The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-09-11
WHAT PECOS
VALLEY CAN DO
Car of Fruits and Vegetables
Exhibited in Wichita.
BENEFIT OF IRRIGATION
Clearly Shown in This Mag
nifcent Display.

The people Of Roswell, y. NJ. are very
enterprising and they want more people
to come to their part of the country and
see what they have and what they do
and can do and perchance settle in the
famous Pecos valley. They have char
tered a special car and filed it with
fruits, vegetables and the products Of
4 the farm and sent it to the east, just to
inform the people what is happening
down in their country every year.
This car was in Wichita yesterday and
was visited by hundreds, yea, thousands
of people, who looked and marvelied at
the fine fruits and vegetables grown il
the Pecos valley, around Roswell, which
is the center OF ten artesian well belt.
These artesian wells furnish a reverend
ing supply of the purest of water, and
it is collected in reservoirs and when
needed is spread over the fields. produc-
ing fruit Of all kinds and making them
the largest ever grown and as fine as
could be desired.
In the car yesterday were hundreds OF
apples-nOt one less than ten inches in
diameter-and these were not the largest
that could be found, they said. There
We're some peaches, too-they were fine
ones-whole baskets fun of nice. ripe,
juicy peaches. There were grapes equal
to the California variety. Prunes and
plums grow to an immense size. Pears
are not unknown there, either, and those
seen yesterday weer larger than any pear
ever seen in Wichita or anywhere else,
except in the country where they were
grown. Ten pears filing peck measure
was about their size. There is a brand
Of peaches-the Roswell brand-that is
fast becoming famous. 1t is as distinct
a variety as the Kansas and California
varieties, although grown from trees
taken from Kansas nurseries 1t has a
favor and lusciousness that cannot be
found in any other section of the coun-
try and this is what makes it in such de-
mainland the growers cannot supply the
demand.
The people around Roswell also raise
some watermelons-great big ones-and
there are some pumpkins and also
squashes, tomatoes, carrots and potatoes,
two crops per year, and everything is
on a scale that would astonish the grow
ers Of big things IN Kansas, where every
thing grows big-sunfowers and all. And
there are never any worms or bugs or
flies to destroy the fruit and vegetables;
everything is perfect; not a blenish or
bite Of any kind can be noticed and those
with the car say this is true of all fruits
and vegetables. Jerry Simpson said so,
and everybody knows jerry Simpson.
The Kansas farmer thinks he has al
falfa raising down to a pretty fine point,
and he is feeling pretty good when he
cuts four crops Of hay year; but down
in the Pecos valley they cut a crop every
thirty days during FIVE months of the
year, and two or three tons per cutting.
The Pecos valley is supposed to be dry
as finder and grain Of corn would
shrive up if taken down there. but the
car was draped with corn that was
grown there this year, and it is mighty
good corn. too. Kafir corn and cane
also do some big stunts in the growing
order. for that on .Sibition was great
big stuff.
The car was gotten up by Mr.. Ava E.
Page. a prominent business man and
farmer of Roswell. and is hauled free of
charge by the Santa Fe railway. Mr..
Page and Mr.. Jerry Simpson accompany
the car to tell the visitors all about the
country and also watch the curious TO
see that they do not taste too much of the
good things that are laying around. 1t
seems a shame that all that good fruit
and those watermelons should be laying
around in that car, seemingly just thrown
in promiscuousiy. and yet about every
ten inches of the way there is a sign,
Hands of" If it was not for those
signs the fruit would not have been
shown in Wichita It looks too good to
last long. The car viii be taken through
to Chicago and shown at all the larger
cities and win return via the Southern
Kansas The car went TO Newton last
night
Jerry Simpson. that versatile ex-con-
gresham from the Big Seventh district
OF Kansas. has now located in New Mex
leo. He was a product of the short grass
country in the times that even the short
grass hardly grew and has always been
known as a boomer" for whatever he
should undertake. He doomed Kansas in
Washington and an parts Of the east
and he doomed western Kansas when IN
Nlcnltd- ana Jerry simpson Wheh on tle
stump lie is out of politics now. but
he stin retains q lively interest in the
affairs of government and Of the political
parties. He now devotes his time and
attention TO booming his sheep ranch
and the great Pecos valley. which is
destined to become one Of the greatest
fruit producing sections in the United
States.
GA STC RIA.