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<br />. <br /> <br />.) <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />\"'ells in the Iled River Basin portion of the Southern High Plains <br />are equipped ~lith cleep well turbine pumps. A high proportion, 80 percent <br />or more, of the pumping plants is powered by automotive-type engines adapted <br />for statiolk".ry use. These engines are fueled by butane, gasoline, or <br />natural gas, with butane the predominant fuel. Some of the plants, probably <br />less than 5 percent, are powered by electric motors. Hi thin recent years <br />there has been a trend toward the installation of larger automotive-type <br />enCines, industrial and Diesel engines, particularly on the fringe areas <br />where pumping lifts are high. <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />Soils, ~lhere irrigation has been developed, are predor.rlrotly doop ~ <br />slowly permeable, highly moisture retentive.clay loarns, typical Hheat lanc.s <br />of the North Plains. In the extreme southwestern part of the area drained <br />by the Iled River, some irrigation h'1.s buen dDvcloped en sandy soils. The <br />land surfac(; is smooth ~lith slopes seldom exceedin[; 1 percent, usunlly less <br />than one-half of 1 percent. <br /> <br />~ber and size of Farms - Red River BasiE Portion Only <br /> <br />The 2,1320 farms on ~lldch irrigatien is practiced range in size <br />fr~~ a few 60 and 3D-acre irrigated tracts te large farms of 2,000 aeres and <br />mere. Except fer the smaD.er farms, 60 to 160 acres of cropland, the <br />irrigated acreago constitutes only a part of the cropland per farm. The <br />average irrigated acreage per farm ap~rQ~tes 250 acres. <br /> <br />One irrigation well per farm Has common in the oarlior stagGs of <br />development. Subsequent developments, hotofOver, have resulted in both an <br />increase in the number of farms where irrigation is practicod and the <br />number of Hells per farm. In 1950, the area had an average of about 1.6 <br />welln per irrigated farm. Farms with sevoral wells arc not unusual in the <br />older centors of developmont. <br /> <br />Farm Ownership <br /> <br />The arca is characterized b:\, 0. high propertion of owner-operated <br />farms, particularly the irrigated farBS. A cO!1siderable acreace of this <br />area has changed hands since t.ho closo of Horld Har II. This has boen a <br />poriod of inflc.tcd land prices in genoraJ. and spocifically so for land <br />developed for irrigation. Competition for land was so keen that renting, <br />unless a family relationship ~ms involvod, Has exceedingly difficult. <br />Consequently, land purchase at inflated prices Has about the only means of <br />obtr.lining pes session of a tract of lo.nd. Al though the equity of new owners <br />is not known, tho per acro selling price and tho high initial debt retire- <br />ment schedules lUldor which this land was bought suggost that the equities <br />arc not largo and that the \mpaid baJ.unce could "oe burdensome in D. worsened <br />economic situation. <br /> <br />8 <br />