The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-07-22

q
day. lie told me the sugar acreage Of all
Texas was about 10000 acres. and sue
cessiul crop would bring che planters
S9Oo,0 900 gross. Don't you think II probable
that 1t may Day you to further investigate
in industry in which capital (mostly
Northern capital) has been invested TO the
extern; Of SSO0,000 in your own State? For
we are surely going 10 equal. and lator TO
excel. the development already made along
these lines in our neighbortnK State.
do not approach the figures OF many OF our
rice enthusiasts when ! state that we have
in the Texas coast country not less than
:. 900 600 acres OF available rice land. And
when l say available" / believe l speak
adyisedly. Any OF the knowing ones will
promptly inform you that available rice
land means available water, and plenty
of 1t, And he Is emlnently correct. The
earliest rice growing n Loulsiana--in
Western Northumberland or TWEEN
ty-three years ago was all done on what Is
called the providence plantation Where
It could be done dams were thrown across
natural draws or drains on the prairie,
the wider the Slough the better. storm
waters were held and let out as needed
on lower lands-mostly continuation OF
the same slough below the dam. But
Providence" was not always kind. Some
times It was excessive drouth which friz-
zled up his rice, sometimes excessive rains
success. but on the whole II was very
ptecarious turning. Later came the pump
and canal Many tide water bayous Of
Gered an apparently lneXhaustib.e supply
Of fresh water. Fumes were constructed
from the edges O! these bayous on level
with the highest ridges OF the prairie lands
SO be flooded, and canals on the prairie
we're built mt dug 10 connect With the
DUNES. Great p6nps were put in place at
che bayous and made 40 raise perfect
rlvres OF water twenty. thirty or forty
feet. The canal is always Duilt like two
1 parallel railroad entertainments on the
highest ridge Of the prairie. the surface
OF the ridge being The bottom Of tho canal,
50 that all water, once In the canal, Will
flow Out and down upon the surrounding
lands. Many smaller laterals are con
structed to- convey water at the same
level TO more distant fields. The canal
company charges q toll Of two sacks Cor
Darrel) per acre FOR water supply. some
times The toll is oue-hfth OF the crop,
and some Of the companies give the plant
ers an option TO pay either one-htth or
two sacks providing that they regard ten
barrels per acre as d safe average yield
Unless one see d.. / don't think any words
OF mine will give a proper conception Of
the vast amount OF water sent surging
out OF these canals and on the rice fields
The canals, OF course vary DO size. leug h
anu V"peCa' p MuloI'"b i,Vu 49, w -I 80.
~ "a PHunP' " ,.ie Ill
Texas have capacity OF 30 900 gallons q
minute. a river on which coastinB
schooner or small river steamboat might
float is sent whtrhng through the nume.
a., o+,1 I'm, ,,,s, l,r s,,rrly - tho cttlos
~ unust,r s,,d Cnivaeton cor1b,nad And
ali Ms wat@r is nse6 mn an little over
1000 acres although IT is estimated the
. same supply will cover 5000 acres mex,
season when the old levees will ne thor
, oughy puddled and water laid. and eeepage
D. atopped Evaporation during he dry sea
] son is estimated to he oue-half inch 10
% twenty four hours This VIII require
/ water supply per acre OF $1,000 gallons PEI
( day $40 gallons per hour or nine gallout
. per minute, Loss OF water from any cause
. other than evapora'io on is so slight as tC
9 be hardly appreclahle.
e But what o. these 1000 600 acres O
r available rice auds j mentioned? Is watei
+ available And If not. why do 1 class
Il them as rice lands? Canals can not reacl
y them all Now we come to a problem tina
J" was q problem But it is answered Land.
= under" canals can not be oough FOR
" less than $40 TO $50 per acre Equa y
W good lands yes. even better land, ia man,
~ Instances, beautiful smooth iaude. viii
fne drainage close TO railroad station
M etc. can bs bought al from 81 20 $40 pc
~, acre. because they can not be reached b!
- water from The canals or bayous The
"a are worthless Tor rice growing un es
40 water eau Dee had. What were we TO dl
~ for water for these hundreds of thousand
W OF acres of lands ideal I'm every respec
re for rico growing And again the an5we
" came from Louisiana, aud me answer Wa
A. Irrigation by wells
AT slightly varying DEPTHS AZ v4rlou
In places. lou ieet l65 fact lsu feet. 400 fee
10 or 2uG fee. decp. a thirty 70 forty 100
stratum OF water hearing sand was found
IN The water sNgbtlv foweJ over the sYrfa,,
A. at come wells. al others rose Within .
10, 4 -, or feet OF the surface Sir an,
NJ eight inch wells we're borod 70 this strat
as um. we're bored nv rotating ma casinq
~ which had n tb.rty-foot virs wrrrns,
/ slrainer at the bottom and a little Nide
"a than the casing mt The bortom NJ IN,
- ytrainer. A twp-ineh nine down the MIA
IS, die of the easing connected win a siear
a pump was made to throw a strong stresr
- OF water al the bottom Of tho casino an,
washed ana drove The earthly core n,tsid
the pipe uo to The ton When me strain
er was SUM, thirty feet or more inn IN
water hearing sand stratum The wal W.
complete CeptrifueaI or nrop.Iler npmn
o. were suulied "a +ba ueus and 6r,,o, =
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