Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-09-06
THE STORAGE OF WATER.
Advantages Of Irrigation During Periods Of
Dr0uth.

Drouth.
If the farmer could get lone good
sized rain" in June, or at such times
when drouths prevail, he would be able
to a v his crops, as we'll as secure large
yields, instead of having everything
burnt up" as the expression is when
applied to such conditions. The lack of
moisture at a critical period in the
growth of a crop may so reduce the
yield as to entail a loss, and every year
the great army of farmers are confront
ed with the impending danger of long
drouth, with no remedy at hand to nit
igate it's effects. At the same time there
may be an abundance of water in the
rivers and other streams flowing away
to the sea that should be rendered SER
viceable. In the extreme west, where
rains are not frequent during the grow
ing season, water is brought from great
distances with the aid of canals, and
becomes a commercial article, but in
this section the farmer has an abundant
supply of moisture from August to
May, with occasional showers from
May to August, but sometimes there
will be a period Of from two to eight
weeks when moisture will be lacking
and the ground becomes hard and dry,
this dry period occurring at the season
Of the year when moisture is most need
ed for field and garden crops. With the
assistance Of thorough cultivation, and
keeping the top soil loose, the moisture
from drouth greatly lessened, but there
Is a large amount of water that might
be stored and utilized If proper appli-
ances were resorted to.
STORAGE OF WATER.
Water cannot be stored on all farms,
as the facilities for so doing may not be
favorable. Much depends upon the con-
formation of the land, the streams
thereon, the distance of pumping the
water, the cost of materials for reser-
voirs, the elevation Of the water by
steam, wind or water power, and the
kind of crops grown, but there are
many farms possessing advantages for
irrigation that would entail but a small
cost on their owners in utilizing the
water that flows away in the fall, win
ter and spring, leaving the ground dry
at the very time when but a few inches
of water would be worth hundreds of
dollars. Large and expensive reservoirs
are not required where rains assist the
crops, as only sufficient water need be
months of the year, and it may be hat
only n application of water will an
swer the purpose required. A large
tank, filled by the power derived from
the air, as secured with windmills, may
cover a surface of ground sufficiently,
and as the windmill will be at work day
and night all water used will be quickly
replaced by more in a few hours. Pumps
worked by engines are used by some
farmers, and, in fact, any method that
will force water to some storage re-
ceptacle at a small cost will answer.
For the running streams small overshot
wheels are nov used for pumping wa
ter, and they are so constructed as to
be operated by even a small stream
from a pipe, as the wheel will turn
whenever the boxes are full, whether
the volume of water be little or much,
and their cos is low, hence there are
ample appliances and c~ontrivances
reach Of the farmer for reducing
the liability of damage from drouths.
APPLICATION OF MOISTURE.
No system a be presented for APP
moisture to land, as each farm
must be managed according to the ad-
vantages 1t possesses and the obstacles
that may be in the way. II the land is
so situated that the water may be
near the fields and applied by
gravity there will be a great saving in
cost. In some cases sub-irrigation may
be preferred, and on small plots, where
flowers, small fruits and vegetables are
YER the sprinkling of the
surface by the use of automatic sprin-
klers may prove satisfactory, though in
such cases a heavy loss due to evapora-
ton Will sometimes occur. ~ matters
not how the water Is applied to the
crops, as each farmer will be compelled
to adopt the easiest and best methods
according to circumstances, but 1t Is
important at this season Of the year for
all farmers to consider the ACCESSIBILITY
of storing water when 1t is plentiful to
be used at the time when It Is scarce
and badly wanted. If the farmer a see
the advantage of storing ensilage for
winter use. or in preserving fruits and
other articles for the future. why should
he not use some method Of taking care
of the large supply Of water when it is
abundant by constructing reservoirs for
that purpose? That this matter has not
long ago received more attention is sur
prising, as farmers in this section re-