Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-08-26
Resources Of New Mexico.
FRUIT.

In the metropolitan markets Of the west
ern states New Mexico's horticultural
products command from 8 to Is per cent,
greater price than the California products.
owing to their size, richness in color and
peculiarly delicate flavor. In grapes, for
which the Rio Grande Valley is famous,
the Flame, Tokay, the Muscats, the Black
Hamburgs and similar choice varieties are
grown to perfection. In every quarter of
the Territory are profitable richards of ap-
pies, pears, peaches, cherries, plums, nee
~tarines and all the small fruits indigenous
to the temperate and semi tropic zone.
SUGAR BEETS.
Experiments covering u period of three
years demonstrate that New Mexico excels
any other country or section In the world
in the quantity and quality OF sugar beets.
In 1896, In the Pecos Valley, some 1,400
acres OF beets were harvested. The average
yield per acre was a little over 10 tons,
and the average percentage of saccharine
matter was over 16, the highest record ever
made. The gross returns to the farmer
averaged $500 per acre, and the cost OF
raising the crop was a little less han $22. 90
per acre The almost perpetual sunshine
during the growing season is the cause OF
the extra percentage of sugar in the beets,
and the richness and ad~aptability of tho
soil accounts for the heavy yield.
CEREALS AND VEGETABLES
OF innumerable variety are proftably
produced in New Mexico. The latter are no.
table for size and flavor, as we'll as their
keeping qualities. Rio Grande Valley pats
took the second prize at the Worlds Fair.
Every field crop and all classes of veget-
tables can be and are grown with success
and profit.
MINERALS,
1t Is no exaggeration to affirm that, in point
of natural resources, none of, the peerless
Rocky Mountain states exceed New Mex
leo. Gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, coal
(anthracite and bituminous), fire clay,
alum, sulphur, salt, gypsum, etc., are found
in paying quantities in almost every county
in the Territory. In many localities are
valuable deposits OF onyx and marble,
while the turquoise supply of the world is
furnished by New Mexico mines.
TIMBER AND COAL.
These essentials to the home-seeker are
plentiful and cheap in New Mexico. Tracts
of virgin forest, large or small, may be
purchased now at astonishingly low
figures, since the u. s.. court has rendered
such timely service in settling titles to the
land grants.
MINERAL SPRINGS.
The attention of the tourist and health
seeker Is especially Invited To In6 uumDeF
and varied character of the mineral waters
in New Mex'c These are easily accessible
by rail and offer every reasonable accom-
mediation to the visitor. Among such re-
sorts are the Las Vegas Hot Springs; the
Jemez Hot Springs; the Ojo Caliente;
Hudson's Hot Springs; the Sulphur Hot
Springs, and the Macbeth and Taylor
mineral water wells, anc Coyote Springs.
DESIRABLE LANDS.
Thousands of acres of wild lands are to
be had by compliance with the u. s. land
laws, much OF which is contiguous to water
and desirable for colonization purposes
when bitches and water storage reservoirs
are provided. The lane grant question is 10
longer a bug-a-boo in New Mexico and
through the action Of the land court, titles
to vast tracts have been cleared up and
settled. Some millions of acres have been
confirmed by the courts to private owner
ship, while on the other hand an equal
acreage has been rejected so far as the
grant claimants are concerned and the
land added to the public domain and is
subject to entry under the government
land laws.
New Mexico boasts the finest all 1.-the
wear round climate on the continent.
Churches and graded public and private
schools are maintained in every COM
munity. Sheep and cattle raising are
mon 2 the leading industries Of the Ter
itory. Under legislative enactment, all
beet sugar factories, wooden mills, smelters,
refining and reduction works, including
100 acres OF land for each factory or mill,