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

What is probably the largest indi-
vidual cotton plantation in the world
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 175 square miles
under cultivation covered with the
snowy blossoms for miles.
In 1889 project was formulated for
carrying ditch across the desert to
the head of the Tiahualilo 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 Mexico.
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 a development of 80
miles and that tie slope of the lands
within the basin was such that about
175 square miles out Of the 2lO COM
posing the basin could be advantage
ously irrigated. Since then by the
aid Of modern engineering and Ameri-
can machinery IT'S 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 Farjas: a 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
1900 feet wide at the flood. 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 a grade Of from Is
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 bifurcated,
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 10 miles in
length, 30 feet wide at the bottom,
and with depth Of 5 feet, while the
other sub-canal was 13 miles in length,
with width of 36 feet at the bottom
and depth Of 6 feet.
Transverse ditches, at right angles
to the side branches, were then laid
out aud 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 $500 acres. The total
ditching called for under the plan in
cluded the main canal Of 80 miles, the
first and second branch canals, respec-
lively, of Is and l3 miles /; 20 miles of
transverse canals, so miles of parallel
bitches, and 400 miles of distributing
bitches. Total excavation called for
was about 3,7oO,OOO cubic yards for
the main canal, and for all other canals
and bitches on the first section about
3, 400, 900 cubic yards. The first Sec
ton involved 80 square miles. From
1000 to 5000 poems were employed
on the work. and little over year
was occupied in digging the main
canal. The most approved agricul-
tural 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 all
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 in the center, being prepar-
ed for cultivation Extensive build
ings were also erected, consisting of a
steam cotton gin and oil mill for,hand-
ling the cotton seed oil, il soap factory
for utilizing the oil product cotton
press and an electric light plant.
Such is a sketch of the big cotton
fields in Durango, made possible by
modern irrigation engineering. The
rain fall in the Bolson de Mapmi is
confined to few days of heavy show
crs about the beginning Of June and
the beginning of December. But up
in the mountains of Durango, where
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