Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-10-02


bandmen.
What might be termed temporary
company was formed, consisting of Mr.
Eddy, Mr.. Greene and half a dozen Chi.
cago capitalists. This company did some
preliminary work, but it was not until a
reorganization was effected that the real
work began. Through the efforts of Mr..
Eddy the attention of Mr.. j. j. Hager-
man, the Colorado Springs capitalist, was
attracted to the scheme. Mr.. Hagerman
is we'll known as the promoter of the
Midland railway, and any scheme that he
interests himself in is found to be sue
sessful, if money and brains can make it
so.
WONDERFUL PROGRESS.
The result of Mr.. Hagermans investi-
cation was the formation of the Pecos
Irrigation & Improvement company.
The management of the undertaking was
enough to cause an ordinary mortal to
desist, yet these men took as their motto:
'There is no such word as fail" They
are now beginning to reap the harvest.
The seed they sowed was not wild.
The agricultural and horticultural pos
sibilities of the valley are 30 varied that
farmer is not obliged to confine HIM
self to the growth of any one product, but
may raise anything his fancy desires. AS
an alfalfa country it has no equal. AS an
apple producing section it is only neces-
sary to quote Mr.. Parker Earle, a horti-
culturist of national reputation and for
many years president of the American
Horticultural society, to convince even
the most doubling that the valley is all
that is claimed for it. Mr. Earle, IN
speaking of the valley as an apple pro-
ducing seet.on, while holding II Pocos
valley apple in his hand, said: II would
not take big money for those apples.
shall surprise some Chicago people when
get there. How do / like the valley?
Why, it's almost as large and better than
the San Joaquin valley in California.
The half had not been told me about the
old orchards. This valley can grow ap
pies for the whole world. Up there the
varieties art largely hybrid, but all grow
to perfection. Here l have winesaps
that are beauties, though they have two
months yet in which to get size and color.
don't think there is any apple district
in the United States which can equal
them.
81 am delighted and must catch on to
something around here. This is certain
ly the finest apple country in America,
for its fruit cannot be excelled, if equal
led. The crops are sure owing to climate,
which is cool enough and yet not too
severe. The acid quality is developed
insect troubles is of inestimable import
ance."
Mr.. Earle did 'catch on" to something
in the valley, as the big fruit and orchard
company which he represents purchased
1000 acres near the town of Roswell
which they propose to set out in apples.
This is surely an endorsement that can
not be overlooked by eastern farmers
seeking change of location.
WHERE THE WATER IS OBTAINED.
This valley is probably the only section
of New Mexico where rain is considered
almost a detriment, but nevertheless it is
true as during the writer's stay in Eddy
it rained three days and many were the
complaints thereat. The cause of this is
the great and superabundant supply of
the precious fluid obtainable from the
Rio Pecos and other small streams IN the
valley. The Pecos rises in the heart of
the Rocky mountains and travels a dis
tance of over 200 miles before it reaches
the plains it is destined to reclaim.
Though small for considerable portion
of it's distance ii widens as it reaches the
plains to such an extent that it furnishes
more water than is needed for irrigating
purposes. In fact larger quantity of
water is allowed to go to waste than is
used by the farmers. The waters of the
Pecos are being constantly reinforced as
they flow through the valley, not only by
small tributary streams, but also by
thousands of living springs which flow
from limestone fissures that underlie the
entire region. These springs alone can
be depended upon to furnish all the
water necessary. No other portion of the
arid region furnishes such series of
springs. The flow is constant, never
changing and never failing. There are
several small lakes in the valley formed
by these springs, and the flow in the
vicinity of the town of Roswell is sufficient
to irrigate $4,000 acres of land. Surely
the farmers of drought-stricken Kansas
can afford to investigate a place with
such an abundant water supply.
To prove the capacity of these springs
it is only necessary to detail in brief one
portion of the company's irrigating
scheme. Six miles above Eddy there is
an enormous dam across the river. Dur
ing the storage and irrigating periods
this dam holds back every drop of the
water in the river. The dam is 50 COM
pactly built that seepage is almost all i'm
possible thing. Below this dam the river
has no tributaries, yet such is the capac-
ity of these springs that the Pecos, as it
flows past Eddy, is stream of no incon-
siderable size. In fact there is still water
enough left in the river to irrigate many
hundreds of acres of land. The water
supply is then, as will readily be seen, in
dependent of surface conditions. The
springs are practically artesian flows and
therefore furnish probably inexhaust-
ible supply.
| The high banks of the river at places
furnish ideal breastworks for dam and
at such places great stone walls of i'm
mense thickness have been thrown across
the river, thus forming storage reservoirs
from which the water is conveyed through
the valley by an extensive system OF
canals.
Before the Inauguration Of the project
of the p. I. & P. company there were but
few farms in the valley and these we're all
located close by springs, where the water
was easily obtained. This, however, has
been changed and the valley is fast be.
coming one immense farm of great
beauty.