242 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION May 



the most equal and continuous flow of day, but all of which will some day be 

 water possible. The reason is most utilized. It is hardly necessary to 

 apparent ; almost all of the agricultu- state that the value of such plants will 

 ral products of New Mexico are pro- depend upon a steady and continuous 

 duced by irrigation and as the larger flow of water guaranteed by well- 

 percentage of the population are en- forested water sheds, 

 gaged in agricultural or pastoral pur- Next in importance to the protection 

 suits, it is evident that nothing could f the water sheds, at the present time, 

 cause an era of hard times and suffer- i s the grazing of stock. From 7,000 to 

 ing as general as that which would fol- 8,000 head of cattle and horses are al- 

 low a series of floods followed by a lowed upon the reserve each year, 

 shortage of water. Sheep and goats are excluded entirely 

 The Pecos River Forest Reserve is and have been for a number of years, 

 situated upon one of the most impor- About thirty per cent of the stock 

 tant water sheds of the territory, grazed under permits is owned by resi- 

 Within its limits are the head waters dent ranchers, the balance is held by 

 of the Pecos River which traverses neighboring stock owners whose 

 New Mexico and Texas on the way to ranches are located from one to five 

 its junction with the Rio Grande, and miles outside of the reserve and whose 

 whose course may be traced by the interests in the reserve are almost as 

 number of fine ranches watered by it; great as the interests of the residents 

 and also the head waters of the Mora themselves. The number of permit 

 River whose importance in relation to holders is from 175 to 200, making the 

 the agricultural wealth of the territory average number of cattle and horses 

 is almost as great. In addition to these owned by each about forty, the hold- 

 two streams the reserve contains the ings ranging from 3 to 430 head, there 

 sources of several very important tri- being one bunch of the latter figure, 

 butaries to the Rio Grande which be- the next largest being a trifle over 200 

 fore being lost in the sandy bed of the head, and the balance very evenly di- 

 Big River of the North, give life and vided. It is apparent that under Gov- 

 fertility to thousands of acres of land ernment administration there is no 

 and thereby sustain a large agricul- monopoly of choice ranges. The graz- 

 tural population that would otherwise ing areas are allotted with a view of 

 be without resources of any sort. giving each stock owner the most con- 

 It is a noteworthy fact that none of venient and advantageous range pos- 

 the streams above mentioned attain sible ' an d the small owner no longer 

 their maximum height until the last has to suffer the injustice of having his 

 of May or during the month of June, range eaten out by the transient cattle- 

 at a time when the lower country is man whose interest in the ranges was 

 becoming parched and dry and when but temporary, ending when his cattle 

 water for irrigation purposes is badly were taken out of the mountains, 

 needed ; even then the run off is The importance of the reserve as a 

 gradual, usually extending throughout permanent source of timber supply is 

 a period of from two weeks to a hardly recognized yet; still it is daily 

 month. Snow balling in June is a becoming more apparent that the tim- 

 common amusement of the summer ber resources of New Mexico are be- 

 visitors to the timbered portions of the ing rapidly exhausted. And it is with 

 higher ranges and in some years the astonishing frequency that one hears 

 pleasure may be enjoyed during the from representative men the remark 

 month of July. "timber is timber nowadays" clearly 

 In addition to the irrigation feat- indicating that the more thoughtful 

 ures, it might be mentioned that in and forsee the day when New Mexico, its 

 adjacent to the reserve are a number magnificent forests destroyed, or re- 

 of sites for power plants, valueless to- tarded by indiscriminate cutting, will 



