Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-09-18
NOTABLE ADDRESS
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aof water can be doubled even Under
present methods. we are ~demonstrat.
Ing 10 farmers that this IL true, and
studying means Of inducing them to
practice the economy which VIII make
possible another doubling Of the area
which can be reclaimed.
We arc experimenting with improv.
ed methods and new plants In the
hope that the water requirements may
DO still further reduced, permitting
I 81 stiH wider extension Of The area
which can ultimately be reclaimed.
d Governments Work.
We have also employed a drainage
engineer whose entire time Is occu-
pied IN advising communities as to
methods and plans for relieving wet
and Aakali lAnds.i There III q peculiar
q why this work should be done
Ny the government, The water which
ruins a mans farm does not, as . rule,
i como from His own wastoful me. but
from some canal over which he hhs
no control Or from lands lying higher
than his own. 10 that he IL In a meas
! urb helpless To prevent the injury No
Improvement in his v practice can
ward on the damage. For this rea-
0 this work belongs especially To the
public. just as does the enforcement
Of quarantine regulations aH
The work of the agricultural depart.
ment has 90 far been discussed from
the a standpoint of increasing the
area reclaimed. But this II not the
most important phase Of our work.
Tho main object OF the department
in all branches Of It's work Is to pro.
mote the prosperity Of our agricultural
population, and the first objert In ON
irrigation work IL the welfare OF those
y 1nsing water. I'll 49s8s MI
irrigation Laws. .sDl +
The rights and privileges or farm
ers with regard 70 the use Of wates
arc very largely controlled by the
laws ~ the several states. hence w
! are studying those laws. not from the
standpoint of the lawyer Or the courts,
whose duty II Is TO determine exactly
s what the law 10. largely regardless Of
poits consequences. but from the sthnl'
N point OF the farmers. to- sec whether
the privileges accorded to them and
the limitations placed upon them tend
Ito Rram9te their prosperity and from
. the standpoint OF the nation, to do.
atermlne whether the laws AZ they are
. promote the largest and best use Of
our water supply. II they fail III either
of there objects, II Is our work e
nud the cause and recommend the
changes which are needed. ~
mod Ia Different Conditions. Man
Experiments In this country and
elsewhere have shown that the stage
at tho growth Of the plant at which
) water ~ applied has a great deal TO DO
with the crops produced, The cxper,
iments show that water applied to
grain crops nt certain stages tend to
make them produce a larger relative
quantity Of straw than they otherwise
would; water applied at other stages
tends 70 increase the production Of
seed, Water applied 10 root crops
at certain stages makes them run 10
tops. and at other stages Il goes 10
enlarge the roots. The time OF apply
ing water 70 beets Affects fpeIr sugar
content, and water applied 70 potatoes
Il the wrong time may ruin the crop.
All these things are well known IN a
general way. but they are merely sug.
sestiye Of The possibilities Of a careful.
scientific study OF The methods and
times OF applying water 10 crops.
II may be possible that regulating
the lime ~ applying water % crops
and the applied win be found
TO be one Of the greatest agents III
eliminating undesirable qualities and
pefpctuaiing valuable one in all our
crops raised under irrigation. Tho
possibilities along this line are unlim-
tied as they are along all lines "
agricultural practice.
Farmers cannot, as a rule, make
these experiments for the improve.
menfs Of he crops themselves. They
are dependent upon the returns from
THE fields for their living and must