The approximate location and extent of the open or free grazing lands are shown on the accompanying map (fig. 5), the cross-lined areas indicating the lands where for the most part sheep, cattle, and horses graze freely. Some of these lands are in private ownership, particularly those in western Nebraska, in Kansas, and in Texas. The map is on too small a scale to exhibit deserts and mountain tops where no forage plants exist. It serves, however, to emphasize the fact that throughout nearly half of the United States grazing is the principal industry, and any plan for the reclamation and utilization of the vast arid region must take cognizance of this fact and be shaped accordingly.

From one standpoint irrigation may be regarded as an outgrowth or later development of the grazing industry, especially in the most northern part of the arid region. In the early days, at the approach of cold weather the sheep and cattle on the open ranges were driven down into the lower valleys, or sought natural shelter. During severe winters the losses were extremely large, occasionally from half to three-fourths of the stock dying during long-continued or extremely stormy weather. With the growth of the business and the overstocking of the ranges, the necessity for providing winter feed for the young and less vigorous animals became evident, and the owners began to irrigate small areas at the home ranches in order to provide forage during the winter.

This practice has increased to such an extent that a balance has been reached between the available summer range and the winter food supply raised by irrigation. In other words, a cattle owner can maintain as many animals as he can feed for two or three months with forage raised by irrigation, providing he can obtain sufficient summer range. If, however, his summer range is limited, or is partly injured by incursions of sheep, he may find it economical to reduce the amount of feed raised by artificial watering, and consequently the size of his herd. Owing to the competition for summer range and the necessity for providing an increased amount of winter feed, the tendency in the stock-raising business is toward an increase in the number of small owners and a diminution of great herds and flocks. Thus there is a general evolution from stock raising toward what is sometimes known as stock farming. That is to say, the owner of a relatively small herd is tempted to put his irrigated land into crops other than forage, or to raise an additional amount of the latter for sale in local markets. In some of the stock-raising districts, therefore, there is a gradual trend toward intensive farming.

Nearly every settler upon the public domain, whether intending ultimately to raise the ordinary farm crops and fruits or to confine. himself to stock raising, requires for a time a certain amount of grazing land, for in any case he must have a few draft animals and dairy cows, and as a rule he finds it profitable to own a small herd of

cattle or a band of sheep; therefore he desires and needs the use of the public land in his vicinity in order that he may herd his cattle near by and bring them in at frequent intervals. But under existing laws the settler who is making a home has no legal right to the use of public lands, other than the right possessed in common by every citizen of the country. Often he feels the gross injustice of the laws when cattle or sheep belonging to a nonresident person or corporation come upon the land in his vicinity and destroy all of the nutritious vegetation. Naturally he feels that since he is trying to make a home and is paying taxes for the maintenance of law and order he has a superior right to the use of unoccupied land until it is wanted for homes for other settlers, or until he is in position to raise by irrigation sufficient feed for his cattle. Thus it happens that the settler is often at war with the stock owner; and, in addition, many areas which might have been utilized for homes have been kept vacant from fear of depredations by the cattlemen, or of resort to open violence.

On the free range there is also controversy between rival stock owners, particularly between the sheep herders and the cattlemen. Sheep and cattle can not graze on the same area, and as a rule a band of sheep will render the range unfit for cattle and will drive them out. With the growth of the wool industry the range devoted to cattle is being encroached upon and many of the owners are disposing of their herds and going into the sheep business, finding it possible to make a living upon the public lands by sheep grazing when they can not do so by raising cattle.

The most complete development of the arid region is dependent upon the enactment and enforcement of wise laws regarding grazing upon the public domain. The settlement of a considerable part of the country is dependent upon the ability of the small landowners to utilize the grazing of the adjoining public lands. Without this grazing to supplement the products of the irrigated lands many of these men can not secure a living. This is particularly the case where the irrigable areas are at a distance from market. There the products of the irrigated lands must largely be of the nature of forage, and this to be of value must be consumed by cattle or sheep which find a considerable part of their sustenance on the open public range. This is notably the case during the early stages of settlement, before irrigation has been completely developed. If the newcomer is able to find grazing for his animals during the first few years, he can establish himself upon a comparatively small acreage. If, however, by overgrazing there are no grasses left for his small herd, or if the range is controlled by others, he can not gain a foothold, and may not be able to tide over the first few years.

