Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1912-12-27
OTHERS ADOPT
DEM|NG'S PLAN
Director Newell Says Success
Depends on Machinery
and Crops
ARTESIA WILL PUMP
Reports Show Pecos Country
Will Depend on Well
Irrigation

That water can be pumped will
profit for irrigation purposes from
/ depth of 100 feet rests on tn,
statement of no less an authority
han Director +. II. Newell of tn,
United States Reclamation Service
The average lift in the Mimbrei
Valley is seldom over forty or fft'
feet and never over seventy-iive
according to data available in tn,
GRAPHIC office. The following i
the statement which appeared in
recent issue of the FL Paso Times:
A farmer on the arid lands of the
west, where he has not irrigated
from streams, can farm at a profit
by pumping fifty, seventy. ninety
or 100 feet from wells, declared
Director + II Newell of the United
States Reclamation Service in an
swer to question asked him in FL
Paso by j. d. Tant, recently from
Macon. Tenn, and now located on
farm of 100 acres.
Director Newell states that while
a profit could be made by pumping
from even 100 feet, yet success will
depend upon the proper pumping
machinery and the character Of
crops to be raised.
While the director Of the recla-
nation service did not specify the
character of the crops necessary to
return a profit, he probably meant
those needing less water than 9th
ers. The two extremes might be
stated to be alfalfa and orchards.
Alfalfa requires more water, prob
ably, than other crops, while orch
ards require less than any plant
life grown by irrigation.
Another question asked the direc-
tor was: "Can we afford to feed
any kind of stock on alfalfa worth
in the market 500 a ton?' The re-
ply was mo" The irrigation Off
cial stated that farmer who raised
alfalfa which could be solu in the
market for $50 a ton could not af-
ford to feed.
But" said Director Newell, "if
the farmers continue to raise alfal.
ia for market, then in few years
there will be an overproduction, the
price will go to the minimum, then
you must begin to feed stock on
your alfalfa, and sell your alfalfa
wrapped up in the hides of your
animals"
PUMPING IN ARTESIAN BELT
Those sections of the Southwe
that have depended on artesian wa
er have found that to let the wat
flow continuously is ruinous to Il
soil and that to shut it off is
weaken the pressure through lea
age into the upper strata. Here
a clipping taken from the Fl Pa
Herald and dated from Artesia:
Artesia, n. NJ. Dec. 20. The
first shipment of the 45O horse pow
or Deisel engine for the Pecos Val
ley Gas and Electric company, sue
cessor to the Artesia Light and
Power company, has arrived. II
consists of three large cylinders,
their bases and minor equipment
and occupies four fiat cars. TIL,
remainder of the engine will re
quire eight cars.
The engine costs $47,O 900 and vii
furnish power for pumping plant
\ in the weak well and surface wei
districts. The company is puttinl
down eight surface wells $50 fee
deep on its half section of lan'
southwest Of Artesia and will in
stal pumps that will be operate
with power from its plant. tn
company has several hundred NOR
acres of land near its half sectio
that will be put under irrigatio
from surface wells.
MORE WILL PUMP
1t has been urged that pump
is more expensive than the grav
ditch system. If that is true "
should the Pecos, Texas, correspo
ent of the Ell Paso Herald write