Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-04-14
APROSPEROUS TOWN
Hagerman, In Chaves County, Is a
Thriving Community That Is
Pushing to the Front.
WORK OF ARTESIAN WELLS
Alfalfa Is the Leading Product Around
Hagerman-Many Orchards Have Been
Planted-Good Crops of Corn and
Market Produce.

The third town in population and i'm
portance in the fertile and fruitful Pc
cos valley of southeastern New Mexic,
Is Hagerman. It was laid out by tn
Pecos Valley Town Company in th
spring of 1898, and was fittingly aalnet
in honor of ]. J. Hagerman, .,,csi, a..
Of all the companies operating in th'
| valley named. 1t is situated abou
twenty-four miles southeast of Roswell
| and is surrounded by thousands of acre!
Of the choicest agricultural fruit ant
grazing land in the country. In October
1894, the Pecos valley railway was ex.
| tended from Carlsbad to Roswell, pass.
ing through Hagerman, and since ther
! the latter place has grown rapidly anG
| substantially. 1t now has population
| of about 700, and the intelligence, enter.
| prise, thrift and morale Of it's people
| are plentifully attested by fine bricl
| business houses, attractive and commo
dious homes. excellent schools ant
churches, careful observance Of ap
proved sanitary principles and genera
air Of neatness and good order.
MAGIC TOUCH OF WATER.
The town and country adjacent have
been settled by progressive and ener-
getic people, chiefly from Illinois, Iowa,
Nebraska and Kansas, and their wisely
directed efforts have already trans
formed the barren waste of ten years
ago into a veritable garden spot that
blooms and blossoms like the rose. The
magic touch of water and careful cult
vation have achieved wonders there,
and the miracle workers have only just
begun operations. The magnificent ir-
rigation system constructed by the Pc
cos Irrigation and Improvement Com
pany extends from a point four and a
half miles due east of Roswell thirty
miles south, and irrigates the fine body
Of land tributary to the town of Hager-
man. The water supply thus afforded
has been immensely increased by the
development of artesian water in many
places. Some one. who should be held
in grateful remembrance, conceived the
idea of doing by machinery in a small
way what nature had done on large
scale, when the great artesian springs
that form the perennial rivers of the
region broke through the imprisoning
rocks. The we'll drill was called into ac-
fhaV,o Inn
artesian wells, flowing from 200 to 1000
gallons of pure water per minute, in the
country around Roswell, and extending
their enriching and life-giving influ-
ences to the lands about Hagerman.
Many small farms are plentifully wa
tered from these never-failing wells,
and so much of the supply in the canals
is conserved for use on large tracts fur
ther down the valley. The value of
these wells will be understood by read
ers unfamiliar with the facts when it
Is explained that we'll flowing 100 gal
Ions minute, if none were lost by seep-
age or evaporation, would cover seven
ty-eight and a half acres to depth Of
"a inches in year. Allowing one-half
for loss by evapora tion in reservoirs and
bitches, 400-gallon we'll will then fur
nish "a inches for quarter section dur
ing the year. Considering that 20 inches
Of rainfall Is sufficient for a crop, even
when much of it comes out of season
and often in injurious excess, it will be
readily understood that "a inches, stored
In reservoirs and applied only when
needed, Is ample. This Is not theory. 1t
has been clearly demonstrated in actual
practice at both Roswell and Hager-
man.
ALFALFA.
Alfalfa is the leading product, and
stock growing and fruit raising are fast
becoming the principal Industries. The
alfalfa yields heavily-from four to five
crops during the season-and a great
deal of money has been and Is now be-
ing spent by men of means on stock
farms, with extensive alfalfa pastures
for raising fine cattle and sheep. One
of the largest undertakings of this kind
in the valley is being developed by Mr..
Hagerman on land he owns close to the
town of Hagerman, and comprises $4,000
acres Of choice land, on which he will
soon have 5000 acres of alfalfa. He ex-
poets to be able to prepare for market
annually about 5000 head Of young cat
tie. Hog raising has proved very sue
cessful also.
ORCHARDS.
A more vigorous, healthy growth
than is seen in the young orchards just
coming into bearing cannot be found
anywhere. Apples, prunes and all Eu-
ropean plums do well. A few small vine-
yards, consisting mostly Of the raisin
varieties, are doing we'll, and a ready
market is found at from 4 to 6 cents per
pound.
CORN.
Indian corn has been known to yield
as high as fifty bushels per acre, al
though this is not considered a corn
country. The various head corns, such
as milo-maize, Egyptian and Kaffir
corn, yield abundantly and are sure
crops.
MARKET GARDENING.
Market gardening has been found ex-
tremely profitable, especially tomatoes,
which grow to size and beauty that
cannot be surpassed anywhere. and a
good market is found for such products
at Texas points. Melons and all vines
grow we'll and bear heavily. Finer can.
taloupes cannot be grown anywhere
and the yield is remarkable. The farm.
ers have organized 1.-THE Pecos Valley
Fruit and Vegetable Association" and
intend shipping in car lots. A very large
acreage will be devoted to the Rocky