Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1892-06-25

make the investigating public see thll
also. Becoming the owner OF large
body of land acquired by purchase al
we'll as through the land entries made by
himself and members of his family, ht
conceived the idea Of organizing colony
immigration upon farms of not over forty
acres in extent, to be largely laid ou
in fruit as we'll as general crops. MIR
Greene became convinced very early IN
the work OF reclamation that the Pecos
valley was admirably adapted for fruit
culture. A study of the climate and sol
has convinced him that the season would
be earlier than in California or even the
Mesilla valley. He became satisfied also
that grapes for table use and as raisins,
would become leading feature OF pro.
duction here. The cultivation of alfalfa
even in these early days he believes will
afford security for the first efforts Of
the farmers he anticipated settling in this
valley. The plan which has thus
formulated itself in the brain of the
promoter and organizer involved on his
part for successful execution the invest
ment of large expenditure of money,
comprehensive management and untring
patience while waiting for results. AS
early as the means were at his disposal
he began the execution of the plan he
had more than a year before mentally
mapped out. The plows were set run
ming in December, 1890, and have been
at work, with the exception of a few days,
ever since.
THE PLAN OF SETTLEMENT
devised by Mr.. Greene was before my
eyes in looking over the Lower Farms.
Forty-eight 4O-acre tracts are laid out
and well defined, the whole area being
surrounded by wire fence, equipped
with suitable gates, etc., with bitches,
main and subsidiary, sufficient for proper
away. They are clean, well kept and
well made, and like the cultivation in
progress, are pleasure to look upon,
especially so to those among us who know
of farming. Waiting the ad.
vent of these expected purchasers and
settlers, the protector is shrewdly utilizing
his lands for such returns as current crops
may bring. Great and verdurous stretches
Of alfalfa and wheat make bright the Level
plain We we're looking upon. Beneath
our immediate observation, gangs Of work.
men were systematically engaged in
narrowing, cultivating, sowing
and rolling the forty.acre tracts, alfalfa
being the chief crop planted. In this
wise Mr.. Greene is making "hay while the
sun Shines" while at the same time wait
ing for the larger returns which his
colonization plans embrace. He is in no
hurry, apparently, to sell, but when ready
learn that the forty-acre lots will be
planted one-half, or twenty acres, in
alfalfa and the other half in such fruit,
vines, and general crops, as the purchaser
may desire. The twenty acres Of alfalfa
will support moderately sized family
from its own proceeds. At present, al
falfa sells readily at from SIS to 1S per
Ton. The protector of this enterprise
anticipates the raising each year of from
Four to five tons per acre, from three or
four separate cuttings. At the lowest
present market rates each acre would
bring gross return Of from $50 to 800, or
from 81 200 to 81 800 for the twenty acres.
Allowing for decline in price to $40, the
return would still be $40 to $50 per acre
|or the twenty acres 30 cultivated. More
than two-thirds of this return would be
net profit. The security for such state
ment is found in the fact that the new
cultivation is surrounded by great cattle
.aising region, permanent in extent and
character and likely to increase largely its
iemand for this nutritious forage. Other
arge bodies OF land, both below and above |
Eddy, are under Mr.. Greene's control and
will be devoted to colony organization in
he manner herein outlined. A notice
able feature OF the plan upon which these
lew fruit farms are now being laid out |
and are to be hereafter improved, both at |
he Lower Farms of 1920 acres, and at the
Upper Farms, which I've not seen, OF 5000 |
scres, near the Rio Felz, some sixty-fve |
niles to the north and up the Pecos, is |
his: The inten ntion is to have dwellings |
md out buildings erected of grade and |
character which will tend to improve the
valley, and to that end, if purchaser OF
one of these forty-acre farms desires to 80
improve his place as to beft the general
1eslgn and the cost is beyond his imme-
llate means, Mr.. Greene or the "Pecos
Irrigation Farms Improvement company"
which has recently been organized to
carry on the work he has so well begun,
will design and build for the farmer such
as may be decided upon and |
at rates and terms as will not bear hardly |
On the industrious maker OF home |
The advantages of such plan, If literally |
and wisely carried out, may well be con-
ceived. 1t will be of decided benefit to
the cultivator, while lifting up all con-
ditons, and it will be sure to prove pay |
ing investment to the projectors thereof
indeed it will be of benefit to the whole
valley, by encouraging comfort and good
taste, and adding largely to the appear
ance Of all home life therein.
THE FARM WORKERS AND COST.
The organization of such work as this
has required, of course, large expenditures
Of money. Some idea thereof may be OBJ
tained when it is stated that, in connec-
ton with these farms and Improvements
there are being carried on adjacent to the
town of Eddy under the same direction,
involves the purchase and use of 100
horses and mules, number of fine driv-
ing horses, other stock in proportion, and
the employment of It's laborers, paid by
the day or month. 1t also utiizes the
services of a number Of we'll paid superin-
tendents, foremen and experts, in various
directions. For example, the vineyard
section, and the farms are under the di-
rect charge Of trained cultivatUrs from
California, both in fruit and crops. Mr..
Greene has also had at work an accom-
plished landscape gardener. There are
other members of the working force not