Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1912-11-22
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acre. 1t costs only 1915 on the
average an acre to maintain the
system Of irrigation used in the
Mimbres Valley. Raw land in al
most any irrigated district of the
Southwest is being sold for from
$50 to SIPS an acre. There is an
almost unlimited supply of the
same land here that can be bought
for from SIS to $50 an acre, the
average price being about $50 an
acre.
GOD ALMIGHTY DID 1T.
God Almighty constructed the
reservoir from which the Mimbres
Valley may draw an unlimited sup
ply of water which is as pure as
once distilled water. This reser.
voir hasn't leaked since creation
and hasn't cost a cent. Every man
is his own rain maker and pumps
just as much as he needs and no
more. The water does not impreg-
nate the soil with alkali and does
not bring down the seeds of the
weeds which his shiftless neighbor
has been cultivating, as under the
ditch system. There are no ditch
commissioners to argue with tho
small natter and no seasons of
low water.
Ell PAso PAPER SAYS
The article below appeared in a
recent issue Of the FL Paso Herald
and explains why other sections are
not drawing the class of agricul-
turists that are coming to the MINI
bres Valley:
Phoenix, Ariz., Nov. IA. Farm
ers of the Salt river valley are just
waking up to the fact that there is
a possibility that too much water
can be used for irrigation purposes
and that land may be spoiled there.
by.
When the reclamation service, a
few months ago, brought out a new
form of contract virtually pres
cribing that but two feet of water
per year should be used where five
feet lacre feet had hitherto been
used, the water using farmers UNI
der the Roosevelt project swore by
all the gods that farmers swear by,
that they would not stand for it.
They insisted that the water was
theirs, and that they would use all
they wanted to use. Ii was ex.
planned to them that the object Of
the curtailing was to prevent the
spelling of the land through the use
Of too much water, but they then
could not see it that way. They
held that the water was theirs, the
land was theirs and that if they saw
fit to spoil the one by the too free
use of the other, it was their blsi-
ness and the government, through
the reclamation service, had no
right to interfere.
The controversy had the effect of
causing many of the water users to
study up on the question, with the
result that they are better informed
now than they were, and they have
come to a realizing sense of the
danger that threatens this great
valley unless the water supply be
measurably curtailed, or a system of
drainage devised which will carry off
the excess and prevent the underflow
from rising so close to the surface
that the hitherto productive soil
will become "alkalied' and as barren
as before the water was applied.
LANDS DETERIoRATE.
Already there are great tracts of
land in the valley which are showing
signs of deterioration and investiga-
ton has shown that in some cases
the water has risen to within four
feet Of the surface, in many cases.
That is regarded as too close for
safety and the water problem now
is to lower the water table, as it is
called. The reclamation service is
sinking many wells in the territory
south of Mesa and establishing pump.