets is possible only within reasonable distance of a sugar factory. These factories are large and expensive, so that unless a large acreage is available for beet production it is not feasi- ble to construct a plant. In respect to certain social and economic factors, the sugar- beet industry illustrates the essential points which need to be considered in the effective utilization of irrigated land. It is first of all a continuing or permanent industry. It is A griculture on Government Reclamation Projects. 5 reasonably certain to yield a fair return on the labor and capital invested in production. The crop fits well into a rotation with alfalfa and the other common field crops. The advisory assistance of the field men employed by the sugar company is helpful, particularly to the inexperienced farmer. With an assured market for the crop, the farmer has every incentive to devote his bests efforts to increasing the efficiency of production, and the profits increase rapidly as the yields exceed the minimum which covers the cost of production. In some of the points already enumerated the sugar-beet industry is essentially different from any other industry followed on irrigated land. While some of these practices are possible only with beet growing, others might be adapted, at least in part, to other industries with resulting advantage. While none of the sugar factories in this country is coopera- tive in the ordinary sense of that term, yet in another sense the cooperation between the manufacturer and the producer is very close and helpful. The widely prevalent custom of paying for the beets on a definitely adjusted scale of prices, so that the beets which are richer in sugar bring higher prices, is a stimulus to good farming, and the certainty of market and price, by eliminating one element of risk, also en- courages the farmer to put forth his best efforts to secure high production. POTATO PRODU CTION. On several of the reclamation projects the soil and cli- matic conditions are favorable for the production of large crops of potatoes. A rotation in which this crop follows alfalfa not only makes for large yields of potatoes, but also leaves the land in good tilth for other crops. Yet potato production as an industry has not been important on many of the newer irrigated projects. This is due chiefly to the uncertainty of marketing. Were it possible to have for potatoes a market that is as definite and secure as that for sugar beets, the extent of the industry might now be much larger, even though the prices were to range below what is often received or ordinarily expected. Where potato production is not well organized it has been the common experience that in only one year in three, or at 6 Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture. best one year in two, is the price such as to return a profit to the grower. Sometimes there is no market or the prices offered are so low that the crop is used for feed or allowed to rot on the farm. There are several obvious possibilities in the direction of improving the marketing situation, particularly on the northern projects. These possibilities may be achieved more easily through community cooperation than by individual action. There are two important demands for potatoes. The larger, of course, is for food, but there is also an ex- tensive market for seed for planting. In order to reach either of these markets effectively it is of first importance that a community go into the industry seriously, with the purpose of continuing in it through years of poor prices as well as through years of good prices. When a certain region becomes known to the trade as a reliable source for potatoes it soon comes to enjoy an advantage that is a great asset. Buyers become accustomed to handling the crop and will take it all up before going into new T er regions to supply their needs. The importance of community action in establishing the potato industry can not be too strongly emphasized. Without it the individual farmer on a reclamation project can scarcely hope to find a profitable market. The first step to be taken by a community is to limit the number of varieties of potatoes that are to be grown and to continue the production of the same varieties from year to year. It is better to have only one variety, or at most two varieties, in a community, because it is then possible to de- velop a discriminatory market, to establish a reputation, and to ship in large lots of uniform character. Community action in potato production also affords an opportunity for the farmers to protect themselves against the introduction of certain dangerous diseases that are carried with the seed. It also makes possible the development of a system of cer- tification of the product as being true to variety and free from disease and thereby secures important market advan- tages. SEED PRODUCTION. The production of seed, particularly of forage crops, has been developed on several reclamation projects and may come to have a place among the important industries on Agriculture on Government Reclamation Projects. 