El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-10-28

! OF Chihuahua. Gen. Luis Terrazas, the
owner of over 100000 acres of land,
and the reputed cattle king of the
world, during the last two years has
drilled over so wells on his lands. Gov
ernor Clay CreeI, who owns S,Ooo,OOO
| acres of land, has put in a number OF
! wells on his land and the larger land
| owners are following their example
But all of this work has been done
with a view to supply water for cat
tie. Now the attention of the land
owners is gradually awakening to the
possibilities of artesian water for aSri-
cultural and horticultural uses.
Within the last two months the 1lriA
of Head & Wilson, the only contractors
in the state, who drilled the CreeI, Ter
raZas and other wells and are operat-
ing a number of drilling machines
have gone to the expense OF employiaS
a geologist and engineer to study "a
vast area with a view of locating the
water tables and deep water supply "l
a part of the state of Chihuahua
DR.. C. F. T. Caracristi, who is we'll
known professionally in this section,
has been in charge of the survey
Speaking of the water possibilities ae
says:
Why Water Is Needed
The value of water for agricultural
purposes in Chihuahua may wei oe
understood when it is stated that corn'
the staple food of the MeXicans' is
worth over 81 American currency Pe'
busheI and that this means $l.SS PEE
busheI as compared to American corn
This difference is due to the fact that
corn in Mexico is sold by the measure
while in the states it is sold by weight
A bushel of standard grade American
corn will weigh just 33 percent more
than a bushel of Mexican corn. me 10"
price of corn to the Mexican laDorer'
whose daily average earnings DO ho'
reach so cents American currency
means much when we consider that inc
question of race suicide has never peeh
considered by the Mexicans ana ina.
an average family consists OF elsE.
persons in place OF i've as LII III
states.
For over a year the Importation Oh
corn and wheat into Mexico has been
free Merchants taking advantage 81
this Ieniency on the part OF the gov
eminent have imported large quahti-
ties of American wheat and corn lnlo
the interior of Mexico. When they mao
a sufficient supply on hand the gOF
eminent restored the import duty IHlS
years crop is shorter than In any pre-
vious wear of record, and corn In tie
SARA Madre is selling at $40 pesos Pc
bectoIitre. three bushels. 1t will reach
nrobab1v SIS pesos before the winter
10 mast Wheat is in like proportion
hrt the great mass of people 90 not
eat wheat flour.
"All this is only TO point out the
necessity of increasing the possible
agricultural area of the arid part Oh
Mexico. ,tsi5
River Irrigation Inadequate.
River irrigation can never supply
enough water to meet the demands Oh
/, northern Chihuahua, and agriculture
| can only flourish through irrigation
| from artesian wells. either flowing or
I numped by ar hydro-eleetric sytem.
| Every acre that is added to the pro-
| ductiveness of the state means cheaper
| food for the poor.
But that is philanthropy and noe
business, so far as the larger laho
owners are concerned. Mexico can
never derive a legitimate income from
its cattle industry until 1T can 1atten
| its own cattle. This does interest the
| land barons.
Mexico ships to the United States
MANY cattle in the form of bone, hide
and sinew, but no meat and tallo".
These we put on the bones by feeding
corn and grass in the north and easf.
Cattle Can Be Fattened There.
There is no reason why cattle car
not be fattened in Mexico. The Ma
| tionaI Mexican Packing company, nm
tied of London. in its attempt to pack
Mexican beef has discovered that cat
tie do not mean meat and the company
is now undergoing reconstruction the
solution of the problem, the only So
luton, is irrigation by artesian water
either from flowing or pumped wells.
OF course this applies to that part or
Mexico that is arid. l believe that the
work 1 have just completed, If my
suggestions are followed out, will add
from 100000 to 100000 acres of agri-
cultural land to the state of Chihua-
hua. This should eventually mean
], GOO, 900 bushels of wheat and corn per
year at the lowest calculation.
Vast Grazing Area, If Watered.
Surrounding these 100000 acres OF
agricultural land there are 22,OOO,9OO
acres of grazing lands. which II prop
erly watered are capable of support
ing 100000 head of cattle. The corn
product would be more than sufficient
to place 100000 head of cattle in con-
dition that would net their owners
vast profit.
But it will be many years before
tie in Mexico on a large scale; GER
tainly not until the land is SO subd1-
vided that economy in cattle raising
will become the prime factor in the
industry. This will be particularly Sd
just so long as the price Of breadsturf
remains high and no surplus corn IS
raised.
The Real Problem Now.
But the most important problem that
Chihuahua faces is that of being able
to furnish uncontaminated water tor
the city for domestic purposes. Eacn
summer the water from the Chuviscar
valley that supplies the city collects
vast toll in the form Of human lives.
through typhoid fever and similar con-
tagions. Never will this death rate be
reduced so long as this particular wa
ter is used.
The Chuviscar dam, costing over
LOCO, 900 pesos is a beautiful piece OF
engineering construction, but unless
it is abandoned as source of city wa
ter supply the city death rate will con-
tinue to be out of proportion to the
good climate and other advantages
that the region possesses from sani-