Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1891-12-28
THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
A Chatty Interview With Prof. Blunt on
the Success of this Worthy Public
Institution

Prof. A. E. Blunt, of the agricultural
and horticultural department Of the New
Mexico agricultural college and expert.
mental station, is in the city to take part
in the educational convention. He talked
very entel tainingly this morning about
the farm and fruit and educational work
in hand at the institution.
There are l25 pupils in attendance now,
the full capacity of the buildings Fifty
additional pupils could be secured, but
there Is no room for them. Among recent
improvements is water developing plant,
just completed, at cost of $4,000 Six
drive pipes have been put down to depth
of thirty-six feet and connected with
steam pump OF the ''Pulsometer". pattern
that has been proven such q success at
San Marcial. This will be started as soon
as practical engineer arrives from the
east, and will be utilized to pump water,
100000 gallons per day, to reservoir on
the mesa, whence the water leads ia
bitches to the higher lands on the expert.
mental grounds. The bottom lands are
irrigated by canals from the Rio Grande,
the other two acres, are to be constructed
this spring 30 as to insure water for the
whole station in case the river should 90
dry, az some times occurs.
Throughout all departments OF the
college great prosperity prevails, said
Prof. Blunt. The pupils display encourag-
ing interest in their studies the native
pupils in particular are to be mentioned
in this connection, several of them stand
ing at the head of their classes.
In the farm and fruit department there
are fifteen acres in fruit trees and ten
acres more are to be set out this spring.
The stone fruits come mostly from Ala
bama nurseries, as experience teaches
that such stock does better in New Mex
leo when it comes from the central and
southern ATTITUDES the apple stock comes
mostly from Missouri. There are growing
on the place now ! l6 varieties of peaches,
100 of apples, 70 of pears, and all other
stone fruits i'll proportion. Among the fruit
novelties are the Japan peaches, plums,
, apricots, cherries and nectarines. Also
the Japan persimmon. MaLy of these
and some of the apples, ounces and
pears will fruit next season for the first
time. At the station is every known
variety of grape, some ninety-eight in
number, including cuttings from Persia,
and they cover the choicest OF the wine,
table and raisin sorts. There are also
many nut bearing trees, the hard and soft
shell almond, grown from seed. and six
varieties of figs; also the ordinary licorice
bush. 1t is fact not generally kHoWn
that species of this licorice shrub grows
wild along the banks of streams in New
Mexico. The caper bush Qrom which
the celebrated sauce is made,) the kar-
apple and the karob tree, sort of pome-
granate, all coming from New Zealand,
are furnishing beyond expectation. La
the textile plants there are growing on
the place six varieties of flax, raml, jute,
five kinds of cotton and two of hemp.
All these are tested on the several grades
of soil from sandysto black alluvial. Very
satisfactory progress is making in crossing
the wild potato of the Santa Fe and Mora
valies with the choice tame sorts in
hopes of securing potato that will thrive
anywhere in New Mexico.
The weather bureau service for Mesilla
valley will be established in connection
with the college this week and Prof.
Blunt will put in number Of soil Their
mometers, and also experiment with the
effect OF electricity on stone fruits this
coming spring.