Little was done by the bureau in connection with the investigations of planned group settlement in the South under an appropriation of $15,000 carried in the act of March 7, 1928, other than a preliminary survey of a tract of land near Artesia, N. C., and five tracts of land suggested by the State authorities of Florida, located in Jefferson County, about 9 miles south of Monticello; in Union County near Lake Butler; in Volusia County, about 15 miles south and west of New Smyrna; in Hardee County near Wauchula; and in Broward County.

In the spring of 1929 a committee of representative men from the South presented the matter to President Hoover and to the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture, with the result that bills were introduced in Congress by Senator Simmons of North Carolina, and Representative Whittington of Mississippi, authorizing the creation. of organized rural communities to demonstrate the benefits of planned settlement and supervised rural development. Hearings on the Senate bill were held before the Senate Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation in May, and the bill was favorably reported to the Senate on June 3, but no further action was taken.

During the fall of 1928 a study of economic and social conditions in the South was made by Dr. E. C. Branson, Kenan professor of rural social economics, of the University of North Carolina, and published by the bureau under the title, "Planned Colonies of Farm Owners." The associated committees on southern rural development also issued a pamphlet entitled "Southern Rural Life: The Problem, the Solution."

The investigations of the Bureau of Reclamation in the South have shown that this section of the country has all of the material conditions for an attractive and prosperous rural life. These include a long growing season, adequate rainfall, soils which, if adequately fertilized, will be highly productive, land flat or gently rolling, where injury from erosion can be easily controlled. It has in addition fine transportation facilities and nearness to the largest cities of the country.

The climate and soil make it possible for this region to be selfsupporting in an agricultural sense and to supply some of the most needed and most valuable products of the country. It needs a wellrounded agricultural program. There are many sections which should be hopeful and prosperous which have a declining and decadent rural life. This is wholly due to economic and human conditions which can and should be improved.

The valuable agricultural agencies operating in the South, in the colleges, experiment stations, and demonstration farms, can not overcome some of these handicaps. The lessons of the demonstration farm or the teaching of the extension service go unheeded by the tenant farmer living on a low income, with a drab social existence, and following much the same practices as those around him.

The South needs planned and organized rural communities which will be little worlds in themselves, cooperating not only to make the best use of their own farms, but to broaden their markets and effect economies in sales by combining their efforts and resources. Each community unit should be large enough to have an agriculture, a life and spirit of its own, and to be economical and efficient in its business affairs. The now existing rural life which is peculiar to the South, where everyone pursues his own calling without regard to the interests and industry of his neighbors, where all his interests are bounded by his own farm fences, is in striking and disagreeable contrast to what can be achieved if, in place of this, people are selected because they have a common purpose, are given an opportunity to own the land they cultivate, and have an economic and social partnership. The lessons of other countries have shown the feasibility of such communities. The benefits in the South of such examples can not fail to be widespread and of enduring value, and they should be of real interest to the State governments concerned.

No appropriation was made by Congress in the act of March 4, 1929, for a continuation by the bureau of the investigatory work in the South during the fiscal year 1930.

ECONOMIC AND ENGINEERING OPERATIONS

SALT RIVER PROJECT, ARIZONA

Economic. Of the 9,800 irrigated farms on the Salt River project, 7,135 were operated by owners and 1,165 by tenants. All land is privately owned, and the project is fast being recognized as a land of suburban homes. The elaborate system of paved roads, the warm winters, numerous recreational and resort features, and the availability of electricity on every farm under the program just financed, are factors which are bringing increasing numbers of well-to-do home seekers to the valley.

Agricultural conditions are favored by the 12 months' growing season, making two crops possible on the same land. The three major crops from an acreage standpoint are alfalfa, cotton, and grain. Gross receipts from all crops last year were $26,082,055. In addition, livestock was valued at $6,145,950.

Engineering. A fourth big dam on Salt River at Stewart Mountain, 10 miles below Mormon Flat Dam was started October 1, 1928, under a $5,100,000 bond issue sold by the Salt River Valley Water Users' Association on May 28, 1928. This bond issue also provides for the construction of power lines to serve every farm on the project. The gross income from the sale of power during the fiscal year was $2,406,479.62.

Drainage is accomplished almost entirely by pumping. Some 15.85 miles of open and 5.3 miles of closed drains had been constructed prior to 1922, but are now effective merely to carry off pumped or other water discharged into them, since the ground water level has been lowered below the bottoms of the drains. In 1918 a third of the 240,000 acres of project land was threatened with waterlogging and had a water table within 10 feet or less of the surface. The water table is now everywhere below the point where it is injurious and not over 1,900 acres have water within 10 feet of the surface. One hundred and eighty-six pumps are operated on the project, and the maximum capacity is approximately 800 second-feet. Most of the water is used for the irrigation of project land or of land in outside districts.

