El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-07-05
WELLS FOR IRRIGATION

Editor FL Paso Herald:
The shortage of water in the Rio
Grande several weeks earlier this sea-
son than is usual is of the greatest
moment to the Mesilla valley. and brings
forcibly to the front the whole irriga-
ton problem, which dominates all 9TH
ers in this section. Now that the means
the shortest time possible is assured
in the comparatively near future. the
only serious obstacle to the rapid de-
velopment of the valley is removed.
But the question of moment is what is
to be done pending the building of the
dam, for under the most favorable con-
ditions several years must elapse be-
fore so gigantic an undertaking can be
completed and the canal system per-
fected.
The experience of farming in the val
ley has been the same from year to
year. At the most critical point in the
growth of the crop the river water fails
and the farmer is but partially paid for
his patient, persistent effort and ardu-
Gus toll. while hundreds of thousands
of dollars are lost to the business inA
terests.
The most, intelligent and experienced
recognize the only remedy possible un-
til the waste water of the river can be
husbanded by the capietion of the dam.
Irrigation by pumping from wells to
supplement the river water. This prop
osition, when suggested, raises a howl
of protest from many who have depend
ed on the river water and are not In
formed as to conditions in other local.
ties, where the greatest successes have
been made by irrigation, where river
or any surface water is an impossi-
bility
It is claimed by many, and relig-
ell ha1i hot q
raised by water from wells or lakes,
because the water is clear and carries
no fertilizer to enrich the soil.
AS matter of fact, the Rio Grande
is probably the only stream used for
irrigation in the United States whose
waters are not clear. except at flood
tide from the summer rains. The ad-
vocates of the silt from the river wa
Ger being absolutely necessary for the
enrichment of the soil annually TO
produce a crop, seem to overlook the
fact that the whole of the MesRfd val
ley is made of the river deposit, which
has been building up for centuries, and
the depth of this rich alluvial deposit
has never been ascertained in many
places because it is too deep to deter
mine except by boring deep wells.
If the advocates of this theory will
reflect for a moment, they can but see
that their position is un1enable. 1t is
q demonstrated fact, too, that the river
water is detrimental to growing crops
because the silt settles on the plant and
around its roots and bakes, so that it
scalds the plant and becomes impervi-
Gus to water, while clear water fTeshens
the plant and soaks into the ground
evenly. Examination Of the lawns In
this city, where river silt has been
used for fertilizing, will demonstrate
that the silt is not easily penetrated by
water, and that vegetation does not
flourish in it as in other soil. The
same conditions exist on the farms.
The writer recently visited a farm
in the lower valley which is cropped to
vegetables and irrigated with river
water. There were hard patches of
ground on which the crop was very I'M
promising Immediately adjoining the
vegetation being thrifty, and the farm
er stated that on the hard places more
water had been used, the silt settling on
it and making It alsCost impervious to
water, he remarking that he found that
the river water was good for irrigation
before the crop was planted, but that
clear water is necessary for later ir-
rigation, and that he was arranging to
pump clear water on his crop. The man
has been farming in the valley for
eight years and his success proves the
correctness of his theory
1t is claimed by many thai irriga-
ton by pumping is practical only on
small scale, because of the large eX-
pense and prices obtained for produce.
The prices current for farm and or
chard products here are better than in
any other section of the southwest or
northwest and the cost of irrigation
by pumping as low and much lower
than in most other localities.
In most irrigated sections the water
is pumped from deep wells at a heavy
cost for fuel and the prices obtained
are generally small in comparison
successes being common in much less
favored sections. Certainly better re-
suits will follow intelligent effort here.
Taxpayer.