Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1908-09-17
THE FRUITFUL
MES|LLA VALLEY
One of the Garden
Spots of theSouth-
west
LAND VALUES ARE SOARING
Martin Lehman, Paints a
Glowing Picture of Its
Future

uSuA =
Hon. Martin Lohman, of Las Cruces
a successful and respected merchant
and land owner and president of the
board of trustees of his town has
been in the city several days guest
at the Palace hotel. He has been at
tending the sessions of the Territorial
Board of Equalization of which he Is a
valuable member. Mr.. Lohman came
to New Mexico as bookkeeper in a
large mercantile establishment in La
lMesilla nearly three and a half de-
cades ago and has grown up with the
town, county and territory. He has been
for many years and is today one of the
leading and most influential Republ-
cans of his county and highly re-
spected and prosperous citizen. He is
thoroughly acquainted with conditions
in the territory and especially with
those of his city and county, being a
close observer of public affairs and
events, having been a daily reader of
the New Mexican since the day he
reached La Mesilla.
canta|oupe Raising Profitable industry
Conditions of all kinds" said Mr..
Lohman, ARE very prosperous and sat
isfactory in our fruitful valley. This is
the first year in which our cantaloupe
raisers have grown cantaloupes in any
thing like large quantities and shipped
them to Eastern markets. The Mesila
Valley cantaloupe which has been rails
ed Is superior in flavor, taste and
keeping qualities to the best La Junta
and Greeley cantaloupe. During this
SEASON about seventy carloads have
been shipped to the large Eastern cit
les. They have brought the growers
a handsome return, netting them from
$l.2O to $1.50 per crate. A carload con.
tains from 1926 to $50 crates. The cars
are of the refrigerator kind and the
cantaloupe is in fine condition when it
reaches the places of destination. Dur.
ing next year I fully believe canta-
loupes will be shipped in greater num-
bers than even this year. Cantaloupe
lands have trebled and quadrupled in
value during the past twelve months.
OF alfalfa fine crop is being raised
but at this time it is rather low priced,
bringing only eight dollars per ton and
the yield is from four to five tons per
acre. We have an abundance of fruit
but the growers are not able to market
their great crop to advantage because
we have no shipping facilities for car
load lots this year. but this we hope
to secure next year, then the farmers
will increase the revenue from their
lands. There is not much wheat raised
but corn and garden vegetables are
produced in abundance and are bring
ing goodly figures, especially beans and
onions. One of our farmers made six
teen hundred dollars from two acres
Of onions this summer. The onion crop
is great and valuable and it has a
ready market. Next year believe our
farmers will raise and sell many cal
loads OF onions.
Land Values Soaring.
Our little city is increasing rapidly
In population and wealth. Real estate
and lots within the limits of the city
have advanced in some cases five ant
ten fold and orchard and farm lands
have increased in value. greatly.
know Of tracts which duifng the pas
twelve months sold for ten and TWEEN
ty times the sum they would have
brought three years ago. In fact l have
been fortunate myself and cleared
in a comparatively short time hand
some sum. Many others have don'
likewise.
1--WE have two banks, both doing |
fine business, three school houses, ont
Of them a three-story brick building
erected two years ago at cost o
$4,000. Since I was elected presiden
Of the town council we have grade'
the streets, and constructed severa
miles of cement sidewalks and we ar
keeping up these improvements. W.
have an electric light and telephon
system and We soon hope to have
good waterworks system. People VIII
desire to make their homes in ou
town and vicinity are arriving cor
stantly. Many of them are well to d
and are investing in lots in the tow
and farm and orchard lands in the va
ley.
Ample Water Supply.
THE water supply this year, as a re
suit Of the Leasburg diversion dan
has been more than ample and ther
has been no scarcity Of water whate,
er. More and more land Is being pu
under irrigation and although it wa
told us that the financial panic an
hard times struck many states, In on
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