The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-19
TOUCH A BUTTON, GROW CROPS
NEW MEXICO FARMERS MAKE
A LOST RIVER WORK.
Eleetriesly Used tS Pump water foP hsss
gntIsa Purposes AlOaG ths UnnsP-
ground CSarse - MimbFes mlNoP
-Reana, AifalfA ana Applea Raised.

Beans. Aifalfa ana Applea RAISED.
DEAaTNG. n. NJ. Juns Is.--Privats capital
h accomplishing much IN The SosTthwuat
In the way Of Feclaiming arid lands. Whan
water Cor irrigation purposes h not &Vsil-
able rpon the surface tho hOmsmakaa8
delve into the Earth and bring iorth q
bountiful supply.
The Southwest Il noted for ita so-cailod
lost rivers. Many Of these streams come
out Of the mountains. where they arc
fed by the SHOWS Of winter and BY springs.
only to disappear into the GliaasnlnB
send. PERHAPS not % rVappear upSp tho
surface for several hundred miles. One
of them. the list Mimhrea River. has long
been % interest b. geoloGists and soisn-
lists who have investigated the water
RESOURCES of this part Of the Southwest.
This river has its source In the noun
tains north Of Deming and nowB IN .
bold stream until IL ge,s within twenty
miles % Deming. when Il suddenly plungss
into the sands. Il follows q channel
bcneath the surface until IL gets beyund
tho boundary line between the United
States and Mexico. when L re&ppearS IN
the form u large lake.
The courss % this stream underground
lies in = broad valley. and st any spot
in this depression an almost inexha1sti-
bic supply Of water IL obtainabls BY means
Of wells. So great a the supply THAI u
has bean suggested that by digging q
canal from twenty 30 axty foee dosp
and from sevcnty-avO 10 100 feet vida
along the course followed by the Under
ground river Dsming could be reached
BY water navigation.
II 10 the theory of scientists that tha
Mlmbres River was covered by the erosion
from the mountains that was broughA
down by the periodical foods and thas
Il could b restored On its natural Gov
by removing this surface obstruction.
Many relics % 4 past civilization have
been found from ten n twenty feet be-
meath the present surface sand. which
Roes % support tho theory that the
river was gradually choked and covered
by the silt that IL brought down nom
the mountains.
With the deepening Of tho surface sand
the moisture beneath oould not reach
the vegetation that grew above. and In
| time the broad valley became a deaar6
The memory Of some of the old @sttlars
runs back % the time when grass grew
luxuriantly and afforded the best cattle
grazing ground in the Southwest ali along
the course Of this lost river; but thae
was many years ago.
Human energy and ingenuity are rap
idly bringing about . Transformation
of the territory between COok'a Peak
and the Florida Mountains. The desert
is being reclaimed on q scale that has
already added much wealth 10 this part
Of New MeKioo. Individual farmers are
doing the work. They are tapping the
\ underground river IN many aDOte. AZ
ways obtaining a water supply b irfi.
gate their lands and produce abundant
l yields II crops.
I'M the Deming section the successful
utilization Cf electricity in the operation
of small pumping plants may BE- sen IN
a high state 81 development. A central
power plant was installed here and elec-
/ trio transmission lines run out IN all d.
rsctions for the benefit Of the farmers.
Some of the wells have a capacity Of
600 gallons Of water a minute and all
that a farmer has % do In order ~ food
his crops with water Il ~ touch button.
/ UDOn every farm are these wells and
svEtems Of irrigation. II 4 said that the
cost OF the we'll the pump, motor ard
other necessary equipment is only about
500.
The electric power can be put 20 many
other uses. such a. operating farm ma
chinery, lighting the residences and barns
and tightening the labora Of the house
holds in various ways. This system Of
/ farming by means Of electricity u said %
! ~ more extensive IN the DemlnR section
| than in any other locality Of the United
STATES. Il is rapidly doing away with
gasolene engines.
The farmers in the upper portion Of
the valley obtain their water supply nom
the Mimbres River by means Of gravity
bitches Many % the men who are en-.
/ ployed IN the work Of reclining the land
/ u this region came from California,
| where they had experience IN raising
| fruit and various other products. 10 vas
! through them that the industry Of grow
ing California pink beans. or irliolea. was
introduced. II has proved highly profit
II. Jacobson, Who has farm eighteen
miles north Of DeminR. raised 100 acres
! "a these beans last season. He says
/ that he threshed 900 pounds n the acre
and received four cents pound FOR the
/ beams on the cars. The bean crop re-
auiras comparatively little moisture, one
| dDndinR Of the ground before planting
and two while the plants are growing
being az that h necessary.
Apples and alfalfa ia the cry of many
| Of the Mimbre@ Valley farmers. Splendid
fruit orchards and many fields OF Alfalfa
are 20 be sesn on every side IN driving
along the roads leading over the valley.
| The alfalfa cuts an average OF nve tons
/ an acre a season
me amount Of land reclamation work
already accomplished In the Mimbres
Valley by means Of private capital "a only
the Forermner Of what 10 20 follow, ac-
conding - the men Who have made 9
study of the possibilities 81 the land and
the fnexhaustible water supply. 90 the
~ ON. 600 acres u land IN New Mexico
there il ,sss than a million acres In oulti-
walton. The agricultural awakening has
dAwned, however. and In many q the
smaller valleys where water IL available
for irrigation the desert land IL being
maAe productive.
Heavy Investments Of private capital IN
irrigation enterprises are Also being made
IN many parts % western Texas and
Arizona. The Pecos River and Toyah
Greek. which aOw through the most arid
part Of Texas. are already giving up
vast quantities ~ wHtsr for the develop
ment u the crop growing possibilities Of
the soil Only Teuautly an iFriRatiom
company with a capital Of 81 so. 900 was
formed Cor the purpose Of conatr1ctinR
a canal and ditch system In western Texas
10 reclaim ~ 600 acres.
/ . The main canal Of this proposed irFi-
eating system win he aiSty-fve miles lnng.
/ n will carry the water 70 level gareeChea
Of desert upland. which until reCently
/ vtaa not cnnNidarnd susceptible OF Irrtgn-
tion. In the vicinity II Fort STOCKTON.