The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1900-03-02
FACTS AND FIGURES
Demonstrate Bright Conditions
throughout the Territory.
teovaFnor's Annual Report Showed
PROGRESS az Hctuai and Indicated
Resources On Plenty.

tovornof'a Annual Report Showed
Progress az Hctuai and Indicated
Resources On Plenty.
The volume containing Governor
Otero's latest annual report to the inter.
ior department makes very interesting
reading for those contemplating settle
ment or investment 10 this territory, and
ALSO to those Of our citizens who csncsrn
themselves as to the territory's progress
srd prosperity. Governor Otero is for
statehood. believes thoroughly 10 the
future OF Now Mexico and brings to the
argument 10 iis favor many facts and
figures which are impregnsble kopies to
she croakers and kickers who always
try 10 retard progress and destroy enter.
prise.
From the report it is gathered that
there was 9 uurRlising increase in the
territory g railroad mileage during 1899,
there having been go miles Of new
track constructed By the following
Niles.
n Paso and Northoastern ern..,.................l52
Pacos Valley and Northeastern. ............I 100
Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain 20
Atchison, Topeka aud Santa Fe..............1s
"a railroad company" continues the
governor in his report. "has lately been
organised Tor the purpose OF constructing
rev railroad from the city Of Durango.
ia the state Of Colorado, through Sap
Juau county N. NJ, 10 tho city OF Albu-
euerque or Gallup, but while l am Of
the opinion that it is only a question of
time when such road will be construc.
ted, can only refer to it as a projected
road because of the meager Information
now at hand"
In treating Of irrigation matters, con
oerning our own county in particular
and the advantages Of irrigation in gen.
eral the report says:
THE San Juan river country, in the
northwestern portioa of the Territory,
offers a splendid opportunity, not only
Tor the production Of cereals, but also
for vegetables and fruits of all kinds.
The vine thriyes to perfection. The
valleys of the Las Animas, La Plata, aud
Los Pinos, all tributaries to the San
Juan, are also capable Of rendering large
amounts Of produce.
When the Eastern farmer sees all the
work sntailsd 10 laying out wheat field
Cor irrigation and the subsequent labor
clUpplying the water, he is often heard
to ezclaim. IL all that work is neces-
cary, have no use for Irrigation 1t is
useless to attempt to disguise the fact
that irrigation entails much expense 10
the cultivation Of crops. OF course,
that expense varies with the kind Of
crop raised; but the question may be
asked whether the value of the extra
quantity produced is not in excess Of the
extra expenditure.
let US take the case Of alfalfa. The
yearly expense per acre foT irrigation, as
has already been shown, is s2,l5; but
four crops Of hay are raised in the year
in lieu Of one without irrigation. or say
BIf tons instead Of 4 tons. The farmer
therefore gets an extra tons Of hay
for an expenditure OF S215 in water
Add - for the cost of harvesting these
2tOLH, and you have an extra 2 tons ol
bay, costing s4.l5 or s2Os per ton.
'Iu the case of wheat crop it is moi
easy to give exact figures, but havs nc
hesitation in saying that,the crop will bs
double what it is 10 countries wher,
irrigation is not Practiced and where
fertili2srs are not used. This is due il
large part t. the fsFtilizing properties
Of the river water, TO which reference
has already been made, which insurel
the permsnent Asrtiity OF the soil
One musr alsu bear in mind the fac
that wheat and almost all farm products
are worth more iu 'he irFigats', districts
oi the West than they are farther east
"t0o farmar woald consider it waste
sl money to put 10 tous pes acre oI
barayard manure upon his land every
year, even though it cost him s.. Fol
half this this expense he can, where the
river water Is Of the same quality al
that which iprigates the Mesilla Valley
not only apply iertilizers equal to the
contents Of 10 tons OF barnyafd manure.
but he gives the crop the exact amount
oi water required for full yield, insures
i against loss by drought, and gets a
better price than could be oblaihed' else
where, Irrigation farming means in
tsnsivs iarmingi and it is intensive
farma which pay in the long ron.
III the question ID asked, as it often is
What 10 the most profitable product TO
raise ia New Mexico? the answsF geni
orally made lie that apples, peaches
grapes, or some fancy crop will pay The
most money, and dazzling figures ara
given showing the number Of pounds
per acre and aents per pound, resulting
10 rapid fortune from 40 acres ol
land"
Theodore Baisdsu aud Mrs. Mary A
Johoson OF Durangb were married IL