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THE IBBIGATION AGE. 



UNIQUE CELEBRATION. 



New Mexico is preparing for a unique celebration to take 

 place July 3d, 4th, and 5th, at Carlsbad. This celebration 

 was authorized by the legislature, and the expenses will be 

 borne by the territorial treasury, its purpose being to com- 

 memorate the beginning of Government irrigation in the ter- 

 ritory. 



In authorizing the celebration the New Mexico legis- 

 lature passed resolutions carrying a vote of thanks to F. H. 

 Newell, the director of the Reclamation Service, to the super- 

 vising engineer whose faithful and efficient services have been 

 an important factor in bringing about the desired results, and 

 to other officials of the service in the territory. It is ex- 

 pected that the Secretary of the Interior, the governor of the 

 territory, the director of the Reclamation Service and other 

 prominent officials and citizens will be present at the cele- 

 bration.. 



The Territory of New Mexico has been especially fortu- 

 nate in the amount of work and attention devoted to it under 

 the terms of the Reclamation Act, three projects having been 

 approved, and two practically completed in the past three 

 years. 



The Rio Hondo project, near the city of Roswell, has 

 been completed at a cost of about $350,000, and water is 

 available for the irrigation of 12,000 acres of fertile land dur- 

 ing the present season. 



The Carlsbad project, in the southeastern part of the 

 territory, is now Hearing completion, and a telegram received 

 in the Washington office this morning stated that the first 

 water was turned into the main canal yesterday at 1 o'clock. 

 This project was primarily undertaken by the Government at 

 the urgent request of the settlers to save their property and 

 homes, which were threatened with destruction by drought, 

 as the result of a flood which washed away a portion of the 

 Avalon dam, upon which their canal system depended for its 

 supply. Acting upon the advice of eminent consulting engi- 

 neers, a core wall of reinforced concrete was built from bed- 

 rock to the crest of the dam. There is no possibility of any 

 flood ever washing away this structure. On the lower side 

 of the dam is a rock fill which would prevent erosion in case 



This work when completed will cost more than $600,000 and 

 will supply 25,000 acres with water. 



Over in the Mesilla Valley work is being rushed on a 

 six hundred foot diversion dam for the purpose of supplying 

 water to one unit of the Rio Grande project, the Leasburg 

 diversion. The headworks will be connected with the old 

 Las_ Cruces system by a canal six miles long. Before this 

 project is finished a gigantic dam will be constructed across 

 the Rio Grande near Engle, forming a lake 40 miles long and 

 storing water for the irrigation of 180',000 acres of land lying 

 in New Mexico, Texas and old Mexico. It will cost $7,- 

 200,000. 



The Reclamation Service is experiencing great difficulty 

 in securing reasonable bids for the construction of works 

 in Montana. The contract for the construction of structures 

 on the main canal and laterals, Lower Yellowstone irrigation 

 project, has been advertised twice without securing a fair bid. 

 In order to make the contract more attractive the Secretary 

 authorized the obtainment of informal proposals for the con- 

 struction of the works, either in small divisions or as a whole, 

 but only one bid was received, and this in the opinion of the 

 board of engineers was regarded as entirely too high and 

 was rejected. The Secretary of the Interior today authorized 

 the Reclamation Service to do the work by force account. 



THE CANTON DITCHING PLOW. 



This plow, made by the Parlin & Orendorff Com- 

 pany, Canton, 111., is the only plow of this kind made, 

 and is a fine implement for digging lateral trenches in 

 the irrigation section. It is very heavy and strong, in 

 order to withstand the strain to which it is put when 

 digging deep, but can be easily controlled, as it is carried 

 on a fore-carriage which is adjustable in height, with 

 the lever always in easy reach of the driver. 



The plow is provided with a pair of wings, which 



Canton Ditching Plow. 



flood waters should sweep over the dam. The reinforced 

 concrete conduit which was constructed across the Pecos 

 River by the former owners of the system has been strength- 

 ened and the foundations carried to bedrock. Across Dark 

 canyon is a syphon, circular in form, and of sufficient size 

 for a six-foot man to walk through standing upright. The 

 canal has been widened and deepened and built on scientific 

 principles, so as to carry the greatest amount of water with 

 the least excavation. The thoroughness of construction is a 

 subject of congratulation among the settlers of the valley, and 

 they feel that their lands and orchards are assured to them 

 forever, and that dry seasons are now relegated to the past. 



are used when plowing the first time, for the purpose of 

 throwing the soil well out on each side of the furrow, 

 leaving plenty of room for the fore-carriage and for the 

 soil which is thrown up in the second plowing. It is 

 strong enough so that six or eight horses can be used. 

 The beam is about 20 inches high, and the plowing ca- 

 pacity each time is from ten to twenty inches deep. 



More details regarding this plow can be found in 

 the advertisement of the "'arlin & Orendorff Company, 

 on another page. 



