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WELLS.—Shallow wells are numerous along the western side of the river between Roswell and Eddy in New Mexico The stage company found no difficulty in getting water for their stands at any point along that route. These wells are from twelve to forty feet deep, and furnish inexhaustible supplies of water. The stockmen have had no difficulty in getting large quantities of water in shallow wells on either side of the Pecos river, some of which furnish water for thousands of head of cattle.

Very little effort has been made in the Texas part of the Pecos river country to get shallow wells, and where the effort has been made the success has been only partial. In Ward county, east of the Pecos river, and north of the Texas and Pacific Railroad, and along the lines of the main line of the Pioneer canal, wells have been put down at numerous localities and water found at various places and depths. The drift material is so thick over a great deal of the Pecos valley that wells would have to be sunk over one hundred feet to reach a water bearing stratum.

ARTESIAN WATER ON THE STAKED PLAINS.

It can be stated in plain terms that the conditions are not favorable for obtaining artesian water on the Staked Plains. What I mean by artesian water is water that will flow at the surface when a water bearing stratum has been penetrated from above.

As it is believed that all flowing wells are caused by hydrostatic pressure, it is an indispensable requisite that a water-bearing stratum which will produce artesian water must be inclosed between two other beds impervious to water, and that it shall reach the surface at some place topographically higher than the locality at which the boring is to be put down, and that the catchment exposure shall be sufficiently large to collect enough water to saturate the water-bearing stratum.

A brief reference to the geology of the Staked Plains will show that any water bed which could possibly furnish flowing water on them must have its source beyond the western boundary of the Staked Plains themselves.

The following section of the strata of the Staked Plains, made at Mount Blanco, will show that there is no impervious beds surrounding a water-bearing stratum, belonging to this strata, and if the other conditions for artesian water were present, this condition, which is absolutely necessary, being wanting, no artesian water could be expected from the Staked Plains strata.