7 these projects. As the present time alfalfa seed is prob- ably the most important of these crops. This country has not in recent years produced all the alfalfa seed needed, and large importations have been necessary. Speaking generally, the imported seed is less satisfactory than domestic seed, and since the outbreak of the European war these importations have been seriously interrupted. Notwithstanding these, facts, which contribute to the ruling high prices of alfalfa seed, and the relative stability of the market for that com- modity, serious difficulties are likely to be encountered in selling the crop. Similar difficulties are encountered in mar- keting the seeds of other plants. Seed crops are more sus- ceptible to environmental conditions than most other crops. As a result, there are large variations from year to year in the available supplies and, consequently, in market prices. While these seeds are not so quickly perishable as are pota- toes, the market demand and the prices fluctuate as widely. In view of these conditions the production of forage-crop seed should not be undertaken in a haphazard manner. A satisfactory industry can be developed only by intelligent and persistent attention to the business. While community action may not be quite as essential in the seed industry as in potato production, it is, nevertheless, highly advantageous. By such action it is easier to develop re- liable outlets for the seed and to establish a reputation which soon becomes an asset of 'material value. Seed-producing associations of farmers are useful not only as effective selling agencies, but they may provide for field inspection so as to insure the purity of the variety, and they may in- spect, class, and certify the quality of the seed. These func- tions are of the utmost importance in meeting trade require- ments and result in larger profits to the grower than can be expected where individuals act separately. Because of the periodical fluctuation of yield and of market prices, the seed industry is uncertain and likely to be disappointing unless it is firmly established and continued from year to year. For the same reason it is inadvisable to devote a large proportion of the farm to the production of seed crops. The methods of production are often compli- cated and can be mastered only by constant attention to the business. The farmer who can irrigate his crops has a 8 Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture. marked advantage in seed production over the farmer who can not, because of the critical water requirements of the seed crop. This feature, together with the relatively favor- able climatic conditions that obtain in irrigated districts, gives advantages which should be made use of by irrigation farmers; but, on the other hand, these advantages do not justify exclusive specialization in the seed industry. COTTON PRODUCTION. The production of cotton is possible on only a few of the southwestern reclamation projects, and on these it has be- come important only recently. Interest in the possibility of utilizing these irrigated lands for cotton production has been stimulated by the decreased production in parts of the cotton belt, following the invasion of the boll weevil. While much of the cotton so far produced on the irrigated lands has been of the ordinary short-staple varieties, it has become increasingly apparent that these must in time give place to varieties that yield the more valuable long staple, either of the American Upland or of the Egyptian type. It is economically unsound to devote high-priced irrigated land, having a long growing season, to the production of the cheaper types of cotton instead of the high-priced long- staple types, which have been found to yield equally well and for which there is a strong demand. The production of cotton by irrigation enjoys certain im- portant advantages which should be understood clearly and utilized more fully. Irrigation projects on which cotton production is possible are nearly all isolated from other cotton-producing regions. This isolation affords an oppor- tunity to prevent the encroachment or invasion of certain insect pests, such as the boll weevil, and also, because of the definite limits of the community, it is easier to establish and maintain an industry based upon a single variety or type of cotton. The advantage to a community of isolation as an aid in preventing the invasion of noxious insects or plant diseases is so obvious as not to require discussion; but it may not be so generally appreciated that such isolation also favors the restriction of cotton production in a community to a single variety, or at least to a single type, and that such restriction is greatly to be desired. A griculture on Government Reclamation Projects. 9 Where only one kind of cotton is grown in a community it becomes possible to achieve results in production and in marketing that are quite out of the question where several different varieties or types are grown. This is more par- ticularly true with long-staple cotton, where full market values can be secured only by maintaining the uniformity of the product from year to year. In order to maintain the uniformity of the product, it is necessary' to make provision for a continuing supply of seed for planting which will re- produce the desired type of fiber and be free from the con- tamination which results from the accidental mixture of seed at the gin or cross-pollination between adjacent fields. Where several different kinds of cotton are grown in a com- munity such contamination is very difficult to avoid. Fur- thermore, the conditions of cotton marketing are such that buyers and manufacturers are influenced in favor of localities from which they have learned to expect certain kinds of cotton to be produced regularly. On the other hand, they are likely to be apprehensive if they are offered several different kinds of cotton from the same region, for experience has shown that under such conditions intermixture and de- terioration of the better sorts are inevitable, and that, too, without any compensatory improvement in the quality or uniformity of the poorer sorts. In view of these facts it should be the aim of isolated cotton-growing communities to adopt some one variety of cotton to the exclusion of all others and then to take such steps as may be necessary to maintain the purity of all the seed used for planting. With a constant supply of pure planting seed it becomes a very simple matter to establish market grades or types of cotton that can be reproduced from year to year and find prompt sale at a premium over the mixed lots of the bulk of the cotton crop. The cotton crop is one that responds to favorable condi- tions of growth with increased production, and it is possible on rich irrigated