there was delay in receiving steel and cold weather soon prevented effective work. The first canal culvert under the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railway was built and some excavating for the structures was done. Work on the structures continued in a small way during the most of the winter and was taken up with a large force in the spring of 1906.

Surveys for the distribution system were continued with three parties during the winter of 1905-6, in spite of snow and cold weather. This was necessary in order to get ready for the contractors, whose contract was signed on January 2, 1906.

The contractor for the distributing system broke ground on Custer Coulée waste way on February 28, 1906, with 8 teams and 12 men. Division 3, main canal, was awarded to two contractors in succession, and both refused to proceed with the work. It was therefore readvertised under date of May 8, 1906, the specifications calling for the excavation of about 350,000 cubic yards of earth. Bids were opened June 20, 1906, and the contract was awarded to Hughes & Olson, of Butte, Mont.

The specifications for the structures originally included the power house for the pumping plant, but changes in designs made it advisable to draw entirely new plans and to issue a separate advertisement. The new advertisement, dated June 15, 1906, also included the machinery, etc., under schedule 2. The bids were opened August 7, 1906; the contract for the machinery was let to the Camden Iron Works, of New Jersey.

No formal bids were received on schedule 1, covering the erection of the concrete power house, reinforced concrete pipe forebay, etc. Some informal bids were received, but these were too high and it was decided to proceed with the work by force account. Work was begun about October 22, 1906. The pumping-plant machinery will be erected and the whole plant tested during the fall of 1907. All of the work that was to have been finished in the fall of 1906 or spring of 1907 is being completed during the fall of 1907.

The work on division 2, main canal, was completed May 1, 1907, an extension of time having been granted to that date on acount of the increased yardage required to be excavated. A small contract for the excavation of the main canal, from station 515 to 530, was let on December 8 and the work was finished May 1.

Contract work on structures was finished June 1, 1907, the contract having been extended to that date on account of the increased yardage and additional structures required.

The work on division 1, main canal, was sufficiently advanced by May 31, 1907, so that water could be turned into the canal, the contract time having been extended to that date. The tunnels were completed and the gates set, but some additional open-cut excavation must be done when the low-water stage of the river occurs in the fall.

STRUCTURES.

The main canal for a distance of about 2.2 miles carried along the Huntley bluffs. The headworks consist of a reinforced concrete structure provided with two steel gates 5 by 7 feet, and arranged to divert water from Yellowstone River without the necessity for a weir. From the headworks the water is carried through

tunnel No. 1, which is 700 feet long, and thence through a rock cut to tunnel No. 2, which is 1,550 feet long. From tunnel No. 2 the water flows through an open slough and into tunnel No. 3, about 400 feet long. The three tunnels have a total length of 2,650 feet, are 9.2 feet wide, and 9 feet high at the center of the arch. They are lined with concrete and at the entrance to tunnel No. 3 there is a heavy reinforced concrete wasteway, which at low water will discharge under the tracks of the Northern Pacific Railway into Yellowstone River.

At flood stage water can be taken from the river in through the wasteway of the main canal. Tunnel No. 1 carries the water under the Northern Pacific tracks, which are about parallel to the canal throughout this division. This portion of the work was let to Hughes & Olson, contractors, of Butte, Mont. The work is complete, except for a small amount of rock and earth excavation, which will be done at low-water stage and at a convenient time during the fall of 1907.

Division 2 of the Huntley Main canal follows the general direction of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railway eastward to a point about 3 miles from Ballantine. The location of the main canal crossed the original channel of Pryor Creek seven or eight times, and in order to avoid trouble with this stream a new channel was cut 1,500 feet long to carry it directly into Yellowstone River. This new channed cut off between 2 and 3 miles of the old channel of the creek. The new channel of Pryor Creek carries the water over the main canal. A culvert for the main canal was constructed and an additional weir was built, as the original structure was found not sufficient to control the stream. The work on division 2, main canal, was finished on May 1, 1907. The remainder of the main canal, together with the high line canal, was constructed as division 3. The contractors completed the work about the middle of August, 1907.

etc.

