The Lamar register., 1898-09-14
WHERE cANTALoUPE IS KING.
District In Colorado Devoted to This
Meion.

Lincoln (Nebraskal State Journal,
written by Albert Watkins, who is
receiver OF the First National Bank.
of Alma. Nebraska. and the First
National Bank of Ponea in same state.
He was ut ono time editor OF the
Sioux City Tribune, and later Of a
daily paper at Lincoln.
The most important and remark
able irrigation system in the United
States is that Of tine Great Plains
Water Company, situated in the val
Icy Of the upper Arkansas. A brief
description of this great work will no
doubt be valuable to those interested
IN irrigation in Nebraska and also Of
general public interest.
The Arkansas river breaks away
from the mountains at Pueblo. Colo,
aud therefrom plows in southeast
erly course across the plains. The
water Of this river is used for irriga.
tion along the valley for distance of
about l5u miles from point not far
below Pueblo This uses up the river
and its channel IS bed of dry sand
for un indefiniieIy long distance east
Of the limit OF the irrigated district
But the notable feature of the plant
in question is the system OF great res
oryoirs, the most extensive of its kind
in the country Lamar. the capital
OF Prowers county, IS located on the
Arkansas. Il6 miles east Of Pueblo
From twelve to fifteen miles north
OF LEmar five large basins have been
utilized for reservoirs These basins
ara well within the uplnnds of the
plains and literally overlook the river
valley. Whether out Of a charitable
yindication OF the s,.;t:g.s ;iiss.s: ;siiiss.: .sIs's
an i'll wind that blows nobody good
or because there is no other explapa-
ton Of the existence Of these basins
as plausible, local tradition says they
have been scooped out by the wind.
Experimental knowledge OF the pow
ers OF this agency leads Nebraskan
10 accept the wind theory offhand
The total available area OF the reser-
voirs is 1900 acres upwards of
twenty square miles, Their beds are
gradual incline from circumference
TO center and they carry in their
deeper parts sixty to eighty feet Of
water. Their beds are gradual in
cline from circumference 70 center
aud they carry in their deeper parts
SIXTY to eighty feet OF water. Their
total capacity is 10000 acre feet,
that is, water sufficient TO cover that
number OF acres to the depth of one
foot. The great canal or ditch which
feeds these reservoirs is eighty miles
long, sixty feet wide at the bottom,
eighty feet wide a, the surface, car
ries SIX and half feet of water with
volume OF 2000 cubic feet per sec
ond. II will till the reservoirs in from
forty 10 fifty DAYS. The Amity is an
other great ditch wich is part of
the reservoir system. Its total length
on main bitches exceeds lao miles.
There are minor bitches in the dis
trict not connected with the sytem in
question. The reservoirs are replen
i4hed constantly with all the surplus
water of the river not used in actual
irrigation. II Is furnished in the
main from May 90 to September l.
The main bitches run across the
north end of Prowers county from
west to east, distance OF thirty six
miles. The system will irrigate 235,
600 acres of arabic land i'll the coun-
tv named. $4,000 acres of which are
under cultivation and half of this
acreage is given up to alfalfa 1t
Yields three tons per acre gross each
wear. There are 10000 acres under
this system outside Prowers county.
While alfalfa is at present the great
product of this section of the Arkan-
sas valley, yet farmers now realize
that in their business as in Others
there is no royal road to riches, that
they have been growing too much of
this one article and they are pushing
corn ahead so as to keep the cattle
from the ranges which are now sent
east and feed them at home. thus
using up the alfalfa as well as the