lands to produce crops large enough and valuable enough to find a place with other industries. Fur- thermore, cotton fits in well with a number of other irrigated crops. Cotton, following alfalfa, responds to the stimulus afforded by the preceding crop, and the early intertillage followed by the shading of the mature growth aids in the 67466—17 2 10 Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture. eradication of weeds. The soil is thus left clean and in good condition for other crops. The cotton seed is also a com- modity of value and the by-products of its manufacture are important as a feed for live stock. FRUIT PRODUCTION. The production of orchard fruits has been one of the most conspicuous features of irrigation farming in this country. Some of the oldest and many of the best known irrigated sections owe their fame and prosperity to one or another of the fruit industries. In many of these sections the natural conditions are so favorable to the growth of the fruit that these industries may be expected to continue and even to be materially extended. But not all of the irrigated lands of the West are suited to fruit production, and there have been serious disappoint- ments in some new regions which have been exploited on the basis of orchard fruits. The causes for these disappoint- ments have been too many and too complicated to be dis- cussed here in detail. In general, they have been the high capitalization of the land and the difficulties of marketing. There have also been some production problems, but these have been less important. All these difficulties, combined with the widespread tendency of the farmers to rely on fruit production exclusively, have caused serious economic depres- sions in several of the more important fruit-growing sections. Almost from the first the problems of fruit transportation and marketing have been acute. These problems have been dealt with largely through cooperation on the part of the growers, and sometimes with marked efficiencv. Some of the most conspicuous instances of agricultural cooperation are to be found in this field. In fact, it is possible that much of the spirit of cooperation among irrigation farmers is due to the example of success in this direction achieved by fruit growers. This cooperation has brought into use high standards of fruit packing and has stimulated improved methods of production. There is to be observed at present on irrigated lands a reaction from fruit production toward other industries. This readjustment is probably to be regarded merely as a phase of normal development. It is to be expected that fruit Agriculture on Government Reclamation Projects. 1 1 production will continue to be one of the important features of irrigation farming, though in many sections it will proba- bly remain subsidiary to other industries. PORK PRODUCTION. One of the first crops of which there is a local oversupply on the reclamation projects is alfalfa. The acreage devoted to this crop, particularly during the early stages of the de- velopment of a project, is frequently greater than that devoted to all other crops combined and the yield is abun- dant. The cereal crops are also very important in the first years of irrigation farming. Under ordinary conditions neither alfalfa hay nor grain will bear the cost of transporta- tion to the market centers. It therefore becomes necessary to convert these crops into some form of live-stock products which because of relatively high value per unit of weight will stand the transportation charges from the projects to places of manufacture or consumption. The hog is one of the most efficient of farm animals in converting alfalfa and grain into a readily marketable prod- uct. The returns secured by pasturing hogs on irrigated alfalfa, supplemented with a light ration of grain, are fre- quently three to five times as great as could be obtained by selling the alfalfa as hay. If efficiently managed, hogs can be made to pay from 25 to 50 per cent more for grain than can be secured by the direct marketing of that crop. Fur- thermore, the amount of capital required to make a start in the swine industry is relatively small and the returns come quickly. The swine population of an irrigated farm can be made to increase from 500 to 1,000 per cent a year, and the animals are marketable before they are a year old. For these reasons the production of pork is one of the most promising industries for an irrigated farm. Much of the best progress made on several of the Government projects in recent years is directly attributable to the development of swine produc- tion. The abundance of cheap feeds, the favorable climatic conditions, and the advantages of isolation in the prevention and control of diseases all tend to reduce the cost of pro- ducing pork on these projects. The successful establishment of the swine industry in- volves a number of factors to which careful attention must UNIVERSITY Of ILLINOIS LIBRAAt 12 Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture. be given. These include matters of production and of marketing, and some of them are inseparably connected. Efficient production requires breeding for both quality and quantity, an intelligent understanding of the best methods of feeding, adequate housing facilities, and the control of diseases and pests affecting swine. Profitable marketing requires high quality, uniformity, an understanding of market requirements as to size and finish of the animals and as to time of delivery, and adequate arrangements for shipping and selling. In securing the necessary efficiency in these matters the individual farmer working alone is all but helpless. Some form of community action is imperative. There is a great advantage in having only one breed in a community, as this facilitates improvements in breeding and marketing. Through an association the swine growers can be mutually helpful in working out problems of feeding and