Some  portion  of  the  arid  region  will  be  reclaimed  by  irrigation;
but  while  this  subject  is  receiving  much  attention,  with  extensive
advertising  of  both  private  and  public  enterprises,  it  can  never  be
a  very  large  factor  in  American  agriculture.  Director  Frederick
H.  Newell,  of  the  United  States  Reclamation  Service,  makes  the
following  statements  concerning  the  arid  region  ("  Conservation  of


FACTORS   IN   CROP   PRODUCTION  583

Natural  Resources "   published  by  the  American  Academy  of
Political  and  Social  Science,  Philadelphia,  1909) :

"If  all  the  run-off  waters  of  this  region  could  be  conserved  and  employed  in
irrigation,  the  total  area  reclaimed  might,  perhaps,  be  brought  to  nearly
60,000,000  acres.  .  .  .  Large  portions  of  the  water  of  the  arid  region  cannot
be  used  in  irrigation,  as  no  irrigable  land  exists  upon  which  it  can  be  brought  at
feasible  cost."

"With  present  data,  the  closest  statement  is  probably  under  60,000,000  acres
and  between  40,000,000  and  50,000,000  acres,  including  the  lands  now  under
ditch."  (About  13,000,000  acres  are  now  under  irrigation.)

For  comparison  it  may  be  noted  that  the  state  of  South  Dakota
contains  48,000,000  acres,  and  the  estimated  total  area  of  arid  land
that  can  still  be  brought  under  irrigation  in  the  United  States  is
equal  to  only  one  state  like  Illinois.  Director  Newell  estimates
that  the  total  land  areas  that  may  possibly  be  brought  under  irri-
gation might  support,  directly  and  indirectly,  10  million  people,
or  about  10  per  cent  of  our  present  population.
