Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-09-19
ARE GETTING RESULTS.
Experiments In Irrigation at the College Of Agriculture
and Mechanic Arts.

Special Correspondence New Mexican.
Mesilla Park, N. NJ, Sept. II.
A continuous and undiminished flow
of 800 gallons of water from one six
inch well, or something over 6,40O cubic
feet per hour, which was used for irri-
eating alfalfa with an amount of wa
ter 2-3 inches deep at cost of $1.3O
per acre, is the first tangible result
from the well irrigation experiments
which are being conducted at the Ex-
pertinent station at Mesilla Park.
Press bulletin No. 66 is just being
mailed and gives a few detailed state
ments as to the cost of raising water
from wells for irrigation in the Mesilla
valley.
The actually demonstrated facts are
surprising. They have revealed a con-
dition Of things far more advanta-
geous than the most optimistic inves-
tigators had heretofore declared posi-
BILE. The experiment station sank a
six inch we'll 4S feet deep, and has
been using a variety of pumps with
both gasoline and steam power on this
well to see what amount of water can
be obtained. What the limit of the
we'll is has not yet been learned, but a
stream of over 800 gallons a minute
has been pumped from it for 80 hours
in a continuous run without any indi
cation of a decrease in the supply. The
pump used in this last test is a centri-
fugal pump made by r. D. Woods &
Co., of Philadelphia, and the power is
furnished by a 20-horse power boiler
and engine. The cost of fuel was 1925
a cord for wood. With this data it was
found that an irrigation three inches
deep could be pumped on alfalfa at
cost of 5S Is cents per acre. In "a hours
it was possible to cover IA acres of al
falfa three inches deep. BY running
such plant "a hours each day, that is
to say day and night a ranch of 1876
acres could be irrigated three inches
deep every IA days. BY running 10
hours each day ranch of SO 2-3 acres
could be irrigated three inches deep
every IA days.
A plant similar to the one with
which these tests have been made
could probably be installed by any far
mer for from $1,000 to $1,5OO. This would
give him what Is apparently an mex
haustible water supply that could be
put on his land at price little, if any,
in excess Of the price of irrigating from
community bitches.
What these figures mean to the far
ming regions of New Mexico can best
be appreciated by those who know the
value of water to the farmer. 1t means
for the Mesilla valley that the one
great cry 'Not enough water" Is hol-
low and vain. 1t means that every
farmer can have an Independent wa
ter supply at small cost and can farm
under conditions vastly superior, from
a money-making standpoint, to those
existing in California. where land and
labor are high and the cost of water
much greater than in New Mexico. The
time cannot be long distant when the
farmer and investor will realize the
Of these facts that have
been actually demonstrated on the ex-
pertinent station grounds and new
era Of prosperity opens up for this val
ley.
The F. H. Bascom Company of Las
Cruces, have been among the first peo-
pie to recognize the Importance of the
work Of the station. They have just
installed on the farm of Mrs. e. M.
above Las Cruces, plant
which is throwing a stream of water
much similar in capacity to that which
the college has produced. Other farm
ers are making arrangements for the
Of pumping plants, and the
question Is arousing much widespread
discussion and interest.
Albuquerque Fair $2.s5, return Oct.
13 to II.