The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1905-10-11
VALLEY OF ALFALFA

used, and flows down to the Pecos
and thence to the Rio Grande. BY
the impounding of this water in a
~resveroir it is held back until need
ed, then let out. Twelve thousands
acres will by this work be added to
the irrigable territory of the valley.
Though this is a national work,
the government does not own the
land to be brought under productive
ness by its outlay of money. 1t has
been taken up and is held in private
ownership. Sue and can be had at
$50 to $50 an acre. The government
charges 50 al acre per year for the
water, for a period of 10 years, when
this charge cease and the water is
free to the owners of the land.
What the Country is Fit For.
A fitting name for this country
would be Alfalfa Valley. In a way
the people SO speak of it. At the New
Mexican boundary line time changes.
This is mountain time territory.
which is an hour earlier h central
time, the standard in Texas, and al.
SO the railroad time. The Texas COM
ing here finds his watch an
hour too fast. 1 had an appointment
with Mr.. Turner to drive in the
country at 7 o'clock a. m. Railroad
time Oh alfalfa timer" he asked. I
learned that alfalfa time" is local
time, as distinguished from railroad
time.
Alfalfa grows everywhere. Along
the sidewalks it pushes UP. 1t COW
ers the back of lots, where the fam
lily milk COW or driving horse graZes.
It's purple blossoms color the land
In the country the smaller proprietor
grows alfalfa, and the big rancher
grows more Col. G. C. Slaughter of
Dallas has 500 acres of alfalfa on his
Hereford ranch a mile or two from
town, and a little further out Col.
Geo. w. L~ittlefeld of Austin has
about as much. Cliff Chisholm has 800
acres on his big hog ranch, and j..
j. Hagerman has a patch of a few
hundred acres. Others have more or
ISSS. IL III valley, dlouLu NOo
Artesia, Hagerman and Lakewood,
are about $4,000 acres in this plant
At an average of 4 tons per acre, the
production is 100000 tons yearly.
Most of it is fed to stock, but a
great deal is exported. The price here
is $3.50 a ton. High freight rates
stand between the New Mexican al
falfa raiser and the Texas feeder.
Apples are another specially of this
valley. The crop this year has been
partly a failure, and the quality of
the fruit is not up to the average.
600 acres, and found the work OF
harvesting under way. Two hundred
men, women and children were at
work, picking the fruit, hauling it,
sorting and boxing. These workers
are housed in tents, that look like a
military e~ncampment. They have a
dancing pavilion where they resort
to spend the evening after the days
labor. Mr.. Green, the manager, says
there are 5 5000 trees in this orch
ard. Most of the apples are sold in
Texas. The general gency is in FIT.
Worth. learned that last years ship
ments amounted to 10000 boxes.
The demand is beyond the supply.
No figures were obtainable in re
gard to the profits of this orchard,
but Mr.. R. F. Barnett, who a an
orchard of 26 acres, gave some int
nroctin~ nfnrrnofinn HE orch I'd iC
not 50 old as the Hagerman orchard,
and the yield is of course less. Here
are the figures for five years, net
profits: Fifth year from planting the
trees, $500; sixth year. $500; sew
enth, $4,000: eighth. $1,000; ninth,
s2,s75. On seven acres he III the
apples for $4,000. Mr.. Barnett also
gave me some alfalfa facts. He has
40 acres 5 years old from which he
has cut 230 tons already this year.
A patch of ten acres sowed last fall
has yielded four cuttings of a ton
to the acre for each cutting.
Apples are the chief fruit wealth,
but pears grow in perfection. Canta-
loupes are grown that equal in fla
vor the Rocky Ford product. Other
fruits have not been tested much,
but as far as experiments are made.
they have done well, except straw
berries. The celery on the table of
the hotel was grown here, and l con
slider the equal of the best that comes
out of California.
Live Stock Interests.
The Hereford ranch of Col. C. c..
Slaughter. of Dallas, is so close TO
Roswell as to make it a suburb. A