Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1911-06-23
IRRIGATION IN
NEW MEXICO
Area Thus Cultivated Has
Doubled in the Past
Ten Years
COST PER ACRE IS LOW
Increase in Farm Values in Ten
Years Has Been Over
100 Per Cent.

N~N'""S bItt'tot faHlhNtF issued to-
day the first official statement from
the Census Bureau relative to the
statistics OF irrigation in the Terri
tory of New Mexico.
| 1t is based on preliminary com
paratlVe summary submitted by DR.. lie
Grand Powers, chief statistician of
! the division OF agriculture in the Bu-
! reau OF the Census, under whose su-
1 perVislon II was prepared by r. ?.
| Teele. special agent in charge of irr-
CATION. This summary shows for
both 1909 and 1899 the number OF
farms irrigated, the acreage irrigat-
| ed, the acreage which existing enter
prlses are capable of supplying and
the acreage included in existing nro-
jects. the number OF independent en-
terprises, the length of main bitches,
the total cost of irrigating systems,
the average cost per acre irrigated,
and the average annual cost of main
tenance. 1t shows also, for the year
1903, length OF lateral bitches, NUM-
Der OF reservoirs, capacity of reser-
voirs, number of flowing wells, num-
ber OF wells pumped for irrigation,
number of pumping plants, engine
capacity of pumping plants, and acre.
age irrigated with pumped water. The
acreage irrigated is classified by the
type of enterprise supplying water
and by the source of water supply
The act of Congress of February
%. 1910, under which the census of
irrigation is being taken, provides for
collecting full information concerning
the location, character and cost of ir-
rigation enterprises under national.
state. or private control: the acreage
of land irrigated; the price at which
land with water right can be obtained
and the quantity of water used for
irrigation.
1t should be noted that these figures
are subject to revision, after more
complete tabulation, but it is not ex-
peeted that there will be any material
modification OF the totals or percent
ages reported.
Acreage, Equipment, and Cost.
The total number of farms irrigat.
ed in 1909 was 1889 against 1874
in 1889, an increase of 3,515, or 44.5
per cent. Within the same period
the number of farms in the territory
increased 1916 per cent. The per
cent of the number of farms irrigated
in 1909 was 32.5, while in 1899 it was
GAL, showing that the number of dry
farms have increased much more
rapidly than the number of irrigated
farms
The total acreage irrigated in 1909
was 459,114 acres, against 203S 1893
acres in 1899, an increase of 255,221
acres or 1852 per cent. During the
same period the improved land in
farms increased 347.7 per cent, in
dicating again the more rapid growth
of dry farming. In 1909 the per cent
of improved land irrigated was "A,
while in 1899 it was 62.4.
The total acreage which all enter
prises were capable of supplying with
water in 1909 was 645,530 acres, an
excess of 1S6.416 acres over the area
irrigated in 1899 showing consider
able area available for extension with
out the construction of new works.
The acreage reported under ditch in
1899 was 646,7S4 acres. which was
/ 254 acres more than the area which
all enterprises were capable of sup
plying in 1910. These items are not
exactly comparable as lands under
bitches whose water supply was short
in 1910 were not included in the
figures for that year.
The acreage included in all pro-
jects completed or actually under
construction in 1910 was 1,1O4,676
acres, an excess of 645,262 acres over
the acreage irrigated in 1909.
The number of independent enter
prises was 2,7S0 in 1909 and 975 in
1899, an increase of 1906, or 1851
per cent This is a higher rate of
increase than that in the acreage ir-
rigated. showing a smaller acreage
per enterprise. This is due to the
great increase in the number of flow
ing and pumped wells, each Of which
waters only small acreage. The
length of main bitches was 1909 miles
in 1909 and 1882 miles in 1899, an
increase of 92.5 per cent. This in.
crease is smaller than that in the
acreage irrigated showing that the
newer enterprises are larger than
the older ones.
The total cost of irrigation systems
to July 1, 1910 was reported as $9.019,-
90S, as against $4.14O,319 in 1899, an
increase of $4.S79,5s9, or 117.9 per
cent.
The average cost per acre OF irri-
CATION systems in 1910 was 1897, as
compared with $40 in 1899, an in
crease of 1883 per cent. Too much
weight should not be given to these
figures of cost of construction. as
more than so per cent Of the land
Is watered by community bitches.
many of which have been in use for
more than century and the cost
given is based on estimates by the
owners or by the special agen.s OF the
Bureau of the Census, and undoubted-
" includes much that should be ex-
.cluded in maintenance. It is I'M.