Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-12-19

the revolution of 1916.
Xxx
The Taos Valley.
The Taos valley is one of the most
picturesque. On the east it is sur
rounded by halfmoon of mountains,
with no foot hills extending out into the
mesas to break the view or diminish
their grandeur. Several deep canons
penetrate these mountains for dis
lance of from twenty to twenty-five
miles and pour their floods out on the
valley lands, where they may be easily
used for irrigation. Eleven streams issue
into and cross this valley in western
direction, draining a great area OF high
mountains. When these streams reach
the valleys the volume of some of them
is as much as 400 or 500 cubic feet. TAX
ing the whole course of the Rio Grande
valley, this section is usually known as
the Taos valley, and it is estimated that
there are about 10000 acres of land
subject to the influence of irrigation.
There are now from $4,000 to 10000
acres irrigated and cultivated in the
valley and it's population is only about
10000 people At the very lowest esti-
mate this same land would support fully
10000 people, and with close and intensive
cultivation these figures could be in
creased to $4,000, which would allow a
ten acre fruit farm to each family of five
persons. This area to the eastern man
seems very small, but when it is consid-
cred that one small orchard of five acres
near Taos produced over $500 an acre.
ten acres, therefore, intensely cult
waited would give gross income of g.
600. How many farmers of the east
realize such sum from 100 acres Of di-
versihed crops? OF course it must be
understood that this money return per
acre is from trees in full bearing; but it
is by no means excessive or prize yield,
it is simply what can be done with aver
age good culture.
Speaking of the productiveness of the
soil of Taos county, one OF the earliest
explorers says: 1.-The harvest for one
year is sufficient for seven. When they
begin to SOW, the fields are covered with
corn that has not been gathered" TAX
ing corn. the crop mentioned, the yield
will be we'll up in the neighborhood
of eighty bushels per acre, and other
crops will be in proportion.
The Rio Grande river is the principal
water course; but it cuts through the
valley in canon about 800 feet deep.
At places it's bed sinks abruptly from
the high table lands or cuts through
mountain spurs. The scene is grand,
sometimes awful. That part of it's course
known as the Taos canon is SO deep and
abrupt that it is one of the remarkable
gorges of the world. The flow of the
river is, however, of considerable volume
and constant. To utilize it for irriga-
ton the bitches must be taken out of
the river at some point in the San Luis
valley This expensive construction will.
however, only be necessary to water the
western side of the valley. The eastern
side is covered by several streams. None
of them of great volume, but of sufficient
flow to cover the lands on either side of
their banks. Capital and population are,
however, necessary to utilize these re-
sources. Either large corporations must
take hold and make the country fit for
occupation, or colonies of settlers each
with a small sum per capita, but the
aggregate Ol WHICH, WOulu De SuIHCloAI
to construct substantial works. must
take up locations sufficient for their
wants. On the eastern side of the val
ley there are many such opportunities.
On the west the proposition is too ex-
pensive for colony to attempt.
Fernandez de Taos is the county seat,
situated about the center of the
county and on the Rio de Taos.
1t is connected by good stage lines
with Tres Piedras and Embudo on the
west and Elizabethtown on the east, in
Colfax county. This town has schools,
churches, a bank, newspaper and four
large mercantile establishments.
The towns of Taos, historically speak
ing, are very important There are two
villages of the Pueblo Indians in the
county, namely, Taos Pueblo, containing
374 inhabitants, and Picuris Pueblo, 107
inhabitants.
The first printing press in New Mex
leo was set up in Taos by Father Mar
tinez in 1887. He also taught what
might be called, the first public school
in the territory about the same year.