coming farming season. Everything is being done to make the coming season a greater success than the last.

We shall have a larger acreage this year than last; practically every Indian family has a garden, and many of them will raise considerable quantities of garden stuff if we have an average season.

During the fiscal year 1918, $4,200 was expended for irregular labor in connection with argicultural activities, placing in cultivation over four hundred acres, more than half of which was unfenced and in sagebrush in the early spring. From that acreage 55,000 pounds of oats, 64,000 pounds of wheat, 20,000 pounds of corn, 40 tons of potatoes, 10 tons of sugar and stock beets, 500 tons of straw and forage, and large quantities of cabbage, onions, turnips, and rutabagas were harvested. Additional areas were cleared of sagebrush, 60 acres seeded to winter wheat, and approximately 100 acres is ready for spring seeding, all of which puts us in better shape for early spring activities.

Our Indians are actively engaged in preparations for a larger acreage than last year. More of them will put out gardens than before. The fact that one of their number raised a garden last year that was pronounced the best in the county, and which carried off first premiums at Nevada State Fair, has had a wide-reaching effect.

While it is too early to give complete figures as to results, preliminary reports and estimates justify the belief that there will be substantial increases over the previous year. It is my hope to maintain the high standard of war period accomplishment in order that the industrial progress of the Indians may continue unabated under the impetus thus given it. That there is substantial basis for this hope is found in the fact that, while the patriotic enthusiasm for increased production may be less active now than during the war, there are definite signs that many of the Indians are acquiring the "habit" of sustained industry, which will give permanence to their progress along successful lines.

A most encouraging element in the situation is the fact that the use of agricultural machinery, modern improved methods, etc., is constantly growing among the Indians, with consequent better and more remunerative returns in crop production. This has been increasingly reflected in improved homes, live stock, and the acquisition by the Indians of the varied appurtenances of civilization to a greater extent than formerly.

Hailstorms on the Crow Reservation, in Montana, and grasshopper outbreaks on the Southern Ute Reservation, in Colorado, and the Moapa River Reservation, in Nevada, did considerable damage to crops during the year. While, of course, the hailstorms can not be controlled, remedial measures have been taken, which it is hoped will result in the complete eradication of the grasshoppers and the prevention of serious ravages in the future.

EXPERIMENTATION.-Systematic experimentation work has felt the disturbance of normal conditions more than some other lines and was confined to the cooperative farms at Sacaton, on the Pima Reservation, in Arizona, and the date farm at Palm Springs, under the Malki jurisdiction, in California.

Cotton experiments have as hitherto constituted the principal feature on the Sacaton farm. Pure strains of the now famous "Pima" variety, which was originated on this farm, are maintained, and experiments for the development of new types still higher in value are in prog

Demonstrations to determine the best time for planting and the most profitable spacing are in progress. High-grade Pima seed has been furnished the Indian farmers of the reservation, and personal advice in the planting and management of their crops has resulted in fields which compare well with those of the best white farmers in the Salt River Valley.

A simple planter attachment devised by the station superintendent has enabled the Indians to secure a greatly improved stand of cotton plants.

The development of an improved variety of Bermuda onions, begun some time ago, has been continued, and a field of seed onions of the past season has demonstrated the value of a seed-growing industry for the reservation.

Several years ago land was selected for an addition to the farm, to be used largely for seed production purposes. Work on this addition during the year has been necessarily of a developmental character, as the raw mesa land must be brought into proper tilth and supplied with humus before the best results can be obtained. The quantity and quality of the water supplied by the new wells drilled on this farm are most gratifying, and the pumping plants have been brought to the highest state of efficiency. The new land has responded to cultivation in a very satisfactory manner, and the growth of improved varieties of alfalfa, grain sorghums, and wheat gives promise that the purposes of the farm will be fully met sooner than was at first expected.

The date and olive work has profited much by the transfer from the cold night air of the river bottom land of the station to this new location. The growth and offshoot production of the date palms is much more rapid in the warmer situation. An offshoot propagation house has given splendid results in rooting shoots, which will be later distributed to the more progressive Indians.

Peach and plum trees and other deciduous fruits have started with excellent growth under irrigation from the alkali-free water of the new wells.

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK.-The States Relation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the various State agricultural colleges, has an effective organization for the dissemination of agricultural information among the people of the different States, under the provisions of the SmithLever law. The Indians receive the benefits of this work on prac

tically the same basis as the whites, and it has been a prominent factor in the promotion of the welfare and progress of the Indians along agricultural lines.

STOCK RAISING.

The Indians have made continued progress in the live-stock industry during the past year, even beyond expectation, in view of severe drought which prevailed in the southwest for the past three years and is now affecting live-stock interests in Wyoming and Montana.

These conditions have become so threatening that it is necessary to materially reduce the number of stock in the tribal herds and belonging to the Indians on the various reservations in those States. Some shipments to market have already been made and plans are in progress to reduce the stock to such number as can be carried through next winter on the available supply of feed without danger of serious loss.

The Indians of the Navajo Reservations have suffered considerable losses of sheep in consequence of drought and the hard winters following. Investigation at the various wool markets indicated that the improvement in the grade of the wool shipped by these Indians was gratifying, but that better methods of shearing and handling the same would result in a higher price. A campaign has, therefore, been started with the view of having the Indians properly prepare their wool for market next season, and for assisting them in the further development of their live-stock interests.

