The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-02-09
LARGEST COTTON RANCH
L. In Mexico and Covers 175 Square
Miles.

/ Is located In the republic Of Mexico
within the Tiahualilo cuerica or cotton
belt that lies between the watershed
of the Rio Grande and the ,Bolson de
Mapimi. There are l75 square miles
under cultivation covered with the
snowy blossoms for miles.
In 1889 a project was formulated for
carrying ditch across the desert to
the head of the Tialluelilo cuenca and
converting the whole area into huge
hacienda. Juan Llamedo, : Spanish
capitalist Of Mexico City, undertook
the enterprise in which he was aided
by the Federal government of Mckee.
The preliminary survey showed that
the lowest level of the basin to be
irrigated was about 100 feet below the
point on the river Nazas, which it was
proposed to dam that the main canal
would require development Of 80
miles and that tie slope OF the lands
within the basin was such that about
175 square miles out of the 21O COM
posing the basin could be advantage
ously irrigated. Since then by the
aid of modern engineering and Ameri-
can machinery 175 square miles have
been placed under cultivation. This
| required money and men and high
degree of engineering capability. The
plan of irrigating was entrusted by
Mr.. Llamedo to Jose Farias. Span
ish engineer. An estate of 10000
acres lying on the river Nazas and
controlling the water supply was pur-
chased, and rip-rap was thrown across
the river at point where it is about
1,500 feet wide at the food. This
constituted dam, and from the dam
the line of the main canal was traced
to the entrance of the Tiahualilo
basin, 80 miles. The canal was made
72 feet deep, with grade of from 18
inches to three feet to the mile, ex-
cept as to one particular section.
This canal terminated in distribu-
ting tank to the entrance of the irriga-
BILE area, from whence it bifurcatcd,
one arm clasping the western side of
the basin and the other the eastern,
and both having the same average
grade. One Of them was 15 miles in
length, 30 feet wide at the bottom,
and with depth of feet, while the
other sub-canal was 13 miles in length,
with width of 36 feet at the bottom
and depth of feet.
Transverse bitches, at right angles
to the side braaches, were then laid
out and all the land thus laid open to
irrigation was set out In blocks of
uniform size, each containing Mexi-
can sitio, conventional area measur-
ing nearly 1900 acres. The total
ditching called for under the plan in
cluded the main canal of 80 miles. the
fTst sna second branch canals, respec-
lively, Of Is and 10 miles 20 miles Of
transverse canals, SO miles Of parallel
bitches, and 400 miles Of distributing
bitches. Total excavation called for
was about 100000 cubic yards for
the main canal, and for all other canals
and bitches on the first section about
{, AGO. 900 cubic yards. The first sec
tion involved so square miles. From
1900 to 5000 poems we're employed
on the work, and little over year
vas occupied in digging the main
canal. The most approved agricul-
turaf implements and utensils had
been imported in advance from the
United States. Upon the completion
Of the bitches each of the sitios was
placed under the management Of an
administrator, and the general admin
istration was located on the hacienda
of Zaragoza, some eight miles down
the basin from the distributing tank,
and nearly &c the center, being prepar-
ed for cultivation. Extensive build
ings we're also erected, consisting of
steam cotton gin and oil mill for;hand-
ling the cotton seed oil, soap factory
for utilizing the oil product ; cotton
press and an electric light plant.
Such is sketch Of the big cotton
fields in Durango, made possible by
modern irrigation engineering. The
rain fall in the Bolson de Mapimi is
confined to few days Of heavy show
ers about the beginning Of June and
the beginning Of December. But up
in the mountains of Durango, where
the Nazas is born, the rain fall at the
same season is heavy and protracted,
resulting in high water in the river,
which lasts several weeks at time,
and it is during these freshets that
-. Al.