The prosperity of many of the farmers throughout the West is also closely connected with the success of the cattle industry. Much of the

land which may be reclaimed by the Government will derive its value largely from the ability to produce hay, and this in turn is of more or less importance according to the opportunities for cattle feeding. If the summer ranges are maintained in good condition and are occupied by as many cattle as can find sustenance and these cattle belong to various owners, there will be a large demand for hay during the winter months, and this demand will in turn react upon the value of the irrigated land and the prosperity of the owners of it.

Hence any act which tends to restrict or monopolize grazing has an immediate influence upon the farmers on the irrigated tracts.

IRRIGABLE LANDS.

The forests and grazing lands comprise by far the greater part of the arid public domain. Lands which are actually irrigable are relatively small in extent, although first in importance. In most of the States the area now irrigated is less than 1 per cent of the land surface. Under the most complete system of irrigation possible it is probable that not over 5 per cent of the arable land can be irrigated in any one of the Western States. These tracts which have been irrigated, or may be in the future, are widely scattered, their location being dependent not so much upon the character of the soil as upon the opportunity of securing a water supply. The accompanying map (fig. 6) shows the relative positions of the irrigated and irrigable lands, and serves to show that these are not confined to any one part of the West, but are fairly well distributed throughout the entire area. This adds to the difficulty of reclamation, since the wide spaces separating the various projects add to the cost and time necessary for thorough investigation. This map brings out clearly the fact that the reclamation of the arid West by irrigation is by no means an untried experiment. The work has already been begun and carried to a certain degree of completion by private or corporate capital. At the time of the passage of the reclamation law over 7,500,000 acres were already under irrigation. The total area irrigated in each State is illustrated by fig. 7. In this the black squares in the Western States illustrate by their size the relative amount of land irrigated in the different States, and its proportion to the entire area of the State. Irrigation works have been built along nearly every stream, and some works of considerable magnitude have been constructed for the storage of floods and the diversion of rivers. It is not to be supposed, therefore, that the Government is proceeding along wholly unexplored paths.

The question may be asked at this point, Why has it been found desirable for the Government to take up the work of reclamation if private enterprise has already done so much? The answer lies in the fact that, while this is true, the results have not been wholly satisfactory, as far as the largest interests of the country are concerned.

While the development of the choice spots has been accomplished and the easily available waters have been utilized, the larger public interests have not been guarded, and the making of homes has not been carried on to the extent which the wisest statesmanship requires. In smaller projects, especially those cooperative in nature, private enterprise has been successful, but in the larger and more difficult undertakings, it has not been financially successful, and the public lands have not been utilized to the highest good of the people.

FIG. 6.--Map of the western portion of the United States showing the areas irrigated and irrigable. Black areas show lands that are now irrigated; dotted areas show lands that are irrigable.

The irrigation works already constructed may be divided somewhat arbitrarily into two classes, on the one hand being the small ditches built by individuals or associations, and on the other the larger works constructed as an investment for outside capital and not planned or owned by the irrigators themselves. The works of the first class have, as a rule, been successful. The land-owning irrigators have built and maintained systems of water supply, some of these being consolidated

and extended until they are of great magnitude. On the other hand, the works planned on an elaborate scale, built with the use of money borrowed from investors, and intended to sell water rights, have almost without exception been financial failures. Without entering into a discussion of the reasons, it may be said that the whole matter hinges largely upon the principle of cooperation. Wherever men owning land in small tracts have cooperated in constructing and maintaining irrigation systems, they have succeeded. Wherever, on the other hand, they have become tenants or would-be purchasers, there has been general disappointment. The lesson to be drawn is that in future. works the principle of cooperation of the landowners should be made a prime requisite. This is emphasized at this place, because in mak

ing suggestions for the carrying out of the reclamation law this idea of ultimate control and management by cooperative action will be found to be a dominant factor in the proposed rules and regulations.

HISTORY OF IRRIGATION MOVEMENT.

The passage of the reclamation law, although coming suddenly to the attention of many of the people of the country, was not the result of hasty movement or rapid conclusion. rapid conclusion. The way for it had been paved through many years of discussion and through many experiments in lawmaking extending over several decades. Various acts of Congress have led up to the present statute, and these have been put to the test, demonstrating their strength or inefficiency, so that the law as it now stands is in large degree the result of evolution, the outcome of trial of various ideas. This evolution has proceeded along the lines, first, of encouraging individual effort and leaving reclamation wholly H. Doc. 79--3