Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1891-09-05
WEALTH OF THE SOIL.


For more than two centuries the valley
of the Rio Grande has been known as
the garden of New Mexico. Long before
the first American immigrant set foot
upon it's soil this country was celebrated
among the Spanish natives of the terri
tory for the fertility of its lands and beau
tv of it's climate its luscious fruits and its
unsurpassed vegetables were carried into
all the neighboring districts, while its
genial and sunny climate and an abund.
ance of water for irrigation purposes made
its lands always profitable and in demand.
From Bernalillo south to San Marcial, a
distance OF little more than 100 miles,
the alluvial bottom land of the valley has
an average width of about four miles,
Over the whole of this water may be east
ly carried from the river in irrigating
bitches. About one-tenth OF the land of
this character in the valley is under cul-
tivation. Upon this tenth part OF the
irrigable land OF the district have been
produced all the grains, vegetables and
fruits which have maintained the reputa-
ton which this valley has enjoyed Tor
more than two centuries, OF being one OF
the garden spots of the territory. Nearly all
the land OF the remaining nine-tenths is
lust as goods almost identical in char
acter-and by the application OF water
can be made Just as fertile and productive
as any of that now under cultivation.
The number of persons who now make
their living directly out of the soil within
the district under consideration is about
10000 and if one-tenth of the land Will
support 10000 people. the whole OF 1t, II
brought under cultivation ought to afford
living to 100, OO0-and that there Is
room in the Rio Grande valley Tor that
number of persons to make good llVlnE
at farming, gardening and irult growing,
is not by any means eXtraVagant, Tor II
must be remembered that with the close
cultivation that is practiced where farm
ing is carried on by irrigation much
smaller tract of land will suffice to furnish
living Tor family than where the larmer
depends upon the rainfall.
COMPARISON OF MARKETS.
1t is not only necessary for the man
who cultivatee the soil to be able to raise
good crops, but to have good market
for his surplus products. The farmers OF
Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa are able to
raise enormous crops Of corn, but it ire
quenty happens, in many portions OF
these states, that the corn is practically
worthless by reason OF the fact that 1t
costs more to haul it to market than it
can be sold for afterward, aud it is not an
uncommon thing for the corn farmers Of
those states to use corn instead Of wood
or coal for fuel and therefore the lands,
although very productive, are not very
profitable. To the man who expects TO
make his living by cultivating the ground
good market is nearly as important as
good soil, for unless he can dispose of his
surplus at fair prices there can not be
much outcome to the business.
If all the lands of the Rio Grande valley
were put under cultivation, and worked to
their utmost capacity there is a reasonable
certainty that every pound OF Their sur
plus products Will always be required to
meet the demands Of the home market,
for it must be borne in mind that the
leading industries of New Mexico are, and
in the nature of things must always con-
tinue to be, mining, cattle raising and
wool growing These industries have
already assumed very important proper
tons, while the field for their extension
especially IN the case of mining-is al
most unlimited. All these great lines Of
enterprise employ large number of men,
all of whom must be fed by the surplus
products of the comparatively small
area of arabic land within the territory,
or their supplies must be shipped in from
abroad-the latter being the manner III
which by far the greater portion OF every
thing now consumed is obtained. Some
of the sheep owners produce upon their
own ranches portion of the supplies re-
quired by their employees, but the cattle
men and the miners depend wholly upon
the market, and buy everything they use,
more than 80 per cent OF which is shipped
in from ''the states" for the reason that
there is no local surplus with which
TO MEET TIE DEMAND.
The annual production of grains, fruits
and vegetables is steadily increasing, but
the demand increases more rapidly than
the supply. Because of the much more
extensive field that is open to the. territory
for mining and grazing, these interests
increase much more in the aggregate than
those of agriculture and horticulture, and
hence instead of decreasing the quantity
of produce that it is necessary to shipln
from abroad, it has been steadily increas'
CT, hn 4 m li,, tIfAt
into the country commenced, some twelve
years ago, and there is no pro9ality-in'
deed there is hardly a possipIity-that
the quantity of grain and vegetables pro-
duced within the territory will ever be
sufficient to meet the demand of the ter
ritory, while the shipments of fruits to the
later northern districts Of Colorado, Kan
sas and Nebraska, has already assumed
such proportions as TO prove guarantee
of what the future promises.
The comparative scarcity OF lands
throughout the territory suitable Tor
agricultural purposes, and tae vast fields
that are open to the enterprises of mining
and stock raising, serve to make 1t clear,
beyond any shadow Of doubt, that there
must always, in the nature of things, be
local market in New Mexico for every
thing that the soil can produce. And it
is the fact which renders the rich and
valuable irrigated lands OF the Rio Grande
valley peculiarly desirable, and gives
them value far in excess OF the prices at
which they are now held.
SUNSHINE AND WATER.
AS compared with New Mexico the
average eastern farmer isn't IN it " hen it
comes to the real pleasure and profits of
iLlntnl La tl.r L