In addition to the above, the association in 1927 sold 26 pumping plants, having a capacity of 135 second-feet, to the Roosevelt irrigation district, which has since installed and operates within the Salt River project an additional 29 pumping plants with a capacity of 257 second-feet. The operation of these pumping plants by the district assists in the drainage of the Salt River project.

YUMA PROJECT, ARIZONA-CALIFORNIA

Economic. Of the 1,599 irrigated farms on the Yuma project, 878 or 55 per cent were operated by tenants during 1928 and 721 or 45 per cent by owners or managers. The 132 farms on the Yuma auxiliary project were all operated by owners or managers. The increase in the number of tenant farms is due largely to the different system used in reporting the crop census returns on the reservation division. Previously the practice had been to group the 10-acre Indian allotments, which are in general farmed by white tenants, into 40-acre tracts. In 1928 each allotment of 10 acres was considered as a separate tract with the result that an increase was shown both in the number of farms reported and in the number of tenantoperated farms.

Economic conditions generally are more favorable than for several years previous. A comprehensive building program is under way both on the farms and in the city of Yuma. Bonds have been sold for improvements to the school systems. This betterment of economic conditions is also reflected in the payment of water-right charges. Delinquencies were reduced during the year from 5.36 per cent to 2.92 per cent.

Development on the Yuma Mesa has shown a steady growth. Eighty-five acres of citrus orchard were planted during the spring of 1929. Unquestionably greater development would have resulted if an adequate supply of good grade nursery stock had been available. However, by the spring of 1930 there will be an abundant supply from both the valley and mesa nurseries. The numerous recent inquiries regarding the Yuma Mesa indicate a more rapid development next spring.

Engineering. During the year 4 miles of open drain were completed in the valley division, thereby relieving approximately 34,500 acres to date. It will also be necessary to extend the main drain approximately 2 miles through an area in the upper end of the valley division that develops an abnormally high water table and seeps to some extent during high river stages. This area is influenced directly by the river and reacts to changes in the river stage.

The cost of maintenance is increasing on the smaller laterals of the project. This is due to the widening of the canal banks made necessary in disposing of the spoil cast up while cleaning with the dredgers. On account of this and the raising of the water surface elevations over the entire system, consideration should be given to lining the smaller canals with concrete. This would eliminate the deposition of silt and also prevent the growth of grass and weeds which is very rapid during the summer months, and obstructs the flow of water to such an extent that the canals are quickly silted up, thereby destroying the efficiency of this part of the distribution system.

ORLAND PROJECT, CALIFORNIA

Economic. Of the 695 irrigated farms on the project, 534 were operated in 1928 by owners and managers and 161 by tenants. Improvement in the project's economic condition was indicated conclusively by the results of the year, among the most important being a reduction of $3,500 in unpaid charges, notwithstanding the accrual of nearly $100,000 additional charges during the year. The acre crop yield was the highest since 1919. The cropped area and the irrigable area were the largest in the history of the project. Bank deposits were exceeded only by those of the previous year.

Advertising of 64 project farms, comprising nearly 1,800 acres of land under option to the United States by the owners for advertisement and sale, was started near the close of the preceding year and continued until April. Advertising funds were provided by local real estate firms and interested land owners in cooperation with the water users' association. The original options, which were executed in 1927, expired at the close of 1928, but a large majority of the owners extended them for another 12-month period. More than 400 inquiries, responding to the advertisements of project farms, were received; 18 applications were filed, and 3 of the farms under option were sold. In addition, two buyers were attracted to Orland and purchased project property, other, however, than the farms under option. Advertising plans were formulated and funds provided at the close of the year for the 1929 campaign.

Dairying and alfalfa raising continued to be among the most stable and profitable lines of farming. As in recent years, little alfalfa was shipped from the project. Butter production of the two Orland creameries amounted to 1,384,000 pounds, which is in excess of that for any previous year. Local cooperative (subsidiaries of State-wide marketing organizations) were instrumental in selling profitably the season's crop of almonds, oranges, and olives.

Collections exceeded accruals and the delinquency in payment of charges at the close of the year was only 7.6 per cent of the total accruals for the five years for which there are unpaid charges.

Engineering. Construction of Stony Gorge Dam, which had been in progress for two years, was finished in October. During the year, 1,010 cubic yards of concrete and 112,600 pounds of reinforcing steel were placed in the dam and more than 500,000 pounds of operating equipment and machinery were installed. Future work will consist of placing small quantities of concrete lining each year on those sections of the distribution system where further operation demonstrates the necessity therefor in the interest of reduced maintenance costs and increased operating safety. During the year, 3,379 square yards of such lining were placed on 2,427 linear feet of project laterals.