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The Commoner.
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The Wiggins System of Sub-irrigation
Pinna nml Purposes of tho Inventor
jTO THE PUHLIC:
In putting in my Btil)-lrrlgatlon
project nt Farmington, In LaSallo
County, Toxaa, it is ray purpose to
concontrato ray energy and moans at
ono Bpot for a period of llvo or hIx
yoara in order to demonstrate and
establish tho use of my system of
Hydraulic Sub-Irrigation as a prac
tical and foasiblo method for re
claiming tho arid and semi-arid
lands of tho country by tho use of
Bhoot or surfaco well wators. To do
this it becamo nocoasary for mo to
buy a largo tract of land desirably
located as to soil and climate with
plenty of good water to mako it a
buccoss, and whilo engaged in tho
dovolopmont work, establish a train
ing school for a special education of
young men in tho knowlodgo of sub
irrigating land.
My plans are to colonize theso
lands in small tractB, sub-divido It
into flvo, ton and forty acre tracts,
improving and laying a largo portion
to tiling under my system; planting
and cultivating it for a period of
yoars undor rontal contracts and de
veloping its possibilities and earn
ing power undor a scientific appli
cation of wator.
To this end I havo sub-divided tho
four quartor sections laying noxt to,
and adjoining tho townslto of Farm
ington in blockB of ton acres each,
with Btroots around each block.
Tlioso blocks are divided Into forty
lota of ono-quartor aero oach in
anticipation of tho growth of tho
town whon thoy may become doslr
ablo resldonco property. Theso ton
aero blocks I am planting to Mag
nolia Figs, Grapos and other fruits,
also small winter garden truck. The
romalning portion of tho land 1 am
offering for saloe iiulraproVod on easy
torras. .in- -tracts to suit tho buyer,
giving him tho right to ubo my sys
tem of sub-irrigation without royal
ties, but installed undor my super
vision at thoir own oxponse.
Tho improved Magnolia Fig lots
or blocks I sell on tho Bmall payment
plan, and with the purchase money,
I improve tho property. If tho buyer
does not wish to llvo on, or culti
vate tho land himself, I rent it for
a period of years at certain fixed
cash rents. Tho Magnolia Fig
Orchards pay tho largest rents of
any other fruit, and iB tho only pro
duct that I can afford to stand be
hind and guarantco tho rents for,
during tho period of years, since by
preserving tho fruit, I eliminate all
oloments of risk in shipping and
marketing.
Where tho buyer becomes a settlor,
and cultivates his own land, tho Pre
serving Company will enter into a
contract to buy his figs at 3c per
pound for a period of flvo or more
years. The land is in one solid
block, situated on tho Ashorton &
Gulf R. It., ono hundred miles south
of tho city of San Antonio, which is
tho largest city in tho state.
It is my purpose to Sub-Irrigato
and plant ono thousand acres in
Magnolia Figs, and build a Preserv
ing Plant on tho ground to handle
tho fruit In connection, put in a can
ning and ice plant, and subsequently
erect an electric power plant for
pumping wator from tho surface
wells, lighting tho farm homes and
tho city of Farmington. By this I
hope to reduce tho cost of pumping
to a minimum, and in connection
with my By stem of water works
through my sub-irrigation tile, give
to tho suburban farmer tho comforts
of city life, making tho country place
become more attractive and In
greater demand. , rt.
Mpnj&y-tn vested in heso lands and
Magnolia Fig Farms, will prove tho
most profitable investment in South
Texas, both in earnings, and in the
Increased value as a development of
the Biirrounding country takes place.
SInco beginning this project, more
than a year ago, I havo accomplished
a groat deal in the way of develop
ment, having spent over ?25,000.00.
There is now more than seven hun
dred acres cleared and fonced, lands
all planted and laid out in blocks and
streets, a larger number of wells
down, re-inforced cement water
tanks, a good number of houses built
for tenenta, and several ton acre
plants nearing completion, with some
already improved with tho system.
