El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-08-14

I the entire valley if it could be raised
| economically enough to make the
| growing of crops profitab Bile.
! In the meantime, the American
! genius for invention had encountered
/ conditions in other portions of the west
! where cheap water meant salvation
! not only salvation, it meant millions of
I dollars profit to farmers. Powerful
pumps were the result and gasoline
and crude oil engines. Then it be-
came possible TO transmit a high volt
age Of electricity to almost any dis
tance without appreciate loss. With
this invention, the central power plant
became feasible, that is, a plant where
electricity is generated and from which
by cans of transmission lines Inc
power IS conveyed to motors which run
pumps, so that all the farmer has &c
do IS to touch the button, as of old the
prophet smote the rock, and abundant
water guSheS forth.
All of these means of raising water
are now IN use in the Mimbres valley,
and To- this river, lost for ages is
found again; and this vast stretch Of
river valley which it took nature
countless ages to make into a desert,
IS being unmade into gardens and
tleldS and orchards The repopuIating
of this desert valley is a signal triumph
OF mans genius for making nature
subservient to his will
OF course, the use of the pump is a
departure from old systems of irriga-
ably At first blush, one would OBJ
Ject that the cost OF installing ma
chlnery for lifting water out of wells
must be prohlb1tlVe, except where very
nigh priced crops can be produced
Still, 1t can be shown that the initial
cost of putting land under irrigation
In the Mlmbres valley, TO take a single
instance, is only One-third as great as
the average cost per acre of putting
water onto land under the various
government irrigation projects now in
course of construction
The water occurs in the vicinity of
Demlng in four strata of sand and
gravel, the first stratum lying pc
tween 80 and so feet below the surface
OF the ground while the last is en-
countered at a depth of from 100 to
zoo feet As each successive stratum
IS punctured by the well drill, the
water rises above the level where the
first stratum is encountered, until at
the last the water IN the well stands
about ten feet above the water level
OF the first stratum. For instance If
the first stratum occurs at 4 depth OF
80 feet and the well is continued on
down TO the last stratum, say TO a
depth OF 80 feet, the water VIII rise
IN the wei 10 point about 20 feet ,
below the surface OF the ground. Such
4 well upon being pumped at the rate
OF 1000 gallons per minute can be low
cred 16 or 20 feet, at which point the
water STANDS as long as it is pumped |
three
mlles east of Deming, was pumped at |
the rate of 1850 gallons per minute for /
u hours conSecutively, without the /
water falling below the 40 foot mark. {
1t IS often objected that the cost of 4
fuel for pumping water must be great /
er than the cost of water under The 4
gravity system, but when this expense
is set over against the cost of mainte- !
nance and operation of a system Of /
bitches and interest on the greater in /
ltlaI cost, the advantage is just as |
OFTEN with the pump. And there are
many positive advantages which the
pump has over the gravity system. For !
instance, you pump from your well no 1
seeds Of noXious plants to annoy you /
throughout the growing season. Under 1
a ditch, 1t is next to impossible to |
keep your land free from the pest of |
weeds. It is claimed that the silt
winch the ditch water carries, fertil- |
zes the land, but it is just as likely !
10 carry injurious salts which will in |
time sterilize the land. Well water !
s usually pure, ana it is especially 50
n the region OF which we are writing. |
rhe water pumped from wells in the !
llmDres valley at the rate of 5000 gal
ons per minute analyses 1899 percent
pure, the purest water in the United |
states, with the exception of the water |
rom few springs IN two small coun-
les IN the state of New York. Again !
hitch water is usually a community af-
air, whereas the pump is an individual !
Enterprise and this appeals strongly TO
he average American, for America is
latiOn of individualists
There have been 100 new pumpirsy (
'lants put in IN the vicinity Of Deming |
within the last Is months. But vast
tretches Of rich. irFigabIe lands are !
till in a raw, arid state. Men with !
apital and energy and brains are
-eded' and they are coming every Gay.