Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1903-02-06

/ tershed. Suffice it to say, it Is rich
adobe which under water will produce
abundantly. Experiments go to show
that 30 bushels of wheat to the acre is a
conservative estimate, while corn, OATS
barley and alfalfa, as well as fruits and
Vegetables of all kinds will yield largely
AS wheat crop would be raised upon
winter rains, with one irrigation in the
spring, the bulk of the water stored
would be available for other crops.
The land which will come under the
dam is naturally level and free from
trees and brush, but several varieties
of grass grow luxuriantly and the coun-
try is at present a model range for cat
tle The soil contains sand enough to
make it easily tillable and it would be-
come richer and more pliable the more
| it is irrigated, as the water from the re-
servoir would contain considerable
percentage of fertillizing material
washed down from mountain and plain
by each succeeding Storm The possi-
bili.ies of a ranch under conditions like
these can be fully appreciated by those
familiar with farming by irrigation. To
the eastern farmer it would be a para
disc.
AS there is range for many more cat
tie than are kept at the present time
owing to lack of water, it is likely the
cattle business would prove a source of
II. ;,,+n cd tn
enterprise. Mining would also receive
great impetus, as there would be
| portion of the year when the ranch
would not need the presence of the
male members of the family and with
intelligent development the mines ada
cent to the reservoir could be made to
pay well, there being deposits of ore for
miles in every direction from the dam
site.
| Considering it's proximity to good
markets, the assurance of unlimited
| water, a wonderfully fertile soil, eli
mate unequaled in all the world for
healthfuness the numerous industries
| to be fostered by the project, the large
profits which will accrue to investors
| for money advanced and to ranchers
! for labor expended, the certainty OF
permanency of improvements, the very
small cost of original improvements
compared with value Of results, and
last though not least, the influence of
successful consummation of the enter
prise would have upon other irrigation
projects in the territory there seems
no good reason why the work Of con-
struction should be hindered for the
want of encoura cement by capital.
Engineers are now in the field max
ing all necessary surveys, and the
company has made application to the
irrigation commission for 1000 acres of
land at the north end Of the mountains
below the reservoir site. The survey
now being made is at the request of the
commission, and as soon as the land Is
set aside the company will begin work.
The storage of this water will be the
beginning of the actual utilization of
the arid lands of the tornado del Muer-
to. Inc promoters nope 10 get aTrdISe-
= ments completed so as to store the
rainfall of the coming summer, or at
least portion of 1t.
Another commendable feature of the
enterprise is that no waste water Will
pass over the dam, but will pass away
over limestone ridge mile and half
further east, so that should there be a
great overflow at any time the cultiva-
ted lands would not be injured by It.
The flood waters from this great wa
tershed have for centuries gone to
waste for want of a storage reservoir,
but now many thousands Of acres OF
rich, fertile land which only produce
gramma grass for pasturage are to be
brought under cultivation, and homes
for many people created, where but lit
v tie toll and exertion is needed to bring
r about the independence and comfort SC
e generally sought after by intelligent
f cultivators of the soil.