Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-04
WATER FOR THE srAKED PLAINS,
Irrigation for the Llano Estacado or Staked
Plains a Prscticabili,ys

Irrigation for the Llano Estacado or staked
Plains Prscticabili,ys
The Ssaked Plsins is a vast table land
embracing large portion of Western
Texas and that portion of New Mexico
east of the Rocky mountains, section OF
country nearly as large as the thirteen
original states Of the Uniop, with 8 soil
naturally as fertile IS the valley OF the
Nile.
OF this vast section but little has bsen
known till the LAST few years, in fact, not
till its southern border was traversed by
the Texas and Pacific Railroad. In all this
vast territory there has been but little
effort made at farming until
the l.st four or five years,
out sufficient 10 prove that
with the proper rainfall the soil will yield
the richest Of harvests. Bordering upon
the Stsked Plains are the counties OF
Callahan, Taylor, Jones, Tom Green, etc,
which have very much the same character
OF land where farming has been conducted
with some little system for several years,
but has been rendered more or less un-
profitable by periodical drouths. and for
the last two years has been almost COM
piete failure. The reports of the Weather
Bureau for the last ten years show that
during this time there has not been year
but that the rainfall has been sufficient, II
the surplus could be stored away for use
in time of droutb, to serve all needs.
The writer has been S resident of
Abilene, Taylor county, for the last two
years and has been led BY close observa-
ton 10 believe that ell this country will
Jon be placed under system Of irriga-
ton based upon the principle that the
rainfall OF this country is ell that Is
needed, but as they are periodical and al
ways crest surplus when they do come
this surplus must be stored for future
use. During eighteen months of the
drouth of 1856 and 1887 the writer OBJ.
served that every creek, every cavern
and every gully in the county would run
bank full from two hours rain. Hav-
ing for several years lived in the central
portion of the state where it requires 8
solid week OF rain to start
the creeks the writer set about to ascer-
tain the reason Of this difference in the
two sections. lie saw that in contrast
to the great cracks and the looseness of
the land OF Johnson, Dallas and Ellis
counties the land of this section is very
compact and readily turns the heavy
rains, and that only the slow rains, which
are the exceptionshere, thoroughly sstu-
rate the ground; further, that this ground
holds water like jug, and that TANKS
lose only by evaporation and will catch
full of water every time it rains. There
is little stream, about twenty miles
n
the timbers in Callahan county and flows
four miles from Abilene.
During about eighteen months OF the
celebrated drouth OF 1886 and 'S7 the
writer noticed that there was not four
weeks of all that time, with the exception
of about two months in the early part Of
1887, but that this stream came down
bank full. Further, he noticed that this
whole section Is traversed by system Of
draws and small streams on which excel
lent tanks can be built at small cost.
That By this means sufficient water may be
had for irrigation the writer has no doubt,
and the gentle rolling nature of the coun-
try is Just suited to that system Of irriga-
ton called ch-work, which all writer's
on the subj set say is the most profitable.
Now tnat water may be
hand and the face of the
country Just suited for irrigation, the
next question is what means eau be en-
ployed for lifting the water from the tank
and conducting it over the land. With
out bothering the reader with scientific
terms we will just state that every man
who knows the power of steam and the
weight of water knows that ten-horse
power can raise cubic foot Of water to
the second fifty feet high. Now build
your tank, say with q capacity of one acre
water, ten inches deep to every ten acres
of land to be irrigated. This is more
water than will be needed in this country,
but the IDEA is to have 8 big
tank. 1t costs but little N IRE than
q small one and is q good
thing to have anyway. Place your en-
CINE at the tank and lay piping about
eighteen inches under ground from the
engine TO q reservoir, mere pond dug
out upon the highest part of the land to
be irrigated. From this reservoir dig the
main ditch along the highest ground.
From this main at proper intervals run
smaller bitches at the proper distance
AND proper angles over the land. When
100 acres Of land are laid OF this way q
ten horse power engine can, 10 twenty
four hours cover the entire field one irch
under water, lifting the water fifty feet
high, which is as high as 1t will ever nave
to De raised in this country.
Now we challenge any man who has
any knowledge of mechanics to take his
slate and pencil and prove from the prem.
ises laid down that this system for irri-
eating the great staked plains is not the
oreticslly feasible. We think that in view
Of the great good that might result from
the practical application Of this system il
demands the attention OF every thinking
msn in Western Texas. The feasibility
OF this plsn we respectfully submit to the
scientific men and civil engineers Of
Texas. In. TAYLOR,
Texas Military Ins:isne, Belle Plains
Tex.
1faoamks.1 mornise WITH bit
tert6sse ipfhe outh, kted Aongue
phsps ] edac9 yogEfHy 49, torpid