Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-07-25
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
Ash Analyses and Irrigation Treated
at tho Experiment Station,
PUMPKINS FOR IRRIGATION.

Two bulletins have Just been issued
by the agricultural experiment sta.
ton at Mesilla Park. Bulletin No. "A
Is on Ash Analysis OF Some New
Mexico Plants" and Is by Professor
Arthur Goss, chemist "a the New Mex
leo College OF Agriculture and Mechan.
ic Arts. After giving In detail the
work he has done. his conclusions are
as follows:
81. The plants of the arid region av-
eraged very high In ash contents.
Some of them. such as the prickly
pear contain very remarkable amounts
OF mineral matter.
20. There is very decided differ
ence between different species of
plants In the amount ana kind of min
eral matter contained. This is the case
even with plants growing on alkali
soils containing a large excess of solu-
BILE mineral matter. The special OF the
plant probably las quite as much to
do With the composition of its ash as
has the environment under which 1t
grew.
-. The amount OF fertilizing mater
ial contained In alfalfa Is very large.
The value of the nitrogen, potash and
phosphoric acid contained in a on of
dry alfalfa, at current eastern market
rates, is more than s11. This means
that alfalfa will exhaust the fertility
OF land very rapidly unless the supply
OF plant food is kept up from some out.
ride source. BY the use of plenty of
muddy irrigation water, such as that
of the Rio Grande. this Is accomplish
ed and the money outlay necessary for
fertilizers In eastern agriculture Is
avoided.
Il. The determination OF sulphur In
the ash of plant Is of no value what
even as a measure OF the amount pres.
ent in plant. On the average. but
little more than one-third as much was
found in the ash as was present In the
plants analysed Neither is the proper.
ton between the amount present In
the ash and In the plant constant but
varies with different species of plants.
irrigation Tests.
Bulletin No. 40 Is on Pumping for
Irrigation from Wells" and gives the
results of tests and data collected by
John j. Vernon ant Francis 4. Lester.
The conclusions are:
81. An ample quantity Of water for
irrigating purposes exists throughout
the Rio Grande valley In southern
nj tf.,. \.
depth.
'2. This water termed the underfiow,
can be easily made available by sink
ing pipe wells. with slotted strainers,
into the gravel strata at comparative
ly low cost.
IS. The station at Mesilla Park sank
an experimental well six inches In dia-
meter and forty-eight feet deep from
which was pumped a continuous
stream of over 1000 gallons a minute.
-. From this we'll 1t was found
possible. using a 20-horse power steam
engine. with torntllo wood as fuel. to
irrigate average land three inches deep
at maximum cost OF from 81 cents to
81 cents an acre, according to the
pump used. a his estimate Is for short
runs; for long runs this cost will prob
ably he reduced. a point to be deter.
mined later.
IS. Eight pump. OF various types and
sizes were tested ly the station upon
the well above referred to and com.
parative results are set forth In tabu-
lar form.
20. A comparative test Of four kinds
OF fuel was made and the results are
compiled In tabular form.
~. Data concerning pumping plants
In New Mexico and other states has
been collected and Is compiled and
presented In tabular form under the
heads of Wells, pumps, engines. lands
irrigated, and railroad pumping plants.
IS. A study OF the relative condi-
tions existing in New Mexico and 9th.
er states, shows tnat, In the Rio
Grande valley in southern New Mexico
as least the conditions are unusually
| favorable to the successful and econ
omical operation of pumping plants as
means of supplying water for irrigat.
ing purposes"