The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-11-06
FA RMING BY ELECTRICITH.
Modern Methods to- BE Applied
to Texas Rice Fields.

Twenty-Five thousand acres of rice
land irrigated by wells operated by
electricity from central power-housc;
free power and free seed for tenants,
tenants paying onc-half The crop to the
landowners, and sending the tenants
share Of the crop to the central mill to
be millcd at current rates; light to be
furnished at nominal cost by the cen
trail owor-house; no farm of less than
200 acres, and no tonants who have
notprovcd themselves capable farmers;
tenants to have tho privilege of rlac-
ing their half of their crops III the hands
of tho mill marketing agent.
The project isathat of 9. w. Hahl,
of Houston, Texas, and is outlined as
follows IN the New Orleans Times
Democrat:
"Canal irrigation is dependent upon
surface water supply, which is subject
to drouth. In such times, if tho water
in tho canal DO low, or the supply from
the canal is fed or limited, the farmers
further from the pumping plant do not
tarc as well rs those nearer the plant.
Throughout the 25,00O.acrc tract
owned Ivy the corporation, test wells
al frequent intervals of distance have
proved the existence Of water supply
which gives Indications of being GER
tain and mcXhaustiblc. The supply ls
relatively near the surface, and rises
in the wells TO within about ton feet
OF the surface under normul condi-
tlons, ana il is presumed that even in
severe drouLh the subsurface pressure
will maintain the water in the wells at
Il depth bat few feet greater than
normal.
"Thc tenants must supply their
own farming implements, stock, etc.
The corporation will furnish tho power
Tor the pumps, tho connections may
be made to operate tho pump or pumps
on each farm by either tho tenant or
by tho poworhouse on application of
tho tenant.
/" 1t is probable that the power house
will also supply electric light for all
tenants who want such lights, the ton
ants paying n nominal price. Light
can be furnished at small additional
cost to the pOwor-hOuse, and the cor
poration will rely for its profits on It's
30 per cent. of onch tenants product
and the profit at current rates of mill
ing all the tenants share of the aggrc-
| SohII tIol's
"Thc project is cooperative, but
not bcncliccnt, and no land will be lot
tc amy tenant who is not financially
and otherwise capable Of operating a
2O0-acrc farm. The present plan is to
let farms of from 200 to 300 acres.
The powor-housc will supply pow
or for the mill as we'll as the pumps.
Professor Knapp recently pointed
out that the obstacle in the way of ex-
tension Of the. ricc-growing industry
was the difficulty Of guaranteeing an
adequate irrigation supply from the
surface streams said Mr.. Iuhl. 1--WE
have solved this problem. Subsurface
water rising to within few feet of
the surface, electric power to lift 1T tc
stitutcs wcro held and were attended
! by over half q million farmers. The
Institutes were held in forty. three
Statcs and Territories. During tho
last three, years the progress has beer
if anything greater than at any prevl
GUS time, though the exact figures ar,
not yet coilated.' 1t is safe to say tha
now in this: country over 100000
being spent annually for farmers in
sCltutcs. '''...