Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-04-29

acres is not deemed too large. This is
especially the case with our bottom lands
where the water is within very few feet
from the surface. The river bottom is
composed of sand and silt to great
depth, which holds much water, even
should no water be flowing on the surface,
but the real problem is to get at the un-
derfow of the river bed itself, and this,
we believe, we shall get and probably &C.
complish."
"Have you got anything like a prsce-
dent to encourage you In thisF"
"Yes. The South Platte river, near
Julesburg, Colo, of much smaller size
than the Rio Grande, has a similar sand
bottom. A. G. Campbell, of Denver,
Colo, an irrigation engineer of national
repute, reported favorably uEon a pro jeot
to utilize the underaow sufficient to re-
claim about 10000 acres at Ogallala,
Neb. I understand it IL successfully
tapped and that the same is the case at
Guttenburg, Neb. San Diego city, for
many years, received its water supply
from the San Diego river by sinking
wells into the sand and bringing the
water to the surface by means of pumps.
These facts are simply mentioned to show
that theory and practice have united
in proving tho existence and practical
bility of bringing to the surface the un-
derAow water.
GAS the irrigation or season of use will
not exceed 12O days, it is easy to see that
great area may be irrigated by the
rivers flood supply if it can be oheaply
stored or otherwise utilized for distribu-
ton. We have cheap fuel, there being
over 10000 acres of semi-anthracite coal
on the property. Analysis place the fixed
carbon at from 751a to 70 per cent. Prof.
Robert T. Hill, the noted geologist, has
examined this coal as we'll as the whole
property; so has Col. Richard J. Hinton,
the irrigation expert, while engineers of
repute and practical constructors of irri-
gatiun works also report fayorably.
We can put our coal on the dump at q
very low cost, probably within rs cents
per ton, wherever the pumping works
may be constructed. In southern Cali
fornia pumping for irrigation purposes
is made to pay with coal at s. per ton,
and at Yuma, A. T.. it pays well with wood
at $3.50 ptr cord, equal to about Sc for
coal. l believe we shall eventually solve
this problem and by 80 doing enormously
help the whole of New Mexico, as we'll as
make our own lands valuable. am sure
that if we are successful on the Rio Grande
at San Marcial, and below, in utilizing
this river underflow that we shall be the
means of adding many million acres tn
the arabic area Of the dry west"
do you think then that in any event
irrigation will be permanently paying
investment"
"Yes, have not the slightest doubt Of
it, or should not be seeking to obtain
and invest in the plant thereof between
$l,OOOO,0OO and $2,OOO,OOO. Suppose tho
10000 acres of choice bottom and bench
lands, which are to be served by the West
Side ditch have spoken of we're all laid
down in alfalfa, for an example. The
first cost of bitches, cost of preparing
and leveling of land, the seeding, ETC.,
would not be far from 100000, or about
500 per acre. This land would produce
with ease the second year, at least three
and half tons of alfalfa per aero, and
the net return would certainly roach $40
per ton, or $35 per acre. In three years,
think under any emergency, when you
add the cattle fed on the pasture. and the
that will accrue to tho cattle
range and its profitable use, the entire
plant will have been paid for, principal
and interest. It must be borne In mind,
too, that the irrigation land areas are
nearly all adapted to fine fruits and
vegetables. The salubrity of tho climate
ia also remarkable. The New Mexico
valley of the Rio Grande is destined, like
California and the Salt River
valley in Arizona, to become a great fruit
growing center and health resort, and you
can rest assured its turn will soon cems."