The purchase of first-class bulls by Altaha R. 14, an Indian of the Fort Apache Indian Reservation referred to in last year's report, has demonstrated to the Indians the benefit they will derive from raising first-class animals, and the council has unanimously requested that the bulls needed to improve their stock be purchased and placed on the range, or that a project be established to produce such animals on their reservation.

In addition to the natural increase of stock on the various reservations, there have been purchased during the past year a total of approximately 3,200 cows and heifers, and 450 steers.

The suppression of contagious diseases among the live stock of the Indians has progressed satisfactorily and on several of the reservations in Montana and North and South Dakota, dourine eradication work has been completed and the ranges are reported to be free of animals infected with disease.

The movement for ridding the Indian ranges of wild horses is being carried on energetically, but the lack of a market or a satisfactory method of disposing of such animals has somewhat retarded this work.

The interest that a large part of the Indians are taking in raising live stock shows that they appreciate the benefits accruing to them

from greater activity in such industry, and this example is stimulating many others to improve the grade of their stock and their methods of caring for it.

IRRIGATION.

Irrigation on Indian reservations played no unimportant part in the production of foodstuffs during the war period. The Indians responded nobly to the call for greater production and materially increased the acreage cultivated and the yield per acre.

A good deal of the allotted irrigable land on various reservations belongs to minors and adults who, on account of age or other physical disabilities, are unable to properly cultivate their entire holdings. Such lands have been leased, under favorable terms, to the mutual advantage of the Indian lessors, the white lessees, and the community at large, including, of course, the reservation on which such land may be located.

The cost of construction, operation, and maintenance on irrigation projects has increased proportionately with the constantly rising cost of labor and material. On the other hand, much saving has resulted from the use of machinery such as dredges, drag-line excavators, ditch-cleaning machines, etc. Wherever machinery of this kind could be employed, it has been used to great advantage, not only in the actual saving of dollars and cents but in the increased quantity and quality of the work performed, with less hire of actual labor, thus relieving to some small extent the demand on the labor market. On the Yakima Reservation, Wash., more than 800,000 cubic yards of earth were removed at a cost of less than 11 cents per yard. Many miles of canals and ditches were cleaned while water was flowing therein at a time when it was practically impossible to procure men and teams with which to do the work.

The severe drought conditions that have prevailed throughout the West generally during the past three years demonstrate forcibly the need for irrigation. Without irrigation on many of the reservations in Arizona, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and Utah, great distress would have resulted among the Indians.

YAKIMA. The largest expenditures and likewise greatest returns have been on the Yakima Reservation, Wash. The work done consisted principally of extending canals, laterals, and drainage ditches, the building of check and turnout gates, drops, bridges, etc. Just as rapidly as the system was extended new land was put under cultivation. This project yielded over $7,000,000 worth of crops last year and, with the increased acreage, it is expected that the gross yield will approximate $9,000,000 during the current calendar year.

FORT HALL. The Fort Hall Reservation, Idaho, lies in the recently drought-stricken district. With the storage facilities here

tofore provided, however, this project will go through the season without detriment to our irrigation activities. Projects belonging to private parties in this locality are suffering greatly owing to a lack of storage. During the past year this project produced $890,000 worth of crops and it is expected that this amount will be greatly exceeded during the present year. The project at this point has not been completed and before all the Indian land can be supplied with water a considerable sum must be expended to enlarge and extend the present system. White land owners above this project have been using it, at times, as a convenience by dumping waste and surplus waters into one of the Government canals. Considerable annoyance and expense have resulted from this during the several years last past. The recent drought condition has eliminated this difficulty for the present year at least, but it will probably give us trouble until some adjustment is reached. The Department of Justice is now investigating the matter with a view of taking appropriate steps to relieve the situation.

UINTAH.-The Uintah project in northeastern Utah suffered greatly from the prevailing drought. We have no storage facilities here but must depend on the natural run-off which, at times, and especially during drought seasons, is far from sufficient. Ditches and lands in white ownership are located above the Indian lands and in past years considerable damage to the interests of the Indians has resulted from the whites taking and using the available water. Proceedings were instituted by the Department of Justice in behalf of the Indians and under a temporary order of the court this abuse has been corrected to a large extent. Final decree has not yet been entered, but it is confidently expected that the Indians will be fully protected when the decree is made.

WIND RIVER.-The Wind River Reservation, Wyo., is also in the drought belt. Rapid strides have been made in the development of irrigable lands on this reservation during the past two years, but further progress is temporarily checked at least until the natural flow increases or storage is provided. The snowfall in the mountains during the past winter, which furnishes the water supply, was very slight and the streams began to fail early in the irrigating season. Absence of rainfall later in the season created a serious shortage and the crops undoubtedly will be curtailed to a considerable extent. Experiences of this kind furnish forcible lessons in the economical use of water and, in the end, may prove of great benefit to the project at large. During the past year about $400,000 worth of crops were raised here. Results for the present year are not yet known and in view of the drought conditions the aggregate yield may be substantially reduced.

140923°- -INT 1919-VOL 2-4