El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-01-18
Roundabout The Country
y a. MAR1IN.

chased FOR that purpose. but later de-
velopments IN the Rio Grande Failes
caused a change Of plans and the ar
rangements are all off, according to X.
p Davie. who owned the Glendale
plant and sold the machinery 10 the
Holly Beet Sugar company, OF COLORADO
for removal to this valley
7 sold the machinery 70 the Holly
company and the officials OF the COM
many told me they intended moving u
70 Mesilla Park or las Cruces. said
Mr.. Davie, but later they said they
had found that beet blight was at
tacBfuE the crop over there to such an
extent that they did not feel like TAX
ing a chance. They thereupon leased
my building FOR five years and the
machinery was left Just where had Il
when I was operating the plant In the
salt Rivr valley.
aaThe Holly people told me they
were extremely well pleased with
the sugar content OF the beets
raised in the Rio Grande valley
also with the yield per acre, but
when the blight made its appear
ance to such n large extent. they
decided not to risk my money IN
erecting a plant there
ct don't know what they viii do
with the machinery. but I do not be
lieve II will ever be operated
again. as the blight appeared here.
too. and we found also that We could
grow other crops that paid better The
beets have TO be harvested in August.
the hottest and worst season OF the
year here for work. and when We
found that we could grow long staple
cotton. Welding from half a bale to
bale TO the acre. selling at from % 70
so cents a pound. there was no more
fascination in growing sugar beets-
With alfalfa selling as il is now even
that uowz better than heets-
Nearly everybody about Phoenix IS
growing cotton, however. and land
owner can rent his land for more than
he could ever make on sugar beets-
This year rented my land tna !, IL 49, odo
merly had in sugar beets for Sl4O,UOu
cash rent never made anything
like that amount in year or even IN
two years. from bets
They are having some trouble
In the salt River valley from
johnson grass, just n the Rio
Grande valley farmers have had
hut they are having more trouble
from Bermuda grass One farmer
said that II was necessary to
plovv M an alfalfa field aboSf
every five years to kill the Ber-
muda grass. ave just turn the
water off and blow mp the land
two or threetimes during the
summer and that Kills IT. he said.
s.Then we replnnt our alfalfa. or
course. we lose much OF the first
years crop. because alfalfa does
not produce well until the second
year and the third year - even
better. hut IL has TO he dOne.s
They have lost considerable land IN
one section OF the valley on account OF
seepaCe. Just as has happened IN the
Rio Grande valley, but drainage dttches
are being cut and they expect TO re-
claim 81. Some OF the best orchards
that once Eraced the valley have been
lost because OF the rise OF the water
and the appearance OF allzalL owever,
cotton can be grown on allSaH soil and
date palms viii do well on water
soaked land. for, as Col James h NC
head in an oven and It's roots IN
we'll" Il Is possible that the produc-
Ing area for dates will be largely in
creased II the drainage bitches do not
soVe the problem.
Much high land IN the salt River
valley-similar to that in the Rio
Grande valley above the ditch level
Is being brought under cultivation ~
means OF pumps that LIT the water
from the canals and carry Il 70 the
higher ground. These pumps are op-
Grated by electricity generated at
Roosevelt dam. Just as II Is contem-
plated to operate pumps on the higher
land in the vicinity OF Fl Paso by
cheap electricity which can be gen
Grated when the high line canal IL
In one instance IN the Salt River
valley. the Water Users association
has Installed a large pump that lifts
sufficient water to irrigats a number
OF separate tracts. the owners paying
their porportionate cost. just as other
owners On the lower lsYsls pay their