Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-11-12
PROFITS 0fi2.
RIGA7ED CROPS
RESULTS OF a SERIES OF ExPER
iMENTs IN RIO 6RAN0E VAL.
Law iN TMo YEARS.
means OF RECLAMATION
6uilstin lssusd by New Mexico Col
lsse Of Agriculture and Mechanic
Arts NJ hesiila PARK.

Arts NJ Aesiila PARK
Bulletin No % ii III %t@ MpAiea
Agricultural Experiment STATEN engla,
led The Duty Of Well Mailer and the
Cost aud Profit on Irrigated Crops 10
the Rio GFande Valley. contains the
results Of a series Ut experiments car.
Fted on during the years lsa3 aud
1905 in cooperation with the Office
Of Experiment Stations. Caised States
Department Ut Agriculture. This bull
ietin is the first. published by the
New Mexico Agricultural Experiment
station. which deals directly with the
duty Of water and The. costs Il irricat.
cd crops In order that interested
persons may obtain a concrete idea
Al 10 the nature and sct1pe ri the
bulletin. the following 'r'rf resume
Is given:
]. VERY large areas uf arid aud
semi-arid lands In New Mexico. which
cannot b. Irrigated by gravity systems
because Of various physical difficult,
ties. may he reclaimed by means OF
pumping from III" und"rtlow,
2. Some VI the more important as.
sentials for successful pumping are:
TAI Abundance of good water near
III" surface Of the ground locat-
ed In good water bearing strata
90 4 good soil and Il good climate.
tcI Fair prices and good markets
and marketing facilities.
Id Competent management and
the application OF god business
methods.
:, Pumping may he resorted 20
under the following conditions:
(a) Where there are no surface
streams from which to draw IT,.
rigatlna waters.
tbl Where the surface streams
have eroded their channels so
deeply that the expense of build.
ing and maintaining bitches for
the appropriation If the water
would be ~prohibitive.
tcl Where the streams from which
irrigation waters are drawn
flow during only a portion of the
growing season.
(dl For reaching lands lying slight
ly above gravity systems. where
there are waste or surplus wa.
ter.
1. No perceptible difference, due
10 a difference In the temperature of
the water. was noticeable between
the crops grown with well and with
river water. The well water In New
Mexico was 81 degrees F. warmer
on the average than Utah river water
used for irrigation.
5. OF the two series Of alfalfa plats
that received the same measured guam.
tity of water. the series Of plats that
received the water In more frequent
and smaller irrigations gave slightly
the larger yield of hay during the sea
son.. The difference, however. was not
sufficiently pronounced TO warrant
the conclusion, without further trial.
that like results would always follow
such treatment.
G. The largest yield per inch OF
water was obtained when a depth OF
q inches was applied 10 wheat and
80 inches to alfalfa. five cuttings of
alfalfa being secured during the sea
son.
:. The results of these experiments
have shown quite conclusively thar
the yearly profits may be- consider
ably increased during years of short
age in the water supply by supple
menting the river water with well
water. .
s. Averaging the results obtained
from the crops grown with well water
during the season of 1904. We have
the following:
(a) Depth of water required: Al
falfa. 1854: wheat. 29s: corn.
25.2 and sweet potatoes, 17.6
inches.
Cd Cost Of pumping per acre: Al
falfa. s1O.50: wheat. 1910; corn.
s6.92 and sweet potatoes. S49l.
(c) Cost of applying the water per
acre: Alfalfa, s1.23; corn. 30
cents and sweet potatoes. 81
cents.
(d) The yield per acre: Alfalfa
2.3s tons: corn. 3l.9 bushels and
sweet potatoes 10000 pounds.
(e) The value of the crop per acre:
Alfalfa. s3503: wheat, sls"s:
corn %lincluding the stover)
sS6.27 and sweet potatoes, sl'o."o'
Bulletin No. Sc. as we'll as any o'nef
available bulletin of the New MSN'c'