The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1912-10-17
STATEWIDE IRRIGATION
Greatest Questions In Tesas To-day
Those Of irrigation and Water Con
serVation--irrigation Means AgrL
cultural Salvation for Tesss--Wlth
Well-watered Crops the Worlds
Finest State.

All OF The thinking people OF Texas
who are interested In the settlement
and progress OF the state-and all
should be are fast coming to the con
cluslon that there is only one draw
back Of importance which is hinderine
Texas progress towards a position as
the leading producing state OF the I'm
ion. and that is crop uncertainty from
DRY spells IN The rain belt and Insult
cheney OF rain In dry sections
Must Overcome Uncertainty.
True IL is that fine crops have often
been made and farmers have some OF
the time done handsomely In rainbel
sections. as they are. but the people
Of the whole country as well as the
citizens Of Texas know there is a grave .
uncertainty big chance TO run. OF
there not being sufficient rain during
the growing midsummer season In
much OF the rain belt 10 make a crop .
People Of the present day are not
inclined TO invest in farms where Is a
risk as 70 crops. when other sections 4
are loudly calling them TO where crop
certainty Is claimed An excursion OF
homeseekers reaching a prospective
farming section and finding 70 parched
with drouth are not likely to invest
much money therein
Natural Basin Conservation.
The rain belt section OF Texas has I
n sufficiency OF rain for the year II the 1
surplus at some seasons could be con. I
served 20 help out in the dry spells I
This can be done through conserva.
tion OF the rainfall in the natural low
lying basins found on most farms. by
running bitches from the dry water
courses TO basins. either as
private supply for each farm, or 10
large basins for several farmers In
community OF interests Much land
would hold water other basins would
have 10 be puddled and prepared on
the bottom The distribution Of the
water could be easily and oheaply done
by gasoline engines pumping the water
into distributing burrows when needed
overshadows an Problems.
The marketing OF the cotton crop.
low Investment money. extension Of
railways and good road making are
very important problems. but they pale
into insignficance In their moneyed
value to the state. when compared TO
- of
through sufficiency OF soil moisture.
Given, a state with fertile soil and con.
ditions all favorable 10 the certainty |
Of large yearly crops and YOU have {
successful state. but without asricui
tural prosperity all other favorable
conditions fall short Of success. {
Irrigation Methods. '
The conservation of rain-vatsr
would bs primarily in rain belts. and
IN sections where there are no streams
n dry seasons, and no shallow water Q
Dr. artesian water TO be secured.
Where the shallow or artesian water 1
,ould be had. those would probably {
De better than the rainwater conssr' ]
ration In natural basins. providing the 4
we'll water was sweet aud favorable to
,lant life.
In the dry districts OF the state. d
Without sufficient rainfall. complete ir. 7
'igation 10 the one measure and the u
necessary measure needed TO make q
'rops. Irrigation In the state has p
made commendable progress. and e
hould be extended through conces- p
ions 10 foreign capital to all sections II
4 the dry belts OF the state.
Scientific Farming. L
We have corn. baby beef hog and d
aiming clubs. but what about water n
and irrigation elubs' An
~ important. but the work OF - h
sring the proper soil moisture 10 y
'cxas Is a thousand times more I'm ID
ortant than the others. When Ten -
. has dependable soil moisture these "a
Their things viii take care OF them n
olsss In the natural ss9usnce Of In
vents. o.
DRY or scientific farming 10 another "
lost important problem. ne fnr AZ n p
oes- .,he proper worklnT Of the sol
, conserso therein the moisture g
hlch the Gronnd has previously 10 y
'lYsd. Whsn properly and scloni1 o.
ll|F wofh1d out tho method has . ~
|aoh aIsef falae lhaa the general "
shI|e bs|issos. Meat ever enc hni "
AZ daan In some places NheI1 IAI
FIses ~. fslfsms|k hot "a M A