The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-05-14

mountains. the great basin might not
be filled once. But there are other
years when it would be filed twice
Or more.
The policy adopted by the board
OF government engineers which man
ages his matter is a e
tive one. They will supply water to
ten thousand acres of land only, for
the first year, or until it is proven
how much water the storage basin
will actually yield, and how mucn is
grown under this system. The expec-
tatioa is that as much as 10000 r
will later on be supplied. My own
belief is that the area of land to be
irrigated will ultimately be much
larger than this last amount. This
will depend upon what system of
crops shall be generally adopted by
the land owners.
The results of orchard crops il
this valley the past season have bee
so satisfactory to all men who have
given heir orchards proper care, fol
lowing the experience of other years,
that much greater attention is to be
given to fruit growing. This is espe-
cially true among the people who
have lately come mere. When people
come to believe hat good orchard
crops will pay some ten times as
much, year by year, as good alfalfa
Or good corn crops, there is not much
doubt that orchard planting will be
greatly extended. Indeed it is being
greatly extended now. The particular
district of country to be supplied with
Hondo irrigation is especially adapt
ed to orchardi1g. 1t is better and
safer soil. 1t is higher up than N
Of our present orchards, and so has
a climatic advantage. Hence l be-
Iieve that this Hondo district will III.
timately go largely into orchards. If
this proves true the same water sup
ply will cover more land.
Storage Capacity to Be Enlarged.
But the present storage capacity of
the big reservoir can, and doubtless
will be greatly enlarged, when it be-
comes desirable. 1t can be lone by
building the several, short levees
around the rim and of the inlet canal,
higher. 1t is entirely practicable to
double its capacity in this way. Or
it can be done by utilizing a still
Ia roor ctora 90 basin than the nreSapt
one, whicn lies some miles farther
Up the valley. So this storage system
can be very greatly enlarged, when
experience shows that it is needed.
1t can be made at least four times as
large as it is now, so that a great
area of these fine lands will ultimately
come under tillage. And as the wa
-ershed" or drainage area which feeds
The Hondo River covers abou a thou
sand squar miles, of mostly steep
rocky slopes, with an annual rainfall
of sixteel inches, it will seen rea
sonable to expect flood and snow wa
more than fill the present reservoir
four times.
A Wise and Generous Plan.
The S of the present construction
been about three hundred thou
dollars. The U. S. Government
has don this work. And it will sup
ply the water to Ian owners accord
ing to a wise and generous plan which
is to apply everywhere in arid Ameri-
where the magnificent reclamation
irrigation system is being construc-
ted and planned for. Ia each case the
Government sells the irrigation plant
reservoir. canals, bitches, ETC.. all com
pleted-to the land and AXE
its pay for actual expenditure. il ten
Cor possibly more) annual INSTALL
ments, without interest. 1t depends
the number of acres irrigated
under a given reservoir. how much
the cost per acre will be. In the case
of the Holdo System, which costs
$500, 600, it will cost $50 an acre to
the and wner or SO an here yearly
for tea years, if but 10000 acres are
served with water. If it is proven
the water will cover 10000 acres.
the cost will be but fifteen dollars
per acre, or a dollar and a half an
acre per year, for ten years. When
this construction expense is paid for.
the whole system will belong to the
land owners who will run it for them
-n1xrno -1 tho -,0nA, 90 -0%,,-.@l