Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-10-24
ENGINEER
MEANS PLEASED
WITH SOIL
Test That Shows Seventy.
Five Bushels Of Oats
Better than Analyses
Outlook ios II vssas Project Excellent.
Expert Describes Ne Campbell
Method Of Farming.


richness and general good quality Of
the Las Vegas SOIL" said Engineer
Thomas G. Means OF the reclamation
service to The Optic this morning.
Yes, I will make Analyses" he went
on. In response to a question, be
cause the Secretary Of the Interior
wants them. but when see fields that
are yielding seventy-five bushels Of
oats to an acre, when | notice the
vegetation growing on the lands sur
rounding the city. with and without
irrigation. examine the appearance
and note the depth Of the soil, reach
conclusions that are even more salts
factory than the results Of analyses.
The analyses show that there ore
certain proportions Of nitrates. phos-
pilates, clay. alkali. etc.. In the soil.
II the proportions and the substance
are right. that soil should grow crops.
But when you show me that same soil
growing crops you have result that
no analysis can disturb.
Your soil is deep and black. and
while 1t offers some difficulty to the
irrigationists and requires careful at
tention, 1t will yield the finest kind
of crops My report to the depart
ment will be entirely favorable. |
deal only with the soil problem, but !
understand that all other tests re-
quired by the department, the am0unt
OF land. the markets, the cost Of the
proposed works. the amount Of water,
have been passed. My report will be
made just rs soon as possible. and AZ
soon as that Is done the engineers Of
the department will examine al the
reports concerning the project and the
secretary OF the interior will pass
upon It. The outlook seems to be
exceedingly good.
Mr.. Campbell was asked for infor-
nation concerning the Campbell sys-
tenn. and replied as follows: THE
Campbell system consists first OF
deep plowing. Then comes subs0il
cultivation by . machine that Mr..
Campbell has patented. There are.
however, other pieces Of machineryi
which give the same result. After
the seed has been pla1ited, much cul-
tiva:ion Is resorted to. with specially
prepared machinery. However there
is a good deal OF the regular machin-
cry that can be used to accomplish
the same result. The cultivation has
for its purpose the breaking up OF the
soil into very small particles in order
to allow the capillarity Of the par
ticles full scope, thus bringing to
the seed every bit Of moisture. A
double purpose Of this frequent cul-
tivation is to form dust covering to
prevent the escape Of any Of the moist
|ure."
The Campbell method aims to fol.
low rational mode Of cultivation. It
isn't necessary to use the patent ma
CuiucIy uC iOIuCi WIN htt6uSWC
and the farmer In the land where
plenty Of rain falls is apt to neglect
frequent and careful cultivation. No
method can be successful where less
than eight inches Of rain falls, but q
great deal can be done in the western
lands II the farmers use reason, don't
expect the impossible and cultivate
their lands to the limit. And vast
harm will be done II the attempt Is
made to make the people believe you
can turn any desert into garden by
the Campbell or any other method.
The engineers, accompanied by JEFF
ferson Reynolds, D. c. Winters and
Dr. w. r. Upton. spent pleasant
morning at the asylum and were de-
lighted with what had been done
there by the application Of intelligent
irrigation methods and hard work.
This afternoon they drove twelve
miles below the city to see the land
proposed to be irrigated. They go
south on No. tonight.