Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1912-08-30
Current Issue Publishes Illus
rated Story by Secretary
Bedichek
GOOD FACTS SET FORTH
will be Read by Half Million
People Who Appreciate
Irrigation Pumping.

The Mimbres Valley in South
wsstern New Mexico does not ap-
nsal to the man who is looking for
a fully developed section and who
ia willing to pay fully developed
nrces. The valley from an agri-
cultural standpoint is but three
wears old The pumping of water
for irrigation is passed the expert
mental stage in this region, but
several years will pass before prices
have at all reached up to the earn
ing power of the land.
The valley is a typical underhow
district, the cstchment area stretch
ine to the north. northeast and
northwest. into the Black Range,
Burro and Santa Rita mountains,
and comprising 400 square miles
Of rough and precipitous mountain
drainage, where the average an
nual rainfall is above twenty inch
es The run-0ff from this area is
yearly received into the underilow
of this valley. and exceeds in
amount. according to the computa-
ton of competent engineers. 45O.-
600 acre-feet. This amount of
water would be ample to irrigate a
valley twice the size of the pump
ing area of the Mimbres valley, 30
It may be proved at the outset that
the water supply for this region is
ample, secure, everlasting and mex
haustible.
The quality of this water is no
less remarkable than the quantity.
II is the purest water in America.
Chemists search in vain for any
trace of harmful elements. 1t has
been applied for twenty-five years
to gardens in Deming. year after
year, and there is no sign in any of
these gardens of harmful deposits.
The tests which the chemists give
il show that it is pure, the taste of
II is excellent. the practical test of
application to irrigation for twenty
five years fails to reveal any harm
ful element, 81 it may he taken as
reasonably certain that the quality
Of the water is right.
Irrigation began in the Mimbres
Valley in good earnest only two
years ago. Several Californians,
familiar with the system of pump
ing water for irrigation, bought
land for a song. and proceeded to
reap the golden harvest. One OF
these gentlemen paid from four to
seven dollars per acre for 32O acres
OF land, and has since been offered
500 per acre for the same tract.
However, 500 per acre does not
represent the earning value of the
Mimbres Valley soil. Water costs
about "a per acre-foot at a sixty
foot lift with fuel and electricity al
the present price, and when applied
to the irrigation of alfalfa in thl.
valley it is worth $25 per acre foot
Seven tons of alfalfa is the usua
yield per acre, for which the farm
er receives in the field $l4 per ton
1t takes three acre-feet to produce
the seasons yield. The other ex
penses incident to producing alfalf'
! are about what they are in otheI
alfalfa-growing sections. With thi
data you can figure it out yourself
Add to this, however, in your com
putation, the fact that the Mimbre
valley farmer never loses a crop b,
reason Of rains or summer showers
The average annual rainfall In th'
valley is only eight inches, 50 yo'
can see how rarely rain interfere
with harvesting.
Another staple crop in the MIN
ores Valley is the homely bean-th