Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections

Summary Information

Repository

Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections

Creator

Washington State University. Irrigation Branch Experiment Station

Title

Irrigation Branch Experiment Station Records

ID

Archives 200

Date [inclusive]

1910-1979

Extent

59.5 linear feet of shelf space, 60 Boxes

Language

Collection materials are in English.

Abstract

Contains annual reports; field notes, research records, and research reports; general correspondence collected by the station superintendent and others in one or more separate filing systems.

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Biography/History

Yakima Valley State Representative Ina P. Williams introduced legislation to create the Irrigation Experiment Station on March 13, 1917. The station was to be operated by the College of Agriculture of the State College of Washington. In early 1919, the station was established in Benton County, north of the Sunnyside Canal near Prosser, Washington.

In its first year IES employed 115 men and women, almost all of whom were day laborers. The first superintendent was Roy P. Bean, an animal scientist working in Dairy and Animal Husbandry, who was appointed on May 1, 1919. Irrigation water reached the fields on May 24, 1919, and potatoes, corn, and millet soon began growing as the station's first crops. In 1923 IES added two straw-loft poultry houses with a capacity for 250 hens each. The swine herd was started during 1921 with the purchase of five Duroc-Jersey sows. Cattle came to the station in 1922 when IES bought seven Holstein heifers. In 1924 twenty Lincoln-Merino ewes were purchased from two Prosser citizens.

The experiment station went on to produce large crops and herds in order to fully research the needs of agriculturalists in the state. Its goals included giving attention first to the production of crops under irrigation; second, to the principles and practices involved in the proper use of irrigation water; third, to the disposal of pasture and home grown feed by pasturing dairy cattle and hogs and by feeding sheep, beef cattle and poultry; fourth, to horticultural problems with special reference to tree fruits and potatoes." (Director's Statement, 33rd Annual Report, Washington Agricultural Experiment Station, pp. 5-6.)

On July 11, 1929, Roy Bean was killed by a dairy bull. He had been connected with the station since its establishment and under his supervision two-hundred acres of typical sagebrush land was developed into a well-planned experiment station, rendering effective service to irrigation agriculture," stated the IES Annual Report for that year. Harold P. Singleton succeeded Bean as Superintendent of IES.

The Washington State legislature halved IES's appropriation during the depression and reduced its staff. Some of the livestock had to be sold and salaries and wages were reduced by twenty percent. Although many thought the station faced closure, Governor Clarence D. Martin assigned it an additional $8000 from his emergency fund. Economic conditions improved starting in 1935 and as they did IES added more staff, faculty, and programs. C. Emil Nelson started work in the new plant pathology section, specifically with plant diseases. In 1942 J.D. Menzies became the first designated Plant Pathologist.

In 1937 the station began to produce hybrid corn seed for sale to farmers. Doing so had required the addition of new facilities for drying, shelling, and storage. Eventually the corn seed program supplied corn for all the farmers in the Yakima Valley.

Along with the Washington Agricultural Experiment Station at Pullman and the Washington State Penitentiary at Walla Walla, IES began experimenting with vegetable crop varieties, fertilizer use, and management practices. The project, led by Walter Clore, lasted eight years. AES supplied guard salaries, the penitentiary supervised laborers and guards, and IES supervised field operations and record keeping.

From 1939 to 1945 the station also conducted research on processing adaptability studies of fruits and vegetables. In 1940 this research included work involving processing by freezing. In 1951 the whole processing laboratory transferred from Pullman to Prosser, along with its staff, Dr. A.M. Neubert and George Carter. The program moved again in 1965 to the Western Washington Research and Extension Center.

After the war the Bureau of Reclamation began operating pre-development farm units in the Columbia Basin for crop trials, later were called "Development Farms." The U.S.D.A. and IES worked with the Bureau of Reclamation on these units, concentrating mainly upon horticulture for small fruits and vegetables; they later also researched erosion control and irrigation. Both H.P. Singleton and J.D. Menzies worked as directors of these units.

A greenhouse facility, long sought after for research purposes, was finally added in 1946 and is still in use today at the Prosser station. In 1945 the Poultry Disease Committee suggested that the station establish a diagnostic laboratory to research diseases in poultry. Three years later a laboratory was functioning, but only lasted until 1952 when no veterinarians could be found to fill the researcher position.

Staff increases were common well into the sixties at every level and unit. Programs were also added, including programs in hops research; Aides Programs; fruit breeding; fruit fly control; outlying testing; irrigation engineering; virus diseases; breeding, diseases, and cultural practices with process peas; cherry fruit fly control; and, potato breeding. The results of such programs were regularly shown to area and state farmers at Feeders Days, Field Days, and Special Exhibits Days at Prosser Station.

