Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-10-30

our industrial prophets have scarcely |
dreamed.
The contrast between the two mag
nificent prairie districts OF America
consists In this: that the lower sec. |
ton has untold wealth Of soil and I'M.
limited water supply by rain 10 pro-
duce all the crops OF temperate lati. f
tndes; bat Il is handicapped by OK.
cesssve and unwholesome humidity |
that breeds myriads of troubles in |
the way OF insects and diseases,
against which the farmer must wage
continual warfare and from which he
must suffer u~npreventable losses. /
While In this glorious uplifted prairie |
region where the sun shines ninety |
per cent OF the time throughout the
year and every wind that blows Is
Tree from all destructive germs and
Is tonic with health. the soils are still
better for the higher purposes Of the
farmer, and the climate will forever
protect him both In field and orchard,
from that host OF incurable evils
which beset the producer Of crops in
the humid territories down towards
the level OF the sea.
II Is a question Of altitude OF coun.
try and OF a bordering OF mountains.
II Is this that makes the climate.
And the agriculture of a country, and
especially the horticulture Of a coun-
try 10 much more a matter OF climate
than Is a question Of soil.
1t Is right here that we OF the up
lands are strong. It Is our grand.
comfortable, health.promoting. ever
curative climate. that is as full of
protection and salvation for plants
and for fruits as II Is for mankind.
No country. with the fogs OF humid.
ity hanging over II, can v e rival us
in this supreme advantage. No sea.
coast country. whether on Atlantic
or Pacific shores, whatever its con:
veniences Of location may be, can
ever have any climate at all compar
able to ours Of the 1000 feet altitude
quality when 1t comes to growing the
choicest products that this eartl
yields to man; the finer fruits Of or
chard and vineyard. (,
, To get the necessary water for oul
!, farming and our fruit growing will al
, ways cost us more In the arid dis
. tricts than It costs the eastern farme
to watch the falling rain. But whel
we consider the small cost Of irrigat
' ing an acre of orchard-even II tn
d water is pumped from a well-an'
8 the greater certainty Of the crop, an
the great superiority Of such crop |
the semi-arid orchard, l think tn
profit will far outweigh. the cost {
d artificial watering.
The crops OF horticulture-the al
pies, pears, peaches, psunls, cherries
grapes and berries-are worth muc
q more, acre for acre, than the cror
a Of agriculture-the cereal foods. til
forage, and the animal food product
ii Let us consider the items. A crop
A. corn is a good one that yields 4ift
l. bushels-3.OOO pounds Of grain
the acre of land. That is worth So
half Of which goes for planting. GU
ture and harvest. The net yield
d the acre is SIS. Let corn represel
d the cereal crops. If the corn Is Il
. to make beef or pork, will the vie
It be more to the acre Of ground. coun
,, ing the pasturage, the forage, ar
t. the grain? Will the net yield of be-
and pork be more to the acres emplo
ed in meat producing? think no
I believe it Is fair to agriculture
s. let the acre Of o represent It.
r, An acre Of apple-orchard, in ~
bearing, will produce 1000 bushels
apples. or $4,000 lbs of product II
d is a good crop. Let us call the appl,
worth | cent a pound-the same vail
as the corn. They will always
worth as much as this II well han
4. led. But we need not reckon off mo
% than 10 to 20 per cent of gross val,
. for the cost of cultivation and ha
ia vesting. Call 1t 20 per cent. TIL
leaves $4O0 as the net value Of a fir
!. class crop Of apples against Gle 4
"a the corn, each on its acre of groun
- sure every year. Is the corn crt
/, quite sure? When the corn crop fail
.. the cost of its planting and cultiv
- ton Is all lost. When the apple-crt
fails there is little lost In labor. Su
pose that in hi estimate o, valu
!, we reckon the corn crop as good 4
It's SIS profit every year, and that Il
apple crop will fail half of the year
!" We are still left with an average a
: nual profit on our apples of 20
!" against the SIS for the corn. And tn
(" is a conservative estimate.
. II We plan other fruits than apple