housing, as the interchange of ideas and experiences tends to eliminate mistakes and to popularize the best methods. Much can be done through community arrange- ments with respect to the utilization of the grain which is now shipped out in the fall by the farmers on or near the projects, while in the following spring the same kind of grain is shipped in, to be bought by swine growers at higher prices. This practice is obviously wasteful, and its elimina- tion could be effected easily hy concerted action. The control of contagious diseases, particularly hog cholera, is impossible without community action. This fact is perhaps more conspicuous on the irrigated lands than elsewhere, because the germs of the disease may be carried in irrigation water and thus spread throughout the entire community; but, on the other hand, the isolation of the communities makes it comparatively easy to enforce the quarantine and sanitary regulations necessary to prevent or control the disease. In other words, the conditions on the projects while especially requiring community action also promote its effectiveness. The experience of the past two years in the control of hog cholera on certain of the reclamation projects has demonstrated fully that through community cooperation disease control is a purchasable service. The size requirements of the swine industry on these proj- ects should be understood clearly. Difficulty is commonly Yearbook U. S. Dept, or Agriculture. 1916. Plate I Complex Social Relations. Yearbook U.. S; De_pf. of Agriculture, 1916. Plate II Fig. I.— Irrigating Sugar Beets. Beet production is one of the most dependable industries for irrigated lands and is unique in that it has no marketing problems. (Photograph from the United States Reclama- tion Service.) Fig. 2.— An Example of Intensive Specialization in Fruit Farming Under Irrigation. A greater diversification of industries would be safer, though perhaps less spectacular. (Photograph from the United States Reclamation Service.) Yearbook U. S. Dept, of Agriculture, 1916. Plate III. Fig. I.— In the First Years of Irrigation Farming an Excess of Alfalfa Hay Is Often Produced. This crop may be made more profitable if fed to live stock than if sold off the farm. Fig. 2.— A Small Flock of Sheep can be Kept Cheaply and be Extremely Useful on an Irrigated Farm. The sheep can utilize the aftermath on grain and hay fields and keep down the weeds along fence rows and ditch banks. (Photograph from the United States Reclamation Service.) Fig. 3.— The Feeding of Steers from the Surrounding Ranges is one of the Ways of Utilizing the Alfalfa Crop to Advantage. The West must continue to produce increased quantities of meat, and irrigation farming should stimulate rather than hinder progress in this direction. (Photograph from the United States Reclamation Service.) A griculture on Government Reclamation Projects. 1 3 encountered in the early stages of the industry’s development in making satisfactory shipping arrangements. When the total output of hogs is small, the railroads are unable to give as good service as when the output becomes sufficient to justify regular shipping schedules, live-stock trains, and other conveniences. Here, again, the importance of com- munity action is obvious. If the community as a whole is actively interested in the establishment of the swine indus- try, satisfactory shipping arrangements can be made much more quickly than if the industry is forced to struggle along on a purely individual basis. On the reclamation projects, where the farm unit is small, few farmers produce hogs in carload lots. Hence, the pro- ducer in marketing his output must sell to a local buyer or cooperate with his neighbors in shipping to market. Of the two, the latter is decidedly preferable and is properly a function of an association. Cooperative marketing already is being done with gratifying results on some of the projects. But the factors of successful cooperative marketing extend farther back than the mere act of collective shipping. The breeding and feeding practices need to be adjusted to the requirements of efficient marketing, so that animals of the desired size, finish, and number may be ready at the proper time. This, again, requires concerted action and community interest. In the absence of real efficiency the swine growers are cer- tain to suffer discouraging financial losses in periods of low prices for pork. Farmers should remember that productive efficiency, that is, low cost of production, is as much to be desired as high prices for the finished product. Fair prices, large consumption, and high efficiency are the' things which promote the best development. With the proper considera- tion of these facts and with special attention to the com- munity phases of pork production the farmers on the recla- mation projects should be able to make swine production one of their most profitable industries. DAIRYING. It is not improbable that dairying has done more than any other live-stock industry to support irrigation agricul- ture in this country. This has been true not because the 14 Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture. profits of dairy farming have been large, but rather because they have been comparatively certain. The dairy industry has saved the situation for hundreds of settlers when the expected returns from more spectacular industries have failed to materialize. The possibilities of dairying have not begun to be realized or even appreciated by the majority of irrigation farmers. One of the chief favorable features of dairying is its con- tinuity. It employs labor throughout the year and furnishes a steady cash income. The natural conditions on the recla- mation projects are favorable to high production in dairying. All the necessary feeds can be grown cheaply and abun- dantly. This applies particularly to alfalfa hay, corn silage, and irrigated pastures. These, when properly