It was decided that all structures in connection with the main canal should be of a permanent type, and a contract was made with W. D. Lovell providing for the erection of concrete culverts, siphons, This work was completed on June 1, 1907. It included the placing of 2,484.6 cubic yards of concrete on the structures included in the original plans, and 1,019.3 cubic yards of concrete in additional structures, which were paid for as extra work under the specifications. In order to make an economical location of the main canal two drops were necessary, the first at about a mile east of Ballantine and the second about 4 miles farther. At the first drop a pumping plant is being installed to pump water to the Ballantine bench and the lands along Fly Creek. The main canal at this point will carry about 240 cubic feet of water per second, which will be dropped about 34 feet and will develop power sufficient to raise about 56 cubic feet of water per second to a point 45 feet above the main canal, where it will be discharged into the high-line canal. The machinery for the pumping plant was furnished by the Camden Iron Works. It reached Ballantine early in July and is now in process of erection. The concrete power house and the concrete pipes in connection therewith are being built by force account, it having been found impossible to obtain reasonable bids. The machinery is of novel design and

has been built especially for this plant. Final payment for it can only be made after the plant has been in satisfactory operation for a period of sixty days. It is expected that this test can be made during the fall of 1907, at which time practically everything else on the system will have been completed.

At the second drop the water is carried down through a concrete pipe, about 800 feet long, and discharged into a diffusion chamber which is provided with a wasteway. At present no use is contemplated for the power which could be developed at this point.

INCIDENTAL OPERATIONS.

The bids for the work under the distribution system were opened on December 15, 1905. A contract was made with the Piper Brothers Company, of Pueblo, Colo., for the excavation, bridges, wooden structures, and concrete structures. The contract for the steel work was awarded to the New Jersey Foundry and Machine Company. The Piper Brothers Company started work on March 1, 1906, and continued on the various parts of the work until November 15, 1906, at which time they turned the plant and equipment over to the United States. The contractors were doing the work at a loss, and finally found themselves unable to complete it. Arrangements were made with the sureties for the contractors, so that the United States could take over the work without disbanding the force, it assumed full charge on November 16, and has since carried on the work as economically as possible. It is expected that the work will be completed in November, 1907.

The New Jersey Foundry and Machine Company has delivered all material and completed its contract.

TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

The telephone system, consisting of 22.7 miles of two-wire metallic circuit line, was finished May 20, 1906. There are eight Government. stations on the line and the contractors have been allowed to have their own instrument attached, upon paying the proper charges. The telephone system has been a necessity during the construction period. A contract was entered into with the Mutual Telephone Company, of Billings, Mont., whereby the Government has had free service over the toll line to Billings and connection with the Billings exchange. Contractors and others talking with subscribers to the Billings exchange have paid a 10-cent switching charge to the Government and a regular toll-line charge to the Billings Mutual Company. The telephone system has been well built and is in condition to be extended to the various small towns on the project, in addition to its regular use in the operation of the canal system.

CEMENT.

The first contract for cement for use on the Huntley project was with the Illinois Steel Company, for 7,000 barrels, the final delivery being on September 25, 1906. Other cement has been obtained by contracts on which 6,000 barrels of cement have been received. The total cement required for all the work on this project will be about 20,000 barrels.

IRRIGABLE LANDS.

The lands under the Huntley project are situated in the Yellowstone Valley and extend in a compact body from Huntley to Bull Mountain station on the Northern Pacific Railway. The lands are all on the south side of Yellowstone River, and are crossed by the Northern Pacific Railway and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railway. These unite at Huntley, about 13 miles east of Billings, Mont. The irrigable lands are about 3,000 feet above sea level. The one hundred and eighth meridian west of Greenwich intersects the forty-sixth parallel north latitude near the historic landmark of Pompey's Pillar, 16 miles northeast of Huntley.

Contracts have been let for the construction of 23 miles of main canal, 63miles of high-line canal, structures, distributing system, and pumping plant. This work will develop the irrigable lands as far east as Lost Boy Creek. There will remain a narrow strip of land extending east from Lost Boy Creek to Bull Mountain station, and certain lands along Fly Creek. These lands can be developed by an extension of the main canal to Bull Mountain and the extension of the high-line canal to cover the lands along Fly Creek. Between three and four thousand acres can probably be added by this extension work.

