The Opelousas courier., 1890-09-06
A RANCH IN THE CLOUDS
THE LOFTY HOME OF AN ADyEN
TURoUs PIONEER.

furious PIONEER.
Raising Crops at an Altitude OF TO-
600 Feet in New Mexico-Trans-
portation by Burros.
At the head waters of the north branoI
of the Rio Gallinas, eighteen or twenty
miles above the Las Vegas Hot Springs,
Mr.. E. Fl. Harvey, d former Boston
merchant, several years ago located his
ranch at an elevation the most ambitious
perhaps of any farm OF the continent.
Coming to New Mexico originally for
his health, Mr.. Harvey, after examining
the conditions of the cattle and sheep
business on the open plains, and those of
| agriculture id the lower Valleys-ln
which an elaborate system OF irrigation
| is required-decided to make his home
in the mountains. In d high valley
near the massive precipitous mountain
| known as Hermit Rock he laid the stills
| of his cabin amid the evergreen and pop
lar trees, took up under the homestead
law a tract of Government land, and set
to work to improve it.
This ranch Is peculiarly isolated, the
| only other houses In a wide region about
! being one or two deserted prospectors'
! cabins and the works Of an abandoned
| mica mine. Near the foot of the mount
aims the wagon trail leading from the set
| Elements comes to an end, and beyond
that point a bride trail is the only path
to the home OF this adventurous pioneer
| from Boston. Here, literally among the
clouds, he has made the wilderness to
blossom as the rose. Part Of his tillable
and hay lands was open grassy park at
ths time of his coming, and the remain
| der he has cleared by cutting down and
burning the trees. The range of pasture
for his stock includes all accessible graz
ing spaces up and down the valley.
At this high altitude of 10 1000 feet,
only 800 feet below climber line" the
climate differs widely from that of the
plains. Through the summer, during
times, it may be, when the plains below
are parched with drought, there are fire.
quent showers and often long continued
rains in the mountains, and after clear
nights the vegetation at sunrise is drip
ping with heavy dew. Under these ia
vorable conditions no artificial irrigation
ID required, and with the abundant
moisture the grass grows thick and
his. spangled with inntmerable flow
ers Of great beauty and variety, and there
are found many specimens of tree and
plant life usually associated with far
more northerly ATTITUDES. The altitude
Of the ranch is too great for the success
full raising of corn, but nearly every other
agricultural product of the Northern
States Aourishes. Gbfn and vegetables,
including potatoes, grow a~bundantly and
rapidly, are of fine quality, and attain
great size. Timothy grass four feet, and
oat stalks six feet high are not uncom-
mon specimens of the productive capa-
city of this ranch.
The 1uxuriant growth of forage, and
the circumstances attending the trans
portation of farm products to market,
have tended to make the dairy the chief
feature of this upland ranch, Mr.. Har.
vey's herd of COWS give a profitable re-
turn for his care and labor. The swift
current of a mountain rill turns a water
wheel connected with the revolving pad
dledashers of d cylindrical churn in
which is made the butter that on stated
days goes on the backs of pack animals
to the market at Las Vegas.
There is but n way ~ which TO trans
port freight between the ranch and the
town, by apacking, which is effected by
means of trains of burros (donkeys).
With the garden and dairy products to
be carried to Las Vegas, Or of 'sstore
goods to take to his home, packed in
hampers, the owner starts the procession
of pack animals in single file along the
mountain path, and himself brings up
the rear on his sure-footed pony, to
quicken the pace of the stragglers and
watch that none of the burdens shift
awry. Bulky articles, as trunks, furni-
ture, or farming implements, are loaded
upon a frame like a litter, suspended be.
tween two burros placed tandem, and in
this fashion are carried By the steady,
docile little animals oyer the windings Of
the mountain trails, and down steep
hill-aides, and across rushing torrents to
their destination.
The house ID rude but comfortable
structure, with a wide open fireplace, in
which the fire of hickory wood or pitch
pine crackles cneeriuily IN tne winter
nme, and On summer evenings as wen,
ier ~ 1nese mountain helgnts tne night
our p &c AL times cool. ana often
chilly. Rich milk. vegetables fresh and