combined, furnish practically all the feed required by dairy cows; and where concentrated feeds are abundant and cheap they, too, may be utilized profitably. A further advantage is the mild climate of most of the projects, which makes it unnecessary to provide expensive buildings. The dairy industry combines well with pork production, the by-products of the dairy furnishing excellent feed for pigs. Sugar-beet production also fits in admirably with dairying, both in the employment of labor and in the utili- zation of manure. Perhaps no irrigated crop responds more markedly than sugar beets to the application of manure. As the volume of the dairy products of the country in- creases and competition becomes more keen, there will be need for much higher dairy efficiency on the reclamation projects. While these areas have many natural advantages over the highly developed dairy districts in the Eastern and Central States, they are at some disadvantage in marketing and, at present, in the quality of dairy stock. Perhaps the greatest need of the dairy farmers on these projects is better cows. While the prices of dairy products remain fairly high, the availability of cheap feeds makes it possible for the settlers to make some profit from low-producing cows; but as production in the irrigated districts increases it will be necessary to cull out the less profitable individuals. As the local production expands, outside markets will have to be sought, and this will bring the irrigation farmers in direct competition with the more efficient dairymen of the Agriculture on Government Reclamation Projects. 1 5 older dairy regions. It is essential that the farmers on the reclamation projects foresee this development and prepare themselves for its requirements. It is probable that the variations in individual efficiency are more marked in dairy cows than in any other domestic animals. These great variations are among the most Con- spicuous features of the dairy industry on the reclamation projects. Furthermore, the general level of productive effi- ciency is low. The average production per cow on these new irrigated lands could probably be increased 50 to 75 per cent through the introduction of better stock and the im- provement of present herds through the use of good bulls and the general elimination of inferior cows. There is need also for improvement in methods of management. Several of the reclamation projects, particularly those in the Northwest, are well situated for the production of cheese. The abundance of cold water, the cool summer climate, and the thickly settled neighborhoods are conditions which favor cheese making. The cheese industry within the past two years has experienced marked development on several of the northern projects, and there are indications of still further expansion. The need for community action is perhaps even greater in the development of dairying than it is in pork production on these projects. Cooperation is needed in securing im- proved stock, in the local transportation of milk and cream, and often in manufacturing as well as in marketing; in fact, these functions can not be worked out satisfactorily without cooperation. The small farms, the newness of con- ditions, and the distances to market all result in a need for community interest. Necessity is developing a strong appre- ciation of these facts and the cooperative spirit on the re- clamation projects is growing rapidly, among dairy farmers particularly. THE SHEEP INDUSTRY. The production of sheep has not been an important feature of irrigation farming. Feed crops grown on irrigated lands have been used extensively in finishing stock produced on the range and in wintering range ewes, but the breeding of 16 Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture . sheep and year-long feeding on irrigated lands has not been extensive. It is to be expected that finishing range sheep and winter- ing ewes will continue to be important on these lands, but the practice is not without its disadvantages. One draw- back is the uncertainty of the market for the finished prod- uct. This, together with the high prices usually demanded for the feeder stock, makes winter feeding rather hazardous. Under favorable conditions, however, the farmer who feeds range sheep secures not only a direct profit from his feeding operations, but also a large quantity of manure, through the use of which his crop yields may be markedly increased. The conditions on several of the reclamation projects are specially favorable for the production of sheep on the farms. Sheep not only furnish a profitable method of disposing of some of the leading crop products, but they are particular^ useful in utilizing certain crop by-products and in eradi- cating weeds. The material left in the grain fields, beet tops, the aftermath in hay fields, and the plant growth in fence rows and on ditch banks can be utilized profitably by sheep. A promising practice for many of the irrigated farms is to graze sheep on irrigated pastures. A pasture which will carry 2 cows to the acre will support 6 to 10 ewes and their lambs until the lambs are ready for market and still produce sufficient feed to carry the ewes through the season. By these means the irrigation farmer on many of the projects can keep from 20 to 100 breeding ewes with profit, the number depending on the size of his land holdings and the grouping of industries on his farm. Ordinarily there is much to be gained by developing pure-bred flocks as soon as practicable. On certain of the projects which are adjacent to satisfac- tory grazing lands on the open range or in the National Forests a limited number of irrigation farmers can engage in sheep production on a larger scale. Small groups of farmers, each owning a few hundred sheep, can sometimes arrange to use the range cooperatively and to winter their flocks on individual farms. In this way the flocks may be carried through the summer at relatively low cost and be used profitably in the autumn and winter to consume forage and grain crops and by-products on the farm. Agriculture on Government Reclamation Projects. 