Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1900-12-22
HOME IRRIGATION,
Civil Engineer HsrOun Says Much
Land Can Be Reclaimed.
the OlO SPANISH SYSTEM.

ing land which would have no superior
in the whole world.
This h the statement made by y. n.
Harroun. OF this city, n civil engineer,
and one Of the btat-knOwn irrigation /
experts in the wet and southwest. Mr
Harr0un emphasizes the supplementary l
statement that 90 reclaku this vast
tract Of land congress must Institute |
and control the irrigation system. II
the work b. left to private and cofpo-
rate enterprise not more than 1000 900
acres can b. reclaimed. In view ~
these possibilities. the cliiaena o. New |
Mexico are vitality interested IA me
proceedings Of the irrigation congress 20 |
be held In Chicago this week. They |
hops that congress win recommtnd con-
sressional action on the question. be-
iieving. a. Mt Harroun does. that this
n the only solution Of the problem
There are so.00o. 900 SQUARE acres Of
land In New Mexico and only 100000 OF
them under irrigation Of any form. Ex-
eept IN few instances these systems OF
irrigation are OF spanish origin and
have bcen IA vogue for the last 900
years Mr.. Harroun says that he n con-
ndont that the Indians used them Svtn
before the sraniards came here from
Old Mexico That such systems are un-
scientific and wholly inadequate IL OBJ
vlouB
But even these crude ana antiquated
systems demonstrate the poasib utilities
from an agricultural point OF view, OF
New Mexico ~ intelligence were used
IN the water distribution. II Il a mis.
taken dca that New Mexico i waste
Of desert. beyond the possibility OF rec
lamati0n. Wherever lands have been
reclaimed and put to agricultural pur-
poses the highest results have been OBJ
iained. Two and three and In some In
stances four cropa are raised. New
Mexican wheat was awarded a priae AZ
the worlds Fair In 1898. Cereais, fruit
and vegetables raised on land even In
sufficiently irrigated compare favorabiy
with similar products OF the banner
states Of the country. Nor can u be
said that farming haa been intelligenily
assayed IA this country. those who fol-
low Il being IN most instances humble
people without means. who are unable
by want % capital TO prosecute II to
its full degree.
Irrigation In New Mexico" says Mr.
Harroun. "is wholly confined 20 tn
valley OF the Rio 0rande, the lower Pc
Coz. the head waters OF the Canadian.
and the upper portions OF the valley
o. streams furnishing a =srennial wa
ter supply. leaving the Vast bodies OF
arabic lands between sources OF sup
ply and the trunk streams. unimprovcd.
Scientific development Of the water
! supply Tor irrigation has been under
taken IN bat two sections Of the terri
tory. on the lower Pecos by the Pecos
Irrigation and improvement company.
and In the upper Canadian district by
the Maxwell land grant company. To
day there are the most WEALTHY and
prosperous sections OF New Mexico
thousands Of acres now IN cultivation.
where before there was little or none"
OLD sPANIsH SYSTEM.
The old Spanish system continued
Afr. Harroun. lis made by merely cut
ting a hole In the side Of the bank
against which the river impinges, and
plastering II UP with stone. grass and
brush. all OF which IL weighted down by
heavy powders. Through this cut into
ditch the water Of the river "a divert
"a. There are no regulating gates o.
sluices whatever. These bitches carry
a surplus % water. aud As conso.
aueuce the use and waste OF water are
excessive The surplus water In the ir
rigated fisid and the ditcheu is allowed
to and ice own way 90 the river and th'
result Is that during irrigation SEASON
from April TO Nov. /, the roads ar
almost impassa BILE and nearly a. muci
land 10 In swapms az 10 IN cul
tivatlon with this system OF irrigatleI
Il 10 little surprising that New Mexico
which has a climate unsurpassed b.
any country on the globe. IL contemp
tuousiy referred % a. an arid desert.
New Mcxicos natural water suppl
has been deprecated by Colorado OF
the north and Texas on the south. II
both Of those states intelligent irriga
ton methods have diverted the water
which nature intended for New Megieo
But even where streams are absent wa
ter IL found in abundance At an aver
4 age depth % IL feet below the surfaes
a This IL reached by Arteaian wells
which II pumped and spread over IN
Z land by a small gasoline pump. Wher
1 this system has been used land Ia
/ been reclaimed a. a cost OF 81 an acre.
That there are those who are willin
10 put their money into irrigation sys
= TENS IN this territory IL evidenced b,
! the fact that an English syndicate Wit
capital OF 81, 500. 600 10 already organ
iEed 20 build an International dar
across the Rio Orande al ri PAso. Tea
At the head OF this organization Il Co
A Arson Mills. formerly OF the Unite
n States army, and now IN Washington
8 owing 90 certain complications IN
work Of conslrucling the dam has bee
suspended n was held by some tina
the obstruction % the river was a VIC
iation of the federal law regarding n
damming o. navigabie streams, tn
federal lanl efIice was appealed 20 an
the commissioners ruled that 70 diver
] sion OF the Rio Grande could h, mad,
= This ruling was generally satisfactor
10 the citizens Of New Mexico becaus
p Il held the whole system In abeyAno
until come DEFINITE system OF irriga
= ton could be settled upon and the cues
. ton OF national control OF lrrlgaiio
= placed before congress.
: with the government controlling th
Irrigation system. New Mexico woul
4 proht immeasurahiy by increased pop
9 ulation, development OF resources an
n thus directly benent the whole e0untr
. Al large. by her products and deman
!. for the products o. other states and IA
A increase In the taxes 10 the federal gov
eminent the territory would man
times over repay the money cxpende
(, for the proper distribution Of waite
within its limits
. When the s0mach IL tired out Il mus
|. have a reat. but We can't live withOu