The Interregional Research Project (IR-2), following years of planning, began operation on July 1, 1955. The project aimed to "assemble desirable clones of deciduous fruit trees, verify their virus freedom, maintain these clones in an isolated repository and distribute propagating materials to scientists or regulatory officials for research or for release to industry." The group would also conduct research and thermotherapy. Funds were provided by the U.S.D.A. and the Prosser station was the national headquarters. Begun on August 1, 1955, the unit soon became the national leader in research on detection and behavior of viral diseases among fruit trees.

Forage seed research produced three new projects, as well: Environmental Effects on the Genetic Stability of Forage Crops Seeds; Cultural and Management Practices in Forage Legume Seed Production with Alfalfa and Red Clover; and, Physiology of Seed Production in Forage Legumes with Alfalfa and Red Clover.

Still other new programs at the station were the Nematology Program and the Potato Disease Program, unique in that it was the only such project wherein the growers provided all the funding for the employment of faculty and non-faculty personnel. The station also did research in green beans and pears.

Dean L.L. Madsen, of the WSU College of Agriculture, C.A. Svinth, Director of Washington Agricultural Extension Service, and Mark T. Buchanan, Director of Washington Agricultural Experiment Station, determined in 1960 that the Irrigation Extension Service Center for Irrigation should be based in Prosser, too.

By 1988 the Superintendent of the station was Lindsey Faulkner. The main research areas continued to be Irrigation, Horticulture, and Plant Pathology.

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Scope and Content

The Irrigation Branch Experiment Station records cover materials collected and filed at the station between 1910 and 1979, This includes annual reports, field notes, research records and reports, and general correspondence originally collected by the station superintendent and others in one or more separate filing systems.

The following container list is not a complete list of all folder titles; such a list would be so large as to be unwieldy. The list is basically a box-by-box list that specifies the first and last folders within that container. Generally this terse presentation should not be a problem for the user because the records consist chiefly of materials arranged by order of date or of alphabetical subject files. Thus, the user can generally deduce the location of a folder of correspondence or a report, provided, of course, the user has the name of a correspondent or the date of a report available from another source.

If a complete list of folder title is desired, the user is advised to consult the last folder in the records. This folder contains a handwritten document, used internally when arranging these records; it lists almost every folder in the entire body of records.

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Arrangement

Due to the multiple filing systems used at the station and general disarray of the files upon receipt, they have been re-organized in chronological and alphabetical order according to title into three series.

Series 1: Annual Reports, contains annual reports filed chronologically and alphabetically by title.

Series 2: Research Documents, contains field notes, research records, and research reports. These are filed chronologically and alphabetically by title. Also included are special project reports filed numerically.

Series 3: General Correspondence, consists of general correspondence collected by the station superintendent and others in one or more separate filing systems. Annual and research reports in this series are draft copies. Files which had no date were filed at the end of the series.

At the end of Series 3 is a complete files list for all three series.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections  © 2021

https://libraries.wsu.edu/masc/

Terrell Library

P.O. Box 645610

Pullman, WA, 99164-5610 USA

509-335-6691

mascref@wsu.edu

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open and available for research use.

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions may apply.

Acquisition Information

Records of the Irrigation Experiment Station at Prosser, Washington, were transferred to Washington State University Libraries in 1978 and 1981 (UA78-19 and UA81-03).

Processing Information

The records were processed by Harvey Young and Patricia M. Hall from 1987 to 1988.

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Related Materials

Related Material

Irrigation Branch Experiment Station (Prosser) Reports, 1919-1960 (Archives 76)

Irrigated Agriculture Research and Experiment Center (Prosser) Grapes/Wine Research Records, 1940-1984 (Archives 214)

Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center Photographs, 1919-1969 (PC 195)

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Names and Subjects

Corporate Name(s)

Subject(s) :

• Washington State University. Irrigation Branch Experiment Station -- Records and correspondence
• State College of Washington. Irrigation Branch Experiment Station -- Records and correspondence
• Washington State University. Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center -- Records and correspondence

Creator(s) :

• Washington State University. Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center
• State College of Washington. Irrigation Branch Experiment Station

Subject(s)

• Agricultural experiment stations -- Research -- Washington (State)
• Agriculture -- Experimentation
• Irrigation farming -- Washington (State)
• Agriculture
• Agriculture
• Colleges and University
• Photographs

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Detailed Description of Collection