17 The problems of marketing the wool and mutton pro- * duced by the flocks, particularly the small ones, can be , solved best by cooperation among the farmers. The same is v true of many of the problems of efficient management. -7 Such things as breeding, shearing, and dipping offer many opportunities for advantageous cooperation. Frequently much can be gained by cooperation between the small sheep growers and the large range sheep producers. The latter sometimes will contract for years in advance to purchase from the former all the pure-bred ram lambs produced on the small farms. Thus, a profitable market for half the off- spring of the small flocks may be assured in advance, to the benefit of everybody concerned. If good use is made of the opportunities for cooperation, both among the small farmers and between them and the extensive range sheepmen, there are but few projects where sheep production can not be made a lucrative part of the activities of the irrigated farm. Already there are some suc- cessful sheep-growing enterprises on the projects, but the full possibilities can not be realized until community atten- tion is focused upon the industry. BEEF PRODUCTION. Like the sheep industry, beef production on the irrigated lands has been confined to the winter feeding and finishing of range stock. Aside from this, the development of an extensive beef -cattle industry on the reclamation projects depends primarily on the availability of cheap summer range. Doubtless there will be some instances of specialized beef production, based largely on the breeding of high-class pure-bred stock, in which the animals will be kept on the farms throughout the year. Except in such instances it is unlikely that the year-long feeding of beef cattle on these small farms will be found as profitable as the feeding of dairy cattle, hogs, and sheep. Some of the projects are located near grazing areas which are not fully stocked or on which readjustments can be made which will provide range for stock owned by irrigation farmers. Where the grazing of these areas is properly v 18 Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture. controlled and efficiently managed, as in the National Forests, or where arrangements can be made to assure undisturbed occupation and use, there are opportunities for beef pro- duction. The proper utilization of such grazing areas would add materially to the crop-disposal possibilities of the adja- cent irrigated lands. Because of the small size of the beef herds which can be fed on these farms, successful summer grazing on the ad- jacent range lands requires some kind of cooperation. This may consist simply of hiring a herder who, for a fixed charge per head, will handle the stock during the grazing season ; or more formal grazing associations may be organized. These associations are growing in number and efficiency on several of the projects and it seems likely that they will continue to increase. The activities of the grazing associations may in- clude the hiring of a salaried herder ; the furnishing of salt ; systematic efforts to prevent the loss of stock from diseases, poisonous plants, and predatory animals; the furnishing of well-bred bulls; negotiations with the Forest Service and other agencies regarding the allotment and management of grazing areas; and provision for live-stock insurance. It is through increased cooperation, particularly in range utiliza- tion, that the beef industry on these projects is likely to reach its best development. THE GROUPING OF INDUSTRIES. In the preceding discussion of the different agricultural industries which rank as important on reclamation projects, only incidental reference has been made to their relations to each other either on the individual farm or in the com- munity. These relations are matters of the greatest impor- tance. There are very few situations where a farm or a community survives, still less achieves success and pros- perity, through the exclusive development of a single in- dustry. The requirements of crop rotation, the efficient use of labor, and the insurance of some source of income are the potent factors that make a diversification of industries imperative. The number of industries which it is possible to carry on in any irrigated region is much larger than the number it is Agriculture on Government Reclamation Projects. 19 usually desirable to have. This enables the farmer to select from among the available industries a few which suit his fancy and appeal to his judgment. Much of the possibility of success in farming depends upon the proper selection and grouping of major industries. This is a problem that usually can not be settled in advance of practical experience. It is not enough to decide merely to have a diversity of industries. Each should be considered not only as to its own possibilities under the natural con- ditions, but also in relation to the others with which it is to be associated. If possible, the selection should be such that each will be profitable in itself, but it is sometimes worth while to carry on one industry which yields little or no direct profit because of its indirect benefit to others in the group. In new regions far from market the farmer should also be influenced in his selection of industries by the opinions or desires of his neighbors. It has been repeatedly pointed out that community cooperation is often essential to success in these irrigated districts, and such cooperation often may be extended to the selection of the kinds of crops or the kinds of live stock that ought to be used. The important point that needs to be kept in mind is that the problem of the proper selection of industries merits serious consideration. A' farmer should not embark upon an industry merely because it is momentarily attractive or be- cause someone else has succeeded with it. He should canvass the whole situation thoroughly and test each industry from the following points of view : (1) Is it adapted to local conditions of climate and soil and to the location of the project with respect to transporta- tion and marketing ? (2) Can it be fitted in with the others that are being con- sidered, so as to permit the effective distribution of labor throughout the year? (3) Does it fit in with the others to occupy the available land and either benefit them or utilize to advantage their effects ? (4) Is it one that may be accepted generally in the com- munity and thus permit such cooperation as is needful for success ? 