Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-03-31
QUARTER MILLION ACRES
SOWN TO rice.
TEXAS HAS 800, 900 ACRES IRRi.
GATED LAND soWN TO

| iEAA0 r1AS SUO,UVO ACheS thHl.
| GATED LAND soWN TO
CROP.
THREE QUARTERS or THIS
TRACT DEVOTED 70 RAls-
ING RICE.
| Texas has at present about SOC, 1000
acres of irrigated land, Of which
1000 acres are planted in ordinary
crops and 225,00O acres in rice. For
years stock raising has been the only
industry of the arid and semi-arid
portions of the state, but the home
steaders of the last decade have cut
up the great ranches into small farms
and created a demand for water with
which toy make their crops grow.
Cotton fields are pushing their way.
now into western Texas. The rice
fields are confined for the most part
to the coast country, but the belt of
products flourish extends from Ell
Paso to the Guadalupe, and from the
Rio Grande to the Red River on the
north. In %
Irrigation is, however, no new.
thing in Texas. It must not be for
gotten that the Lone Star state is a
commonwealth with the romantic his
tory that benefits border state.
Long before it became republic the
Indians were irrigating land along
the Rio Grande. Afterward the.
Franciscan friars who came with the
early Spanish conquerors carried on
irrigation for the cultivation Of their
fields in the southwestern part of
what is now the state Of Texas In
the northern and central parts Of the
state irrigation has been carried on
to limited extent for many years.
For some time irrigation develop
ment in the Pecos and Rio Grande
valleys has been retarded by the lack
of water supply which the heavy de-
mand on those rivers in New Mexico
and Colorado occasions. There are
many places, however, in the trans
Pecos country, where impounding
dams might be constructed across
narrow canyons or gorges to form
reservoirs for the storage Of flood
waters. *ssG. ,$x
In the Pecos valley and along the
Concho in Tom Green county water
for irrigation is taken from flowing
streams. Big springs supply irriga-
ton systems along Toyah and Conan
che creeks in the trans-Pecos country
and along the San Felipe and San
Antonio rivers. Some Of the best
rersults in the state are produced by
irrigations from artesian wells near
San Antonio and in the Rio Grande
country from Corpus. Christi to
Brownsville. About 200 good artesian
wells have been sunk in this neigh
borhood in the last few years. Water
from artesian wells is in high repute
in this locality for irrigation purposes.
Gravity systems, pumping plants,
and artesian wells are all utilized by
farmers who live in the valleys of
the Colorado and San Antonio rivers,
the most important Of the Gulf
streams. Argiculturists realize more
fully each year the advantages to be
derived in years of deficient rainfall
from system Of irrigation.
Many of the, truck farms in south
ern Texas are supplied from surface
wells the water Of which is pumped
into small reservoirs of, from 5000, to
5000 cubic feet capacity. Over 500
such wells are in use at present. It
is estimated that Is per cent Of the
irrigation in Texas during 1904 was
accomplished by means Of pumping
plants, and 70 per cent of the area
lsupplied by pumps was cultivated in
rice. M .s{3
The use of impounding reservoirs
has not entered very largely into the
irrigation economy OF the state. but
as the demand for water grows atten.
| tion is turned to this source OF sup
tply, and the storage reservoir at
Wichita Falls will soon be duplicated
at scores Of other points in Texas.
San Saba valley. above the town OF
San Saba, Is one Of the most fertile
sections In the world and definite
plans have been made for the con-
struction OF dam across the canyon
about is miles above the town to form
an immense storage reservoir from
which water can be conducted to the
valley below. This canyon - abou,
| SO miles IN length. and BY means Of :
series 81 dams and canals II Is be-
Ilieyed that about 5000 acres above
and below the town az San Saba can