El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-09-29

flowing off of the water, especially on
the mountains and on mountain slopes.
They keep back the flood That it may
benefit the valleys without inundating
them, and so enable their inhabitants
to make use of the water. For these
reasons alone the ever increasing and
ruthless clearing of the forests should
be summarily stopped.
-. The more extensive Development
of mining which draws off a consider
able amount OF water from the districts
in which it is carried on.
IS. The intensive cultivation of land
which brings this about in several ways.
1t is possible to increase the yield Of
the land considerably by intensive Gull
tivation. In the 70s the sugar beet
yield of Germany was raised almost 100
percent in point of quality, as wei
as quantity, to make it clear that when
a crop has been doubled double
amount of water must also have been
demanded from the ground As it is
with the sugar beeuS, 50 also must it
be even if in a lesser degree, with 9TH
er plants. The practice of putting other
plants between the rows also makes
heavy demands on the water supply.
In order TO obtain a supply of soil
moisture the largest possible quantity
of the water coming TO the soil should
be retained; and this can be done only
when the capacity of the soil to take
up moisture is at it's maximum. For
this two things are especially perth
nent; (a) the ground should be turned
Immediately after the crop has been
taken off, and before the rainy season
of the year sets in it should if possible
be plowed in rough burrows. In this
condition 1t can absorb most of the
rain that falls. A considerable portion
of the rain will flow off a flat surface
without doing any good. The lower
layers Of soil, then, are to be worked
up with d subsOil pillow. In this con-
nection it should be borne in mind that
soil, when beaten down, not only takes
up water more slowly, but also gives
it much more readily than soil thor
oughhly broken up; OBJ 10 increase the
water absorbing power of the soil still
further lime or organic substances may
be applied. We must allow the plants
to get all the moisture they require.
and 1t is especially important to sup
ply them with enough moisture the
year round to insure a good flow OF
sap, even if there should happen TO be
a drouth during the summer months
For this reason very luxuriant growth
in spring is not advantageous If, in
spite of all precautions, a scarcity OF
soil should set in, the farmer should
cultivate his fields over and over again.
"A definite, well planned treatment
of this question in view of the interests
of agriculture is very necessary. A
clear exposition of water rights will be
the next important task of the govern
ment- Nature has given the farmer
perfectly clear title to the streams
of the land. Water is at the foundation
of all organic life, and the forests and
streams are the arteries of agriculture.
If this natural right is not preserved
entirely intact, the question of water
rights will shift itself to the detri-
ment of the farmer, Der use the active
mobile capital behind tt de and indus
try will ever moe and more seek to
use the streams for its own purposes
without regard for others and is sup
ported by the constituted authorities.
Every question of water rights must,
first of all, take into account the deep
founded. all embracing natural right
of agriculture to the eOrcsts and the
streams.