El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-11-01

raw land. The promoters Of this dea-
gave many farms away to good farm
ers who would develop them and
make show places. In some instances,
as much as 200 acres was given to a
single farmer in order to locate a man
especially capable of demonstrating
what could be done in the way Of
pumping water for irrigation.
South Half is Shallow Water.
The south half Of the district Is what
Is called the shallow water area, and
the water is pumped here from 115 to
SUI rect The shallow water area is al
most entirely in alfalfa. They raise
about six tons per acre per season with
six waterings and sell the alfalfa for 50
per ton The deep water area is devoted
entirely to the raising Of citrus fruits.
Land sells for $3.50 per acre out 10
or Is miles from Pomona, while $500 per
acre is considered low for land within
tive miles Of the city. Good alfalfa
farms are not for sale at any price.
The Pomona district has several ad-
vantages over the Mimbres valley, the
most important of which is that the
farmers Of this district have had 10
years practical experience in pumping
water for irrigation, and though new
pumping districts are benefited largely
by the experience Of the older districts,
still in any new district like the MIN
breS valley, a certain amounts OF eX-
perimenting viii be done whether or
not Again the farmer in the California
valley gets his gasoline for eight and
a half cents per gallon, whereas the
farmer IN the Mimbres valley has TO
pay y cents for engine naphtha to run
his engine. The fact that there Is seven
Inches more rain annually in the Pomo-
ma valley than there IS in the M1mbreS
valley is counted by some an advan-
tage, by others a disadvantage Farm
ers who pump water for irrigation de-
clare that rain is a positive detriment
I'm that it interferes with the system OF
an irrigated farm.
8Iimbres Valley supply More Stable.
On the other hand, the farmer Of the
Mimbres valley has the advantage Of
more stable water supply than the
Pomona valley farmer The water
level has been known to vary go 1eet
during the pumping season in the Po-
mona district, which necessitates an
expensive installation providing for the
raising and lowering Of the irrigation
pumps. The water level In the MINI
bres valley IS practically stationary,
due to the tremendous area which
drains into the underflOw comprising
about 400 square miles. Besides this
the wells Of the 1Iimbres valley are
only about One-fOurth the-depth Of the
wells in Pomona, and the lift here is
not over one-half as great
Alfalfa Brings More.
The fact that alfalfa sells in che
valley for from Sl3 to $50 per
ton, as against 81 to So per ton in the
Pomona country, constitutes another
important point in favor Of the former
region. Climatic conditions in the
valley are much more to the
liking Of the average citizen than those
Of the Pomona district, being drier
healthier and a larger percent OF sun
shiny days. Of course, the greatest ad- I
vantage Of all I'm favor of the Mimbres
valley is the extremely low comparative I
price Of land. The land Of the MINI
1res valley is just $500 per acre cheaper
than the land in the Pomona valley
This Is a COusidera bic item To tie in
vestor, It represents the difference be- /
tween buying something at top-notch /
price and buying something at a rock I
bottom price. There is still, another I
advantage resting with the Mimbres I
-alley in that there is an area here re- I
,laimable by pumping about four times I
Is large as the whole district OF Pc I
mona