Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-05-08

fsxhs< a rain TIL III The i've sntsAfhs
III Aas III sepssaahef. khe tAHss shsa
Il II usos1 needed ne mEnifsufas ~
th~~ as1ths mlxAs i fsrss saxht ~
pesr dl~scpus3ximx. ut ~hsn - -
says@ ths rainfall so ths . Inunshk
rear bs yssf. ~e IND thAt ~Aen Ass
n 6y. tse June rainfall 4 oxsesa
above H. naexn Hnd ~hsn June II
DR.. MAJ ofasx has mofe than tts*
norusai. When Mag ard Jsne sre
10th h~0w noxn1&I. ihes Jniy. August
md sepsemh4r. m at i1sst two ~
thsse noaths. ~iiI probably hssr coa-
sidershiy asose ths nhraasI. y Inst
The tassls ne IN fs~ nsonthk ~
remarkably uniform.
Taking the years IN. 10 1906 III
elusive .erceu 1854 1871 md ikss.
- ftnd thai The mean Total for MAJ.
June. Juls. Auxast and September
~ ahoat IL inches: -. hid 81 u.
isss, Is in IssG. IL in Isss. i2ls
in: lsss. - in.: Isso. 1ts In: lsoi.
Isk H. fsss. - ID. is,s. IL IN
lyoi. 1913 I'M Isas. Ios In. WI find
thai three IL these years fslI more
thaa t~o Inches below normal dur
lnK IN fse months. and Id four of
these years 70 much ii The rain feiI
Iii September - Id make MAY. June.
July and August more than an Inch
below the normal for These four
monttis The summer III i9bs VA
preceded hi i wet winter and sprink.
and the shortage IN 1909 could hive
lsen materially benefited BY storinx
tho fall and winter rains 81 lsoL
Tho fall and winter rains of 1895 n
1876 would have been ii great hene
M ID thu 1886 crops. There han boet.
no year In The psst fourteen hi which
crops would have been q total failure
II the rain had been carefully con.
served Ii The soil. and fnli crops
would hare been produced 1t least
two PEARS out ~ EVERY three.
The relative humidity n modei.
steIy hish and the locality u not sub
iect 10 hot dry winds that dry ont
Inc soal . rapidly ma wither tho
crops III some other places,
Another important matter Ii that
The rains are usually fairly we'll tIs
trfhuted through tho months 10 that
tho crops are not subjected ID bng
rHInicss periods. III this connection.
however. 10 must remember that
whll@3the rains are often wall dis.
that sometimes the rainfall
cum1s lii 4 fep heavy
- tk<se casas II Ii Inn
the soil should b ~
eN6racter and III proper con.
diti0n % take up All that falls. rne
samples of soil which | have exanaiu'
"a from this vicinity belonged to tho
more clayey type. These required !
or : Inches of water ID safnrate tho
air dried soil 70 the depth III 4 foot
This would probably NEAR that 4
foot Of the soil under ordinary condi
tions could hold up the most of 1
threeinch rain Tor 1 short time and
that three inchcs of rain would prob
ably moisten the sotl ID 4 depth Of
two feet. III general tho depth to
which II penetrated would depend up
On the texture of the soil and the
amount Of water already present In
III.
From q consideration of the rain
fAii data, think that Ne must con.
ciudc that the conditions FOR dry
farming n this locality are very r.
yorable.
pispoeltion 81 ths crops.
While II Will probably prove profit
able 10 grow vegetables. fruits and
farm crops Tor the market, one of tho
most profitable lines, II not the most
profitable. viii III the growing Or
feed and me feeding of cattle md
sheep There are i number of feed
crops that are especially adapted %
dry farming conditions and To the
general climatic conditions of this To-
calIty The climatic conditions here
the cool braclng winters-are nd
mirahly adapted 70 feeding. and =
matter of great Importance TOR the
future II. that Id feeding. the fertil
ity of the soil II not so much impair
I'd since i large portion of the plant
food removed ii returned 70 the land
Hi the manure.
10 summarize briefly. the adyan.
tages of The Las Vegas district for
dry farming are
a coll well adapted 30 the neces
sary intensive cultivation.
A climate suited % \ large variety
of crops.
A sufficient and quite uniformly
distributed rainfall.
An opportunity 10 dispose or the
farm products dit good prices.
Iii view III these advantages may
We not confidently expect To see III
the next few years many thousands
of acres Of these valuable lands I'M
der cultivation and the home Of pros
porous dry farmars2