Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-07-31
Use OF WATER is
A COMMUNITY
QUESTION
SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR
NEW MEXICO IRRIGATION
Interesting Article by Carlsbad
Man in Competition for Ter
dtodaI Engineers Prize Tro-
ply.

RfnetFsl y
NoTE-The writer on Suggestions
Upon Irrigation In New Mexico" has
sent in two copies which are Identical
a. far aa they go. The longer one
contains more words than the rules
covering the prize contest would al
low. The territorial engineer has care
fully read the longer one and hnds It
a most able article and that every
paragraph contains valuable informa-
lion. We are. therefore. sending the
longer copy and We have also taken
the liberty of capitalizing some inn
portant phrases. Every irrigator
should carefully study this article
Vernon l. Sullivan. territorial engi
neer. I
The best use OF water for irrigation
in arid regions in the last analysis Is
a community question because upon II
demands absolutely the ina limits OF
their agricultural and economic dcvel-
opment. Each locality must work out
ths problem for Itself. for II varies SO
greatly with tho character Of the soil
and suhsoil. depth 60 underground
water. amount Of surface slope. eli
matte conditions including atmospher-
1r moisture tdHlMt lfNll IhlHlt VI
winds. quantity and season Of annual
rainfall and the Kinds Of crops raised,
thai no hard and fast rules can be laid
down. which will apply to all LOCALE
ties. or even In two successive sea
sons 20 the same locality.
To be benefited by the experience Of
others II f., therefore, necessary 10
know an the conditions under which
that experience has been gained The
writer's farming under irrigation. GOV
cring fifteen years, has been done en-
tirely In Eddy county. New Mexico,
altitude arr under a system Of open
bitches. chiefly upon sandy loan land,
some pure sand and some adobe, most
- - Nth slight tall and an average
depth Of ten 10 twelve feet to water
aud rock. He has had unusual OPP
%purtuuity "a watch the operations of
others under the largest irrigation
system la the territory, now the Carls-
had project. United States reclama-
ton service. sH1DMlq
Rainfall has varied from sos to
2ts7 inches, normal being called IL
inches. Fully one-third OF the annual
rainfall comes late In September. Oc-
teber and November While chiefly IN
terested IA peach culture, he has
grown all varieties Of trees, vines and
farm crops, especially cotton In the
young orchard.
lie has learned that the proper use
of water for irrigation begins with
the CONSERVATION OF THE RAIN
FALL and under conditions like his
own which are common to tho creator
mention rf fbft taNVftHrt fHga ra1Ir for
FALL FLOWING " the best results
are 20 be- obtained the following sea-
son. The storage of this rainfall in
the soil Is Of more importance to New
Mtxic2, because more generally prac-
ticable than 10 store II In surface res
%ervoirs Every farmer can do this
with little actual expense aud viii
certain pront to himself and benefit
20 the community.
Az soon as the ground Is III 90 work
after the fan rains II should be plow-
Cd and each days blowing should be
thoroughly narrowed before night. II
may be found necessary To harrow
more than once afterwards before
spring. Follow MS nearly az practi-
cable the methods outlined In Camp
belts Soil culture. u book which
should be read by every irrigation
farmer. The soil packer has not been
found necessary IN our locality. When
eyer the surface sou begins 10 crust
or 10 run closely together use your
harrow n you have never tried hts
method YOU viii be greatly surprised
~ the mois; condition of your soil
IN tho spring aud to find how close
e. the surface this moisture viii re-
main
BY preserving IN this way the mois-
turc from 10 inches ~ snow and some
rain being the equivalent Of 43t
inches OF rain Ia November and De
cember. 1906 J was able during Janu-
afy n february. 1907. 60 plant 60
acrcs of peaches without Irrigation
upon land that had had no irrigation
or cultivation for two years and 20
carry the trees through safely untfl
water could bc obtained in April.
when cotton waa planted between thc
rows Where | had good stock 60 start
With 80 per cent lived on 80 acres the
first wear. The stock on the other 80
acres was ia such % condition az
planting % "a ! told my foreman
woult Doe satisfied 60 save so per cent
We dli save nearly 20 per cent ans
on about 1u acre and a half which
could not be- irrigated 1t an that year.
o. per cent
After fan pioviuG md preserving
winter moisture tho land should bt
IRRIGATED ~ BURROWS 10 posi-
Die and slowly enough 90 insure that
the moisture meets AZ the tree roots
and penctrstes FIVE feet deep before
the water b. cut on or shortly after.
II your soil is never allowed To dry
out below your loosely cultivated sur
face mulch before irriEating, and 10
irrigated ln burrows u viii not require
much water az insure Uniform mois-
ture for a good many feet ln depth
and u will take the moisture far more
rapidly and there viii he ENOUGH
DRY SURFACE DIRT To ABSORBE
MOISTURE AID ALLOW YOU To
REGiN CULTIVATION MUCH SOON
ER This viii reduce loss ~ ,vapora-
tion and ris- you greater and mon,
lasting benent from the same amount
Of water az each irrigation Never al
iow your ground 20 become hard end
dry before ~lrrigsting o. you can ayoid