Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-10-12
Says Grazing lns-
pector Will c.
Barnes
LATE RAINS BENEFICIAL
MIR. Barnes Ordered to Re-
port in Washington No.
vember /.

Ranges within the borders of the
national forests in southern New
Mexico which he has visited are in
fine condition according to statement
made this morning by Will c. Barnes,
who is now grazing inspector con-
nected with the Bureau of Forestry,
which position he accepted recently
after resigning as secretary of the
Territorial Cattle Sanitary board.
Mr.. Barnes will leave this evening
for Albuquerque and thence goes to
Arizona where he will inspect the
ranges on forest reserves in the vicini.
ty of Nogales and Tucson. He has
been ordered to report on November
! at the bureau of forestry office in
Washington, D. c., and will probably
spend the winter in the National Cap.
ital. He will be accompanied east by
his wife, who is at present visiting her
parents at Phoenix, Arizona.
Discussing the range conditions on
the Sacramento and Guadalupe ma.
tional forests Mr.. Barnes said:
Plenty Of Grass For Winter Feeding.
"On my recent visit of inspection
over the Sacramento National forest
in Otero county and the Guadalupe
National forest in Eddy and Chaves
counties, found the grazing condi-
tions excellent. The rains came very
late this year and until it did come the
water conditions upon some portions
of both forests were pretty bad but
when it did begin to rain, late in Aug
ust, it made a business Of it and
grass grew so rapidly that ample sup.
ly for winter is assured and all kinds
of stock look we'll on both forests
"The Guadalupe forest is one of the
dryest sections of New Mexico l know
Of. Over the entire forest there is but
one spring worthy of the name, except
down deep in one or two canons where
while there is water in abundance, it
Is so difficult to reach it and so rough
trail into the canons that it amounts
to very little as watering place
There isn't we'll on the forest, al
though many have been dug, but
no water was found
"All the water the settlers and stock.
men have is in dams and reservoirs
built in the washes, where the storm
waters are caught and impounded and
huge cement cisterns to catch the rain
water from the roofs When this fails
the stock all have to leave the forest
or climb down into the deep canons.
Last spring every reservoir and
cistern gave out and for several
months the settlers only water for
domestic purposes was hauled in bar
rels and tank wagons for distances
from six to eighteen miles. Why they
say the grown-up folks have learned
to 60 without water entirely and the
children only drink like the cattle and
sheep, once in three days.
"Takes lot of grit to hang onto a
country like that, doesn't it? But the
people there all seem very content and
satisfied with their homes.
Government to Sink Wells Where
Necessary.
One of my instructions from the
Washington Office was to recommend
sites where the forest service could
help out scanty water supply by dig
ging wells and constructing reservoirs
for stock water.
Here was an admirable spot to
make my maiden recommendation up
on and I have suggested that two wells
be drilled at once at locations which
seemed to give promise of good re-
suits.
IF water can be found at any depth
down to 600 feet wind mills will be
placed upon them and the water will
be free to all settlers and stockmen
on the forest.
"Of course the idea is that il the
service can demonstrate that there is
a good supply Of water to be found the
settlers will be encouraged to go to
the expense Of we'll on their own
land, but at present none of them care
to risk drilling and not finding water
| hope to get work started on these
two wells at an early date"