Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-06

30 900 acres ready for artificial water
supply and for cultivation.
So far the thing stands rather in the
position of an experiment than otherwise
owing TO the shortness of the time since
il was set on foot, but every test yet
made has given the fullest satisfaction
II is too new for fruit trees 90 have come
into bearing under it, but few old fruit
trees that happened 10 fall within the
system have suddenly changed from
comparative bsrreness TO very marvels
of productiveness. Fruit growing, there
is every good reason for believing, will
be one of the huge features of the sys-
tenn. People are arranging 10 plant
large orchards and vineyards. One Vine
yard of more than hundre dacres set TO
the mission grape will materIalize this
coming winter.
Ali kinds of truck and vegetables are
giving immense crops throughout the
season. 1t is quite generally supposed
that the hot weather of SUNNI is
against vegetables the year round, but
this Pecos irrigation system has fully es-
tablished the fact that any such notion
is wholly without foundation-the hotter
and dryer the weather the better grew
the vegetables under artificial watering
Mr. Ford says It looks as if the Pecos
valley, under irrigation, would soon be
qualified to supply all the rest of the
world with garden truck and he threw
in sly hint to the effect that Fort
Worth would rot much longer find her
self lying under the necessity of sending
away TO California and Kansas for her
needed supplies in this line. We hope
so, and we further hope that seeing what
the PrcOs people are able TO do will open
the eyes of our own people to their home
interests sufficiently to bring about the
establishment of similar systems here.
We have in abundance everything needed
for "ruuning the machine.
Among the vegetables that Texas has
heretofore considered herself incapable
of raising is the onion from seed. Under
irrigation this crop has turned out most
extraordinary success in the Pecos r.
gion, rivaling il not actually surprising
the far famed Bermudas i'll poin. OF both
yield and quality.
A few general crops have been raised
on the Pecos under irrigation, such MS
corn, cotton, wheat, barley, rye and
alfalfa. The yield in each case has been
comparatively immense. Alfalfa is cut
six times in the same season, and the
yield has uniformly been q ton and
half of cured hay to the acre at each
cutting-niue tons TO the acre as the
season 8 crop. This hay is of such su-
perlOr quality that il has readily soil on
the market at SIS per ton-Sl35 TO the
acre, with no outlay to speak OF after
the seeding beyond that involved in the
cutting and baling. or course the reader
understands that when IN acre is set TO
alfalfa the crop is there TO stay, no re-
newal being called for.
Irrigation about Pecos City is managed
on an extremely liberal plan, the main
object held in view being 10 settle up the
region and run il rapidly into high state
of prosperity. The company having
charge OF the arrangement brings the
lands under the system and then sells
them at reasonable figures, guaranteeing
\ perpetual water right. A small sum
extra is charged for the water right to he
paid III easy installmtnts-sO soon as paid
up there will be no further outlay beyond
l light tax TO raise funds for keeping the
canals in order.
The irrigation system of which Mr..
Ford told Us lies at present on only one
'ide of the Pecos. The lands on the |
)ther side are equally as well adapted to !
aud hence the company will |
II once proceed to place them under the |
ystem by tuming water across the
tream from the main canal. The lands
luder the system. or TO be soon placed
luder it, are of much the same general
harscter as the Grand Prairie lands
Oout Fort Worth.
Is the near future to see such great irri-
Gtion systems taking shape in the Fort
Worth Waco artesian area? There is
Othing Whatever against it other than
he absence of will and o move. We
ave the landS-as good lands as the sun
yer shone upon-aud we can easily Sc
uFe the needed water by boring for it,
If course large areas of land might be
irrigated from such streams as the
rinity, but the water would need to be
fled By steam power. While we think
be thing might be protilably done in
his way, artesian wells would doubtless
fer cheaper means of securing the
alter supply, and We are quite sure
rtesinn water would answer the pur-
ose equally as we'll.