Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1891-04-11
PRODUCTIVE ELEMENTS.
Soil, Water, Climate and Market-An Ex-
pert's Opinion Of Santa Fe Coun-
ty Fruit and Farm Lands.

ty Fruit and Farm Lands.
The successful fruit raiser and truck
farmer in the west must consider three
requisites. These are /. The soil. ,.
Water facilities. g. The market. AS tc
the first, there are two chief varieties Of
soil adjacent to Santa Fe. On the slightly
elevated lands, the rolling prairie and the
low foothills that slope gently toward the
valleys, the soil is Of reddish, chocolate
color, the composition OF which is dlsin-
tegrated red granite mixed not unfrequent-
ly with decomposed silica or lime rock.
To the eye at first glance it is not inviting
especially is its appearance calculated to
deceive the farmer of the central west
valleys who has been taught to believe
that the earth must be as black as camp
kettles bottom in order to produce any,
thing.
SCIENCE AND EXPERIENCE
are on the side OF these red soils, OF which
more will be said presently. The other
grade of land here lies in the broad val
leys along the Rio (river) Santa Fe, Rio
Pecos, Rio Galisteo, Rio Tesuque, Rio
Santa Cruz, Rio Pojoaque and other
smaller valleys tributary to this city.
The soils here consist OF light, rich
sandy loan, darker than the upland
soils, and impregnated from six to twen-
ty feet in depth with variety of the
richest mineral fertilizers imaginable,
that in centuries passed have been
washed down from the mountains and
there deposited. Take for instance the
Santa Fe valley. This inviting body of
land was clearly, at some time in past
ages, an inland sea of no mean dimen-
sions. Owing to the great body of water
which once covered it, the soil is very
rich, alluvial and sedimentary one, which
has proven admirably adapted to raising
great
VARIETY OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.
The foot hills and ranges just back OF this
and adjacent valley lands are drained by
hundreds Of small mountain streams
which will afford plenty CT water for graz
ing, in connection with the abundant ma
tive grasses which cover them, and afford
excellent pasturage for eight or ten months
of the year. They have also large forests
OF spruce, pine, quaking asp, pinon and
cedar, affording timber for building and
fencing purposes, and plenty OF fuel.
Referring again to the red soils found
here, actual experience has demonstrated
its value beyond all hazard, but if any
doubt as to their value still rests in the
minds of the reader he can very easily
verify these statements by calling upon
the immigration department Of the A., 7.
& S. F. Railroad company. This corpora
ton took the pains
TO SEND AN EXPERT
to this section of country, Mr. T. S. Van
Dyke, of California, with instructions to
investigate the red soils of New Mexico
and compare them with the famous fruit
raising soils OF southern California. AS
the result he reported as follows:
81 found New Mexico vastly better
than | expected There are millions OF
acres there for fair farming land that
they know nothing about. They are in
the same stage that California was
twenty years ago; such land, for In
stance, as the red soil, beginning south
of Las Vegas and running away up to
Santa Fe, was in southern California
only six years ago thought worthless for
anything but stock. Now, without any
facilities for irrigation of any sor, sells
from $40 to 500 an acre.
VALLEY LANDS
vastly harder to clear than that of the
Pecos are now covered with orchards,
vineyards and gardens, where everything
is grown without irrigation.
The history of the non-irrigation dis
covery in California is very interesting.
| have lived all the time right where the
problem was being worked out. Upon it
the whole of California's future depends,
for the water was all taken up some time
since.
at is not all soils upon which this can
be done, but that red soil composed OF
disintegrated red grantee can with proper
cultivation of the top soil be kept moist
the year round, even where the water
below is 100 feet or more from the top.
l find the average rainfall at Santa Fe
up to that Of Los Angeles, with the
minimum much higher that the mini
mum there. Moreover that Santa Fe
Valley country would not require as
much rain or as much water for irrigation
purposes as the lower and hotter valleys
OF California and has no such long dry
spells"
Worth Handling.