The: Waters of the Rio Grande 
49 
that the sodic carbonate found in these alkalis came, principally at 
least, directly from the evaporation of this artesian water, for these 
wells had been flowing for more than four years. This water belongs 
to the white artesian waters. A short distance from this, about Y\ of 
a mile, a well sunk to irrigate some meadow land yields a strong flow 
of brown water. Concerning the effects of this water there is no room 
for argument, for it had killed the grass wherever it flowed over it. 
The water from this particular well was not analyzed, but we assume 
it to be similar in composition to other brown water from the same 
flow. 
It is a very generally admitted fact that even the white artesian 
waters are not good for irrigating purposes. The almost universal 
testimony is that ditch or river water is preferable. Further, it is a 
common observation that the brown waters are not at all good for this 
purpose but that they are bad, for they kill some plants and cause the 
ground to become hard and it is then impossible to get alfalfa or other 
crops to come up and grow. 
SEVERAL DISTINCT QUESTIONS INVOLVED 
The agricultural problems present several distinct questions, each 
one of which may be of greater or less importance. The first question 
is in regard to the effects of our ordinary alkali salts. 
That this question should be the first one suggested by the ordi¬ 
nary inquirer is natural, for the occurrence of these salts is abundant 
and sufficient to coat large sections of the valley with a covering, quite 
literally, as white as snow. / 
I have already stated my personal conviction, that this of itself is 
not a very serious matter. This conviction is based upon cultural 
facts and not on a theory to explain something. 
The second one is the question of seepage. This is per se a more 
important question, perhaps, than that of the alkalis. Unfortunately 
this condition seldom occurs with us without being accompanied by 
the first question. The results of practicing subirrigation for many 
years raises serious questions in connection with the problems directly 
involved, to which general principles scarcely apply. In order to in¬ 
dicate more fully, but not to argue the question, it may be stated that 
t 
in one section of the valley excellent crops, alfalfa, peas, oats, pota¬ 
toes, etc., are grown with a water-plane intentionally kept nearer than 
24 inches of the surface, sometimes as near as 12 inches, while other 
sections are only partially productive or wholly unproductive, with a 
water-plane 36 or more inches below the surface. The productive, 
subirrigated land is very far from being free from alkalis. How abun¬ 
dant they may be I do not know. 
A third question, one presenting itself in the case of the desert 
claim, applies to a very large section, but not to all of the valley; this 
