Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-09-30

vine district of Argentina. and with
,ut irrigation the industry could not
thrive.
san Juan. north of Mendoza. has
splendid irrigation works, dating from
1858. The city of CordoSa, east of
San Juan, is famous for the system
Of irrigation within the town Itself
and through the surrounding coun-
try. The Dique San Rogue (dam)
Of the Rio Primero furnishes water
for many leagues in the neighborhood
and is the largest of the kind in
South America, If not actually in the /
world. The lake created by The dam
holds 100000, 900 cubic meters OF wa
ter Cover 6s billion gallons). This ir-
rigation system ran into millions of |
dollars for constructlo . and Is noted |
among engineers for tae results ac-
The Argentine govern
ment mountains a service of irriga- |
ton in the department of pubic
works with a pay roll amounting to
$156.7sO a year. / wlsL 7 could de-
vote more attention to the acc m
plishments in Argentina, but there
Is not time nor space.
Chilean Irrigation Work.
] should like to explain in detail the
irrigation and forestry service pro-
posed by the government Of Chile, but
1 shall confine myself to some gem
eral observations. Irrigation was
practiced by the original Inhabitants
Of Chile and the remains of their
aqueducts show extraordinary enter
prise and skill. With the intensive
agriculture of today, indeed. irriga-
ton Is a necessary factor of the sue
cess secured by the farmers and wine
growers of the country. In the great
central valley of the republic. south
ward from Santiago, there are many
Illustrations of irrigation systems in
operation, and projects for new plan
are constantly maturing. Each Sec
ton OF the valley Is drained Lake,
the bed Of which Is being continually
enriched by the alluvial deposits Of
the mountain torrents. The water
from all these lakes and rivers 8
used to fertilize the land and turn
the mills. Where there Is no water
from such sources the land is barren
| and in passing through this central
valley, therefore, from time to time
| are seen great expanses of arid, virg n
|
ed, and where the rivers bring down
natural fertilizing matter from the
noun ntains. some of the richest land
In Chile Is the result
The irrigation Is excellent; tire wa
! ter provided Is abundant and the veg
| citation therefore Is luxuriant and
varied. Each farmeraor hacendado Ii
| subscriber to an irrigption canal, con-
structed at considSEADIe expense and
regulated by carefully elaborated laws
A canal Is divided into so many rega-
dores, a fegador being an outlet
through which thirty-five liters (nine
gallons) of water can pass per second
Each farmer can have all the water
he subscribes for distributed at his
pleasure and at the cost of the com
pany. At the Normal Agriculture
Schools of the government, of which
Chile maintains several, courses on ir
rigation are offered in quite the sam,
way that viniculture and fertilization
are studied.
What Brazil is Accomplishing.
must mention briefly something o,
what has been undertaken in th'
largest of the South American repub
lies, Brazil. The commission of engi
neers in charge of irrigation works i
investigating different river beds u
the regions affected by drought in tn
states of Corea and Rio Grande d.
a Norte, with a view of constructing res
ervoirs. The work of clearing the be'
of the Maxaranguape has already be
, gun, and it is proposed also to con
struct dams at Carubas and Angico!
: The commission has planned the con
I struction of a dam at Santa Anna d
. Pao dos Ferros which is about 80
! miles from Natal. This is an importar
work. The dam to be built is Ten me
r ters high and the reservoir Will b
a able to Withstand three successiv
. years of drought. Many of the larg
coffee plantations in the states of Sa
h Paulo and Rio de Janero are unde
0 irrigation, but this has been a matte
, | rather of private enterprise than {
| national or state initiative. OF cours
I these are only a few illustrations
$ what Is going on in Brazil, looking
n its proper irrigation. The might
70 streams of Brazil have In them ampl
water for irrigation purposes an
10 wherever irrigation may be needed
o will oe only a question of simple cor
troll Of this supply.
Other Countries In Latin Amer GA.
other countries like Uruguay an
.- Paraguay, are 50 well watered tl'
there has been no great call for a
n ti4c.al irrigation. In the mounta
p countries, however. the rainfall mi
Il be great but the valleys sometim
a need water during the dry season, ar
IF consequently the prObl IN of irrig
So ton becomes a practical one.
Do In Ecuador, the minister of the u
IS terror and public works is yeIy acu'
: ln encouraging all plans for the e
e tension of modern agricultural met
,a nds wherever applicable. The wat
nt supply OF the cities, at present a Wit
problem, is receiving particular atte
tion but hand in hand with this 60
n the use Of water for irrigation pJ
Is poses, and careful study Is ven
- the latter a- W.ll as 10 the formf
le Near Quito now drain and irrigati
= pipes have hr.u laid at cOlsiderah
expense, ard I'm the province of
IN orc noticeable progress has be
an