The Alamogordo news. (Alamogordo, N.M.) 1899-1912, 1905-06-10
OUR cOUHHS REOURcE


resOurces Of . country largely de-
termine the status Of its prosper
ity. To be on . solid foundation,
a town or city must have its|
manufacturing and agricultural
resources developed. z -
OterO county has the soil and
the climate. Aswe ell know the
great desiderstam is water for
irrigation. Il Is true that many
southwestern farmers and ranch
men are succeeding with dry
farming''-am modified form Of the
Campbell System. The secret.
Of this system consists in keep
ing the surface from baking.
When there is no crust on the
ground the air can penetrate and
capillary nttfSction brings the
moisture 10 8 level near the sur
face. In country where the
difference between the tempera-
ture Of day and night is great, as
it is here, the expansion and con-
traction Of the molecules that
form the soils are also great and
capillary attraction eleyates the
moisture. Shut out the air, by
allowing q crust TO form on the
surface, and the power Of this
attraction il not sufficient to ele-
vate enough moisture to mater
tally benefit the growing crops.
One thing is certain I: Where
water can be had for irrigation
there is usually from two to five
times as much used and wasted
as is necessary. ! have seen
fields in Otero county, and else
where in the southwest, almost
ruined by the excessive use Of
water. Eub-irrigation will save
much water and prevent the bak-
ing Of the surface. With most
crops this system can be very
proftAbly adopted. But, as be-
fore stated, water is the great
desideratum. How may the rich
agricultural and horticultural
lands Of Otero county be deyel-
oped and utilized? Where is
the water supply?
There are o number Of systems,
one OF more Of which are adapt.
ed to nearly every neighbOrhood
in the county. Space forbids
more than q brief mention of the
most promising: /. Reservoirs
2. SubteFranean dams; 8. Wellt
and pumps 4. Artesian wells.
/. There are thousands O
sites for reservoirs in which flood
waters could be stored. Some
are suitable for one ranch only
Some would cost thousands Il
build, but could be made avail
able for the reclamation Of larg'
areas. Association will sOlv'
the reservoir problem. EuppOs'
one hundred land owners units
and build . reservoir in the noun
tains ten. twenty or even iift'
miles away. When they nee'
water they can free, say. on
hundred million gallons, and 81
low the water to fow down som
creek, canyon or other natura
channel. At some cOnvenien
point near their lands they @
defect seventy or eighty millio
gallons into their own ditcl
The per centage to be deiiecte
can be determined b. the terr
tOrial engineer or United Stats
hydragrapher. A large colon
in Colorado used natural stream
to convey its water from reese
vOirs and hundred and twent'
five miles distant.
2. Where there il q strOT
subhow down . canyon . subte
ranean dam can Be built vii
confidence. No foods can har
it. Il il alI beneath the surfnC
A section Of porans, clay pit
can be set at right angles 70 4
dam. An iron pipe en- 81 pas
ed through the dam from Il
dOwn-strsam side and introducs
into the lower end Of the cli
pipe. The iron ripe ean be :
tended down stream until +
aurk..e sasAk@ 4z4@asz Us1 ta