20 Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture . (5) Are the products subject to violent market fluctuations resulting from sudden scarcity or oversupply, so that' special persistence is necessary to secure stabilization ? A careful consideration of these questions may determine the measure of success which will follow the farmer’s selec- tion of industries. IMPORTANCE OF STABILIZING INDUSTRIES. The proper establishment of any of these agricultural in- dustries under the multiplicity of new and strange condi- tions may require years of time. The new settlers can not reasonably expect to develop in one or two years an efficiency or a reputation which will enable them to compete success- fully with older communities. A period of pioneering is inevitable and readjustments are to be expected; but such readjustments should come about gradually and should be in the direction of constructive development. Substantial prosperity requires that some of the industries in which the settlers engage be stabilized ; that plans for their establishment be projected years in advance, just as the bona fide settler projects the plans for the establishment of his home. Periods of depression or adversity must be endured, and ideals of efficiency must be pursued constantly. Fre- quent and radical changes from one industry to another, stimulated among speculative settlers by market fluctuations, lead to inefficiency and failure. On the other hand, intelli- gent conservative practices, vigorously and constantly prose- cuted, develop high industrial efficiency and thus promote general prosperity in these communities. The agricultural commodities produced on reclamation projects must be shipped to distant markets. In order to sell to best advantage, these products must be well known in the market and come to be depended upon by the consuming public or the manufacturer. Much of the efficiency of mar- keting depends upon the establishment and maintenance of recognized grades or standards of the product. Such stand- ards can be established and their recognition secured only by continued effort. These facts have an important bearing and should be considered seriously in connection with any proposal to establish a new industry on a reclamation project. A griculture on Government Reclamation Projects. 2 1 THE PLACE OF IRRIGATION FARMING IN WESTERN AGRICULTURE. An unfortunate tendency that has been noticeable in the development of irrigation farming in the West has been to disregard its economic relation to the other agri- cultural enterprises of that region. The vast areas of land which surround the irrigated sections have long been im- portant to the country as a whole because of their production of breadstuffs and meat. While the areas available for the production of wheat by dry farming and the range lands used for the support of live stock have been almost com- pletely occupied by these industries, greatly increased pro- duction in both lines is still possible. These arid lands are certain to become increasingly important in meeting the re- quirements of the national food supply. Their possibilities have been by no means realized. Grain production by dry farming and live-stock produc- tion on the ranges are subject to severe vicissitudes because of the periodical fluctuations in climatic conditions. The setbacks resulting from adverse seasons often cripple the farmers and stockmen to such an extent that they can not take advantage of the more favorable seasons that follow. The proper development of irrigation farming may be ex- pected to aid in surmounting such difficulties, to the benefit of all concerned. The irrigated lands that enjoy conditions favoring the high production of forage crops may properly become im- portant as centers of stock feeding, not only in finishing stock but in wintering range stock and in carrying the ani- mals through protracted periods of drought. Such enter- prises not only furnish an economical means of utilizing the crops of the irrigated land, but also provide an outlet for some of the grain from adjacent dry farms. The irrigation farmer who is confronted with the problem of marketing his crop products would do well to consider the possibilities that lie at hand in the way of cooperating with his neighbors on the dry farms and on the ranges. They, like himself, are subject to serious economic stresses. Some of these may be relieved through a better understanding of the situation and by making gradually such readjustments as are possible. 22 Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture . - Irrigation farming has been the subject of extravagant exploitation, as well as the cause of severe disappointments. «r As a matter of fact, it ought to be regarded merely as one of the ways of making a home and a living and not primarily as a means of making money. Irrigated lands may be v expected to support prosperous communities wherever in- dustry and intelligence are devoted to the work. In some respects irrigation farming is probably less hazardous than some other agricultural enterprises, but success can be as- sured only by diligent and persistent endeavor. WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 3917 V