El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-08-15
IRRIGATION
WORK In UTAH
Described For the Herald BY
Leading Mormons.
CAPITALIZED LABOR
The Secret OF the Success OF These
Wonderful pioneers OF the Arid
Belt.-HoW To Combat h1kdIi.-
The Mormon Scientific Expedl-
tion.

|
tien.
Mormon experiments and experience
in irrigation and agriculture in she
arid west are full of fruitful sugges-
tions for those who are engaged in
| agricultural pursuits in this region.
When the Aormons entered gsah the
country was desert that, to the
American traveller unacquainted with
presented . nest hopeless spectacle.
The Mormons have made this dss-
ert . beautiful, productive and profit
able farming country. They have done
it all by the application of common
sense and hard work, with compare
lively little money.
Many Of the problems of agriculture
which the people of this part OF the
Rio GrAnde are still trying to solve,
have been successfully worked out by
the Mormons in U tab, in Arizona, and
among the colonies one hundred and
hfty to two hundred miles south west Of
El Paso in Old Mexico.
A representative of the HERALD
called upon two of the leading mem-
bers of the Mormon church at the
Hotel 4 sigsr In this city yesterday
and had q long conversation with them.
The men In question are Joseph F..
Smith and DR.. S. B. Young of Salt
Lake City, who stopped two or three
days here on their way back from q
trip into Mexico. Mr.. Smith lie q son
Of the founder of the church and is the
second counselor OF the present head
ef the church, President Lorenzo
Snow. DR.. Young, who is a nephew of
the late Brigham Young, 10 ''presi-
dent of the seven presidents of seven
ties" which means that he is the
official head of the missionary
organization of the church.
These men were asked for some expres-
sion as to the apparent resem blances
and differences between the arid lands
of Utah and those they have seen
ern New Mexico and about e Paso.
Mr.. Smith did most Of the talking and
expressed himself freely and with
evident desire to say anything which
he could that might be helpful to our
farming people.
"The climate here seems wonderful
ly fine for pr oducing almost every
thing" said Mr. Smith, IF only you
can get water for irrigation. 1t ap-
pears to me- that you have one OF the
richest and most promising sRricultur-
al districts that can be found.''
What has been your experience in
Utah in the treatment of alksli soils?"
Mr. Smith was asked.
TREATMENT OF ALkALI SOIL
"Some OF the worst slkali soil in
Utah originally" replied Mr.. Smith,
sis now among our best and most
productive lands, yielding forty to
sixty bushels of wheat per acre and
other things in proportion. These
lands were so strongly impregnated
with tho worst form of alkali. the So
called black alkali, fifty years ago that
nothing but salt grass and similar
vegetation would grow on them.
1--WE have found that the best crop
clover. 1t will grow where nothing
else of value will, and it takes up the
alkali until the eround Is fit for grow
ing other crops. 1t is better than
beets for this purpose and will grow
where the alksli IL too strong for
beets. Sweet clover 10 also very va
Iuable as honey plant and We grow
it largely for bee feed"
Mr.. Smith stated that Mormon ool0-
nists in Arizona had similar experience
in the reclamation OF elkali lands by
cropping With sweet olover. Where
plenty of water 10 available the lands
are also flooded and the alkali washed
ous 20 far a. possible, the washing pre-
cess being repeated in successive
years.
STORAGE RESERVOIRS.
Regarding the solution OF the pro-
blsm of securing water for irrigation,
the building and maintenance of
reservoirs and canals. aud the equit-
able distribution of water from year to
year, Mr.. Smith said:
"what troubles your people most in
their efforts To secure water does not
trouble us at all. You have to have q
combination of capital, great invest
ments of money. in order to store and