THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



379 



BLUEWATER \&LLEY 



x x NEW MEXICO x x 



Irrigation Engineer Reports on Fertility of Lands Soil 

 Deeply Charged with Mineral Elements Capable of 

 Producing Nearly Any Crop Building Stone Near by. 



Reports of irrigation engineers who have investigated 

 conditions in the Bluewater Valley have recently been 

 made public and are of a character to encourage the in- 

 vestigation of all western irrigated land seekers. In 

 view of the favorable nature of these reports and because 

 of the prominence of the engineers who have made in- 

 vestigations, the following excerpts are reproduced. In 

 connection with his report upon this land, Richard J. 

 Hinton, member of the A. S. I. E., says: 



"As to the fertility and adaptability of the soils and 

 lands, under the Bluewater system, I have no hesitancy 

 in expressing an entire approval. As it lays out of doors, 

 I have seldom seen 25,000 acres so perfectly adapted to 

 irrigation as these. About one-half the acres the western 

 section consists of the famous red loam so eagerly 

 sought after in our region. It is charged with mineral 

 elements, deep, warm, easily worked and retentive of 

 moisture. This is largely the product of volcanic rocks. 

 There is a distinct division between it and the lower, or 

 gray limestone made lands. 



"The latter are excellent vegetable, grape, small fruit 

 and forage lands. Both soil divisions are tractable, deep 

 and readily watered and drained. The surface loam or 

 deposits are from 15 to 30 feet in depth. Beneath the 

 tufa or volcanic soil there is at about forty feet a vol- 

 canic hard pan. 



"The limestone soils are underlaid with gravel and 

 hard strata. Drainage water for well use can be obtained 

 in the volcanic or red soils at from thirty to forty feet. 

 The subplane waters are about the same depth in the lime 

 rock soils (admirably adapted for alfalfa). In short, these 

 soils will produce abundantly all the crops of the tem- 

 perate zone. This will be found to be an excellent sugar 

 beet section. All root crops as well as grain, forage and 

 leguminous products will thrive abundantly. The natural 

 grasses are of the best. The range and foot hills furnish 

 wild fruits, gooseberries, raspberries, Rocky Mountain 

 cherries, plums, etc., in abundance. High altitude timber 

 is ample for years to come scrub oak, cedar, mesquite, 

 pinion or scrub pine. Coal has been found within six 

 miles. Mineral float has been found. Pine timber is near 

 by. Fine limestone rock furnishes the kiln men, and there 

 are works in operation producing about 90 or 95 per cent 

 pure lime. I noticed excellent building stone also." 



- NEW UTAH PROJECT. 



Newspaper reports from Ogden state that Samuel Newhouse of 

 Salt Lake and several New York associates are planning construction 

 work in Weber Canyon near that city, to reclaim about 20,000 acres. 

 It is asserted that Mr. Newhouse purchased rights in this district, and 

 that John Montgomery, of New York, recently made a personal in- 

 vestigation of the situation. J. L. Reynolds, secretary of the Weber 

 Club, and local business men are said to have conferred with Mr. 

 Montgomery. 



FRANK G. CARPENTER RETURNS. 



Frank G. Carpenter, whose letters from foreign points 

 have probably been read more widely than any previous 

 writings on travel, has recently returned from the far 

 east and is now at Washington, D. C. In the course of his 

 travels Mr. Carpenter has given valuable and reliable in- 

 formation relating to the ancient methods of irrigation. 



In may not be generally known that Reid Carpenter, 

 secretary and treasurer of the Humphryes Manufacturing 

 Company, makers of hand and power pumps at Mansfield, 

 Ohio, is a brother of the famous writer. Those who are 

 familiar with the progress of this company recognize in 

 Mr. Reid Carpenter those traits of character that have 

 already brought eminent success to his brother in the 

 newspaper field. Mr. Reid Carpenter is now in Washing- 

 ton, D. C., for a visit with his brother after a separation 

 of many months. 



SHUART GRADING MACHINE. 



Never in history has there been such interest dis- 

 played in irrigation as at the present time. Enormous 

 sums of money are being expended and every available 

 means is being put into effect in order that the vast 

 amount of otherwise unproductive lands might be con- 

 verted into crop-producing and thereby money-earning 

 farms. 



Eastern wage earners and home seekers, look to the 

 West and its wonderful opportunities as a source from 

 which to derive a living and further assist nature in re- 

 claiming her own. 



The Seventeenth National Irrigation Congress, to be 

 held in Spokane this month, has for its object the advance- 

 ment of methods for practical and economical irrigation 

 of arid lands and as a basis for this work, the initial prep- 

 aration of the soil must be considered. It is an unques- 

 tionable fact that in order to give the best results through- 

 out, the land must be leveled and to accomplish this, the 

 most modern tools should be used. The Shuart Grader, 

 shown here, is a machine which has been used for this 

 work for a great many years and is recommended by 

 the United States Government Experiment farms for 

 grading preparatory to irrigation. 



The advertisement of the company manufacturing this 

 machine and others for like purposes, appears elsewhere 

 in this paper. The company will gladly furnish inquirers 

 with all information desired about their product and also 

 about land preparation. 



Those interested in practical irrigation should refer 

 to the manufacturer's announcement in regard to the 

 Shuart Grader and write for catalog and other literature. 



CONGRESS OF DRY FARMERS. 



The Fourth Dry Farming Congress will hold its meet- 

 ing at Billings, Mont., October 26, 27 and 28, 1909. This 

 will not only be an institute for dry farming farmers and 

 dry farming instructors and teachers, but it will be an 

 exposition of dry farming products such as this or no 

 other country has ever witnessed. There are pledged 

 already exhibits from thirteen western states engaged in 

 dry farming work. The organization by states, to show 

 what each is doing and capable of doing in the raising 

 of grain and vegetable crops, without irrigation, is a 

 feature never before undertaken in this district, and prom- 

 ises some great surprises for visitors. 



The area of tillable lands in the United States not 

 yet turned to cultivation is comparatively small, and under 

 present conditions of demand by the homesteader will 

 last but a few more years at most. It is only the part of 

 good business judgment that the dry farming districts 

 be investigated by those who contemplate getting a home 

 under the free homestead law. Good lands and the best 

 locations will be the first taken. Each year will reduce 

 the quality of lands to be disposed of as government 

 homesteads. 



It is announced that there are 200,000,000 acres of 

 arable land awaiting development by dry farming methods. 



