Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-04-30

&8 WILL
pletion OF 10 miles Of concreting on
ants years program, the work on
NE Mercedes eslaco Irrigation
District Is making o considerable
showing. Two gunite machines are
now at work, and a third machine
3 expected soon. Drainage too Is
making great strides. for when q
drainage gets TO work, the dirt be-
gins 70 move.
On Jan. / the newly created Mer-
cedes-W eslaco Irrigation District
took over the maintenance and op-
Grafton OF the system formerly oper-
ated and owned by the American
Rio Grande Land & Irrigation
Company, comprising almost 81, 900
acres OF land. The Board OF Di-
rectOrs Of the District selected Mr..
+. 8. Fessenden. an engineer OF
many years experience IN irriga-
ton work in the southwestern Unit
ed States. Since that time other en-
Rineers, experienced in various
lines Of work, have been added to
the force. with o view to expediting
as much as possible the construc-
ton program. Lining some OF the
canals was started shortly after
january 1st, and excepting for
delays occasioned by unreasonable
weather. has continued steadily
since that time. Some concrete pipe
has been laid in connection with
this lining program, but the great
or portion OF the woxk has been
N the nature OF lining the canals
with gunite. For the benefit Of
those 20 whom the name "gunite"
may not be familiar. we viii state
that Eunite Is one form Of concrete
composed entirely Of cement and
sand which is thoroughly mixed
and then, still IN a dry state, car
rfed by air pressure through a hose
70 the point OF application. where
r IS mixed with water and shot
into place by pneumatic pressure.
This results in a very dense form
Of concrete, and when reinforced
with wire mesh. makes a very
strong form OF lining.
I. Method
J In most OF the work one bank
Of the earth canal is split open,
then trimmed TO a semi-circular
form, after which the wire mesh
Is placed in position and the gunite
lining shot against the moist earth
so as 70 get a lining at least one
inch in thickness. II would seem
surprising that one bank OF the
canal when opened up this way
would give a canal large enough TO
1rrigate the same amount OF land,
but It must be remembered that
the water will run much faster
In the concrete lining. due to the
smoothness OF the lining, and the
absence Of weeds. and also that Il
Is not necessary to provide excess
capacity in order to take are OF
seepase. Then too. the earth can
ais have not been used to their
full capacity as the irrigators. be-
coming more accustomed 70 farm
Ing BY Irrigation. are using less
and less water all the time.
Mr.. Fessendcn states that he
hopes during the present year TO
nre one hundred miles OF canal.
OF over one-third the total mileage
q canals on the system, and that
this lining. together with the
drainage program under way. will
take care Of the more pressing
needs OF the system. This work OF
lining Is in line with the develop
ment OF irrigation work through
the Valley, where the people are
beginning 20 realize that a we'll
equipped irrigation system able TO
supply the necessary water Is lust
as necessary as is up-to-date equip
ment on the farm. and that these
developments must come te the VAL
ley.
Drainage
Drainage is one Of the important
problems in the Valley. and on the
Mercedes Weslaco irrigation dis
trict they are tackling II with both
hands. -Four dragline excavators
IRE owned by the District, which
also Owls O Ruth dredger. which is
used IN cutting small local drains.
In addition to this, they have con-
tracted with the j. d. George
Construction Company OF Donna
for the use Of one dragline, so that
there are six machines now at work
on the drains. and since January
1st they have re-cut almost twenty
miles OF old drain and in addition
tc this. have cut fourteen miles OF
new drains. The District is parti-
cularly fortunate In that two large
main drainage channels cut across
the District. thus making IL much
easier to secure outlets for the
drainage than It is for some Of the
other systems Ia the Valley.
A draaline is not a thing of
beauty, nor does 1t cut a pretty
ditch with smooth sides and q nice,
Aven pile Of dirt alongside the ditch.
Aut when Il comes TO q proposition
Of working in mud or water where