The irrigable lands slope gently toward Yellowstone River. They are in general smooth and there will be little expense in putting them under irrigation. Toward the lower end of the project, however, between 5,000 and 8,000 acres are flat and alkali has accumulated. About one-half of these lands are underlain with gravel at a depth of 3 to 6 feet, and it is thought that by using care no special trouble will be had. The remaining lands have a heavy clayey soil extending to a considerable depth, perhaps 10 or 15 feet, before gravel is encountered. It is probable that a portion of this land should be flooded for a season before crops are grown. The soil on the project in general varies from a heavy clay to light sandy loam. In most places there is a good growth of grass and in some places a heavy growth of sage brush. The alkali lands are distinguished by greasewood, salt grass, and similar plants. Along the river there is in most places a heavy growth of cottonwood trees. This growth will furnish considerable timber for firewood, fences, and general purposes. South of the irrigable land the country rises gradually to the high divide between the Yellowstone and Bighorn rivers. This country is covered with grass and is suitable for grazing of stock. Across the river from the Huntley project, at the western end, is an irrigated bench which is just being developed under the Carey Act. Lower down the river the country slopes back into a series of rough broken hills suitable for grazing and having more or less pine and cedar trees.

The lateral system has been laid out to deliver water to the high point on each farm unit and the various turnouts, culverts, bridges, etc., required for the operation of the system, the drainage of the land, and the opening of the roads have been installed. The main laterals from the canal are lettered from A to S, inclusive, except H and I, which are omitted. The laterals from the high-line canal are lettered HA, HB, HC, HD, HE, and HF. The first branch from the main B lateral is called BO1, the next branch BO2, etc.

If lateral BO2 has branches the first one would be named BO2-1, and so on. The B, C, and D laterals each have about 25 miles of ditch, including the different branches. These laterals deliver water to more land than any others. The capacity and arrangement of the laterals are such that all of the farms may be irrigated in from ten days to two weeks, but the laterals are not large enough for the irrigation of all the land at the same time.

In laying out the farm units on this project, the policy has been to give each settler about 40 acres of irrigable land and to include with the irrigable land such pasture land or woodland as could be found adjacent. The farms will therefore contain 40 to 160 acres of land, of which 40 or more acres will be classed as irrigable. In many cases fractional lots containing less than 40 acres were joined with adjoining lots, thus bringing the total irrigable land in some farms up to a maximum of 60 or 70 acres. The larger farms are those lying along the main canal and along Yellowstone River, or where broken land occurred.

A careful study of the resources and conditions affecting the farmers in the Yellowstone Valley was made before deciding on the 40-acre farm unit policy. It will be noted that the railroad connections and facilities for shipment are very good. A house-to-house canvass of farmers on irrigated lands near Billings showed that a good living is being made on 40 acres of land. The building of a beet-sugar factory at Billings and the establishment of a creamery at that point, together with the general development of this part of the State, were further reasons why a small farm unit should be adopted.

Owing to the fact that the lands under the Huntley project are flat, and in some cases impregnated with alkali, and also owing to the small farm unit, it was decided best that the Government construct the lateral system so as to deliver water to the high point on each farm unit, and to lay out a system of waste-water ditches which would prevent the outlying lands from becoming water-logged and unfit for cultivation. One hundred and sixty miles of lateral ditches. and 65 miles of waste-water ditches are required to develop about 29,000 acres of irrigable land.

It is expected that the settlers will put in a large grain crop the first season, and that ultimately the land will be used principally for raising alfalfa, native hay, grain, sugar beets, garden truck, and the hardier fruits, such as the small fruits and certain varieties of apples.

One of the allotees living on the Huntley lands and having a private ditch last year raised some very fine cantaloupes and melons on his place. Sweet corn can be raised, and also tomatoes, by starting them under glass.

The main canal is taken out at the bottom level of the Yellowstone River åbout 2 miles west of Huntley. The canal diverts at normal capacity about 400 second-feet of water from the Yellowstone River. Filings in proper form have been made for 750 second-feet of water. The notice of appropriation was filed in Book E, page 106, of Yellowstone County records, on October 26, 1905. A copy of the notice of appropriation was posted October 28, 1905, near the point of diversion, and an affidavit of the posting of said notice was made and filed with the recorder for Yellowstone County March 2, 1906.

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