OCR Text |
Show H IRRIGATION. H Any m nn in middle nge to-day can re- H member the timo when it was generally H believed that California nnd Colorado H would never bo able to produce anything H but silver and gold and that all the men H engaged in mining in those states would H havo to lie fed by other portions of tho H country; but California to-day exports H more wheat than nnj other state in tho H union, wlulo her fruits, fresh and can- H- ned, nro known around tho world; nnd H Colorado is not much behind her older H sister on tho l'ncitlc; already slip Is not H only self-sjitniuing, but has for shlp- H inent abroad n latge annual surplus of H wheat, which raukA with tho best in tho H markets of tho world, while her potatoes H whicli nrc unsurpassed, now supply tho H whole suuthucst. And there U nothing H In the nnturat conditions to prevent the H expetiunco of these two ttntes from H lciug repeated In New Mexico, to tho H extent nllenst of fecdingherowu people; Hj tho clemouts of cliiuato nnd soil nro H Cb"entially tho same tho diileicuee H where any exists, being in favor of Ncw H M'xico, The cliiuato is milder than tlint H of (. otorndo, nnd an compared with that H of C'nhfiirnhi, is fciinetior in all cfsenlinl H respects for the growing of every prcxluct H except tho seini-tiuplcnl fruits while H tliejWHerof tho Mill is practically tin- H limited. Tho two great states named, B J when In a condition of iiatute, wero ns B barren und unpiodtictlvo as any other Hr -. .section of what wo call tho "arid re- H lsioiis7'"IihiriifMJiai munitlconco of H their present iiodticti-!)sess is due en- H tircly to Irrigation. ' If certain portions H of the desert can bo thus mado to bios- H s .m ns the rose, will nottho same means H applied to other sections picluce the H Himo results? Who, then, will nuume H to fci-t u limit to the ccuntless millions of H bushels of ginins and fruits which a H general and intelligent system of irii- H gation will some time produce) upon the Hj mw barren plains of the crent south- B w.tt, or to thu sum which such products B will nnnually add to the aggregate K wealth of tho nation. If the man who HE causes two blades of grass to grow whero H,- but ono grew before, is n public bone- HK factor, by what naino shall wo charac- K tcrizo a system which shall cause the HBj food supjily of a nation to grow upon BE land on which only cactus and sage BBBJ brush havo grown boforo? BBBf As an illuetratlon of what irrigation BBBJ can accomplish for nn otherwise barren BH region, it is only nectary to look to tho BBa Vtiley of the Hlo Grande. Tor nearly BBJ three conturlsa this valley has !een BBBJ kuuwn ns tho garden ot Kew .Mexico. BBl I ng bi-fore tho Hist American emigrant I H- U f'ot upon its soil this country was! eclobrnted nmong the Spanish natives of tho territory for tho fertility of its land nnd beauty of Its climate; Its luscious lusci-ous fruits and Its unsurpassed vegetables were carried Into all the neighboring districts, wbllo Its genlnl and sunny climate caused It to besoughtasawinter resort by tho wealthier classes, who enmo hero In largo numbers from hundreds hun-dreds of tulles, around, to enjoy the bright skies and mild atmosphere which hero constitutes tho rule throughout the winter season. And the examplo which was thus set by our Spanish predecessors has been wisely followed by tho Americans, Ameri-cans, and tho comforts nnd benefits of tho delightful winter climate of this lovely love-ly valley aro now known and enjoyed by peoplo from not only ovcry section of Now Mexico, but Irora many portions of the country abroad, who camo hero to escapo the rigors o( tho winter In the eastern states. By such persons tho winter season of this district Is hardly considered winter at all. The sun-shlno sun-shlno ovcry day, the air, though warm, Is dry nnd bracing, and the times when ono may not sit out of doors, on the sunny sido of tho house, are the exceptions excep-tions and not tho.iule. Hut of what vnluo would be Us enuablo climate, Its cloudless skies and ita perpetual sun-ehino, sun-ehino, if irrigation had not reclaimed the desert, nnd mado the erstwhile barren lands of tho valley to bring forth their nbundanco? All other conditions may bo perfect, yet without vegetation n country la not habitable; and henco It is tlint regions of tho southwest with soil nnd cllmnto surpassed by no section of the glolio and equalled by no division of tho American continent, must remain uninhabited, till thogcnlus, energy and tho progress o! modern times, shall bring tho fructifying waters which wilt mako hero tho homes of millions, and what is now tho " nrld regions" will thou becomo tho storehouse of tho nation. |