Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-03-07
REClAIMING LANDS.

SN"i' pNopie III new MEXICO may
still he found who are blind to the posi.
tive good that the territory is receiving
from Its territorial educational lnstitu.
tons. The Agricultural College at
Mesilla Park is an institution that is
probably more directly In line with
the work nf positively beneflting the
territory In practical manner than
any other OF the educational institu.
tons OF New Mexico. This is largely
through the practical character of its
work. especially the work OF that part
of the college known as the experiment
station.
Park has done much for the people OF
the territory. II has shown what
kinds Of fruits are best adapted to
certain localities, the high value of
the irrigating water of the Rio Grande,
the quality of waters from many parts
of the territory, the high grade OF
sugar beets that can be raised partic.
ularly In the northern part of the ter
ritory and has demonstrated many
other facts of value TO New Mexico
But probably no line of work has so
materially benefited the territory in so
short time as the work recently un-
dertafen by the college In showing the
possibilities of pumping for irrigation.
Throughout the length OF the Rio
Grande valley which extends through
n great part of the territory, the one
thing that has delayed the develop.
ment of agricultural lines has been a
shortage of water. IL was generally
recognized that the Rio Grande valley
had not enough available water for
irrigation, but the most optimistic per.
sons had never ventured to suggest
what the college has shown TO he true.
In less than a years time the college
has demonstrated In n practical and
forcible manner the entire practicable.
ity of irrigating from wells In the Rio
Grande valley. Day after day II has
been pumping from q six-inch pipe well
a flow OF water varying with the kind
OF pump tested, from $50 to 200 gal
Ions minute. This flow has been
pumped from this well continuously
without the slightest sign of any fail.
ure of the available supply. The col.
lege has tested eight different pumps
secured from all parts of the United
States. and the most complete and re-
liable data have been recorded In each
case.
Briefly the substance of what has
been done Is as follows: For the first
time in the history of the territory the
practicability OF pumping for irriga.
ton at low enough cost to he o. use
to the farmer has been demonstrated
undeniably. Lands can be irrigated by
machinery similar to that used by the
college at a cost of from 80 to 20 cents
per acre for an irrigation three inches
deep. These figures are based upon
short runs which are not as econom-
ica' as long runs, and upon using small
tornsllo wood as fuel. costing $225 per
cord. II is entirely probable that by
using more economical plants the cost
can he reduced to below these figures.
All the leading types OF pumps have
been so compared and tested that the
citizens Of the territory interested In
this question can procure from the col
lege information which II would cost
them hundreds of dollars to find out
by experience.
II is difficult to estimate fairly the |
good the territory has received from
this one line of work which the college |
haQ undertaken n. T..
now open for higher development Of |
the whole Rio Grande valley along bet |
ter lines than ever before. II means !
that the cry OF mo water is a vain |
and hollow one and that when the river |
fails 10 give Its supply. the farmer can
call upon the inexhaustible supply be.
low the ground with the assurance that
he can use II on his land at a small |
cost and one that will repay him two
or three times. II means more to the |
territory than can be understood |
through the increased and unlimited
possibilities OF the fertile lands of the
Rio Grande valley. This question OF |
for irrigation is only one of
number that the college at Mesilla
Park has been quietly and persistentiy
carrying out. 1t illustrates In forcl.
BILE manner. however. what the college
Is doing for the territory, not in one
locality nor In one county, but as a
whole. Surely an institution that has
been and is doing good for the farmers,
sheepmen. fruit growers.
and others, all through the territory,
deserves the strong support OF the ter
ritory by means OF the necessary APP
preparations which the legislature
should give to the institution and
without which It's work will be. very
seriously crippled and hampered.