During tho last year I have raised
my own nursery stock of Magnolia
Fig trees, and havo experimented
with othor fruits and products. This
past year I broke tho state record
in the growth and production of
Magnolia Fig cuttings and one year
old trees from nursery stock. The
cutting is a limb from a treo, and
cnt into six-inch lengths, and planted
the same a3 grape cuttings. From
17,000 of theso cuttings I produced
nursery stock from five to seven feet
In height, maturing as many as 67
figs to ono cutting. This fruit was
preserved, the same as from older
trees. Thoy will average about four
teen flga to tho pound, and sell on
the market at 3c per pound. I pro
duced matured, ripe Kumquats from
nursery stock planted the last week
in February, a gTowth of seven
months, when this fruit is not sup
posed to bear under three years from
planting. What caused this unusual
resnit, was the constant, continuous
slow feed of molsturo all through
the growing season, keeping the
ground at the same temperature, and
the plant constantly growing. Where
tho plant depends on the natural
rainfall, or water from surfaco irri
gation, tho water is fed at intervals
causing a spasmodic growth; the
plant doing well when freshly sup
plied, but as the moisture evaporates,
tho vigorous growth of the' plant is
checked, and in many cases becomes
almost dormant before a new supply
of water is had. With my system
of sub-irrigation, I avoid this condi
tion, which is its especial advantage.
I also find under my system, I can
save one-fifth of the land or more,
for tho cultivation of the Bermuda
Onion or garden truck, and mature
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 1
tho onion before gathering, thus pro
venting its perishable condition, or
loss while shipping to the market.
This extra production each year will
more than pay for the installation
of my system, as tho farmer, can
make from $50 to $150 more per
acre each year.
Under my system I do not havo
to chase tho water all over tho
ground to see that it is all wet; I
do not haVo to level off my land for
the same reason; I prevent the bak
ing and crusting of the earth with
consequent injury to the plant, by
keeping a dry mulch always on tho
surface and my soil is always in fine
condition enabling me to cultivate
much more land at less expense.
If the reader would like to invest
in a highly improved, well cared for
Magnolia Fig Orchard, and receive
rents that amount to 20 per cent in
terest on his investment per annum,
I can sell him such an orchard and
guarantee him hiB rents. He can
buy these orchards in lots or in
acres desirably located.
If the reader would like to move
south to the Coast Country so as to
be able to get away from the cold
winters of tho north, or to raise
garden vegetables and citrus fruits,
he can find no better spot to make
his home. On a small tract of land
he can make an independent living,
cultivated with my system of sub
irrigation, besides in a few years lay
away a neat little fortune.
If the reader has a son that he
would like to start out in life in the
coming industry such as my system
of sub-irrigation will build up in
tho reclamation of the many mil
lions of acres of un-reclaimed gov
ernment lands, and the already occu
pied semi-arid lands, a course of
study at Farmington on sub-irrigation
will fit him for a field of acti
vity that no other vocation can give.
I solicit investments and corres
pondence from all my readers.
Respectfully
JNO. L. WIGGINS,
211 Swearingen Bnilding,
San Antonio, Texas.
r
riv
ORCHARDS
SUB-IRRIGATED
In La Salle County, Texas, Better Than Insurance, Stocks or Bonds
oy Fig Orchards and get rich in a years.
B0.InAnC??pan?. wi,It drinSdvo years pay you back in nnJvlltlS7? ? the Farmin&ton Power and Pre-
with 160 Magnolia Fig Trees planted to tho acre, which will vroilnUBO? yo? a nighly developed property.
Do you know of an, other SAFE investment in which $400 will earn yon uu.X $960 o7 g remainder of 3' llfe
The Preserving Company's Showing
First Year. ,
Second Year
Third Year
Fourth Year
Fifth Year
Total
Figs
38.40
1G8.00
83G.00
720.00
960.00
Truck
Total
$160.00
200.00
200.00
198.40
368.00
536.00
720.00
960.00
$2,222.40 $560.00 $2,782.40
Pay You
Rent
$ 40.00
60.00
80.00
100.00
120.00
$400.00
Co.'s Profit
158.40
808.00
456.00
620.00
840.00
$2,382.40
Table of Fig Production
, Lbs. per Tree
First Year..t.n.r.T....j. , 8 to 10
Second Year. ... ,v, . 35 to 40
.Third Year............ 70 to 150
Fourth Year...r. .r. ..150 to 200
, ... Lbs. per Tre
Fifth Yur.'-.iOSWi.200 to 400
Sixth Year. ,m.-WIOT..t,260 to 600
Sov.enth Year .350 to 1000
For IUntrate4 Booklet or the Production el MolU Fin
Ha Othe rreiacta, Addrcwa
ohn L.. Wiercriri
211 Swearingen Bldg, San Antonio, Texa
The Testimony of a Practical Irriga
tion Engineer
Genttt TfcUff'irtlSi" . oni. Neb.
quiry ttaongh !S&3? wUl l"y SSTtS2,WlB8 7ar "J
knowledge of tho WiEelMFirr n?ih.J?J Jt? I.haTe Bom Personal
(Signed) J. N. HEATER.
Columbus, Neb., and Lincoln, Neb.
in, rour BtotoftS SttStS ?" CMer-
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