Annual Reports:
			box	folder
Annual Reports  1936-1951			1	1-45
Annual Reports  1952-1960			2	46-66
Annual Reports  1960-1962			3	67-88.01
Annual Reports  1963-1965			3a	88.02-88.20
Annual Reports  1966-1969			3b	88.21-91.02
Annual Reports  1971-1974			4	92-114
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Research Documents:
			box	folder
Field Notes  1924-1951			4	115-124
General Reports			5	125-126
General Research  1955-1976			5	127-128
Research Records: W. O. Pruitt  1949-1953			5	129-142
Research Records (Legal Size)  1954-1957			6	142.01-.05
Research Records: W. O. Pruitt  1949-1953			7	143-178
Research Records: "Officials Records of the Interregional Research Project, IR-2,"  1955-1976			7	179
Research Reports  1952-1960			7	180-188
Research Reports  1922-1975			8	189-283
Research Reports  1924-1969			9	284-343
Research Reports  1938-1974			10	344-413
Specific Projects, Project 1205  1950-1960			10	414-427
Project 1732  1961-1965			10	428-435
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General Correspondence:
			box	folder
Project Outlines 1910, 1915, 1919 -- Correspondence "A-B," 1925			11	436-474
Alkali Soils 1925 -- Correspondence "I," 1929-1930			12	474.01-515
Edward C. Johnson, 1929 -- Horticulture, 1932			13	516-583
Edward C. Johnson 1932 -- Edward C. Johnson, 1935			14	584-642
Research 1935-1965 -- Horticulture Department, 1937			15	643-717
Correspondence "I," 1937 -- Irrigation Experiment Station, 1938-1940			16	718-801
Correspondence "J," 1938 -- Correspondence "G," 1939			17	802-888
Correspondence "H," 1939 -- Correspondence "Z," 1939			18	889-957
Correspondence "A," 1940 -- Returned Seed Corn Questionaire, 1940			19	958-1023
Rough Draft of Report to Dean Johnson 1940 -- Government Publications Ordered, 1941			20	1024-1086
President E.O. Holland 1941 -- Correspondence "Z," 1941			21	1087-1168
Correspondence "A," 1942 -- Edward C. Johnson and E.V. Ellington, 1942			22	1169-1229
Correspondence "K," 1942 -- Yakima Fruit Growers Association			23	1230-1300
Correspondence "A," 1943 -- E.L. Overholser, 1943			24	1301-1375
Correspondence "P," 1943 -- Gas Rationing Reports, 1944			25	1376-1459
Correspondence "H," 1944 -- Yakima Fruit Growers Association, 1944			26	1460-1527
Correspondence "A," 1945 -- J.D. Menzies, 1945			27	1528-1601
Missouri River Basin 1945 -- Columbia Basin Interagency Committee Meeting Minutes, 1946			28	1602-1660
County Extension Service 1946 -- Correspondence "X, Y, Z," 1946			29	1661-1745
Correspondence "A," 1947 -- Library, 1947			30	1746-1828
Correspondence "M-Mc," 1947 -- Correspondence "Z," 1947			31	1829-1905
Correspondence "A," 1948 -- Quarterly Report, 1948			32	1906-1992
Correspondence "R," 1948 -- Correspondence, 1949			33	1993-2063
Correspondence "D," 1949 -- Correspondence, "Z," 1949			34	2064-2174
Administration 1950 -- Experiment Station, 1950			35	2175-2227
Experiment Station 1950 -- Correspondence "Z," 1950			36	2228-2312
Correspondence "A," 1951 -- Irrigation Research, College and Bureau of Reclamation, 1951			37	2313-2366
Correspondence "J," 1951 -- Leonard Young, 1951			38	2367-2418
Correspondence "A," 1952 -- Correspondence "L," 1952			39	2419-2467
"Land Ownership ad Major Land Use--Columbia River Basin Area," 1952 -- Leonard Young, 1952			40	2468-2515
Correspondence "A," 1953 -- Correspondence "R," 1953			41	2516-2573
Correspondence "S," 1953 -- J.C. Knott, 1954			42	2574-2638
Correspondence "L," 1954 -- Leonard Young, Assistant to the Director, 1954			43	2639-2677
Correspondence "A," 1955 -- Leonard Young, Assistant to the Director, 1955			44	2678-2749
Correspondence "A-B," 1956 -- Crops Research, 1957			45	2750-2824
Correspondence "D-E," 1957 -- Animal Science, 1958			46	2825-2902
Annual Research Report, Parts I and II 1958 -- Aides Seminar, 1959			47	2903-2968
Animal Science 1959 -- Weeds, 1959			48	2969-3035
Agricultural Chemistry 1960 -- Wind, 1960-1962			49	3036-3089
Central Committee WSU Agricultural Advisory Board 1961 -- Irrigated Agriculture Research Center, Health Research Facilities Grant, 1961			50	3090-3137
Seminar 1961 -- Wind Erosion, includes Photographs, 1962			51	3138-3196
Agricultural Engineering 1963 -- Wind Erosion, 1963			52	3197-3243
Agricultural Engineering 1964 -- Land Use, 1965			53	3244-3327
Louis L. Madsen 1965 -- Hops Commission, 1966			54	3328-3397
Horticulture 1966 -- Superintendent's Meetings, 1966			55	3398-3461
Margin of Excellence, 1966 --Robert Kunkel  1968			56	3462-3529
Land Allocation 1969 -- Correspondence, 1979			57	3530-3600
"Alfalfa Production Under Irrigation," by H.P. Singleton -- Works Progress Administration, Extension  n.d.			58	3601-3631
Complete Files List  1988			58	3632
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