Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-01-29
MAGICAL CHANGE
WROUGHT BY WATER
ON THE PEC0S
Landscape Transformed and
Progress Remarkable Under
Carlsbad Project; Tendency
Toward Smaller Farms,

To appreciate the progress that the
Carlsbad project in southeastern New
Mexico is making. it is only necessary
TO take a drive for a day from Carls-
bad TO Malaga and back. with any
m who has known the country for
some years. writes A. NJ. Hove OF
Carlsbad in the January number Of
The Earth"
Three years ago or such a drive one
would see Idle farm lands. dead trees,
vacant farmhouses, dilapidated fences.
all apparently forsaken and deserted
and the land returned 10 a desert state.
Two years without water had done
the work The best climate in the
world and fertile valley land were alb
solutely useless without. the priceless
moisture.
When. March %, 1907. the waters
of the Pocos river were again direct
ed into the canals. the Carlsbad pro-
jet rose as from the dead and entered
a new period of activity. %.Irrigatins
bitches were put in order, the thirsty
land was given moisture, the pillow
turned the idle soil, and in a few days
the newly planted crops pushed their
noses up to the smiling spring sun.
The dead trees came down, fences
were repaired. the vacant houses be-
came homes Of industrious farmers.
New settlers came. and farm after
farm was again brought under cult
walton. Shade and fruit trees were
set out. alfalfa fields planted. new
homes built. The spirit of improve
ment was abroad in the land. The
roads were improved. A single-wire
party-telephone line was built through
the country, which has since grown TO !
ten wires. and yet unable to accommo-
date the farmers business. An cleo
tric power lire has been built.
\ drive through the Carlsbad pro-
ject. october l, 1909, showed a re-
markable change. Every lateral ditch
was running fun of water. 1rriga-
tors were distributing the water ~
alfalfa fields, TO alfalfa newly planted,
to lam TO be prepared for winter oats
and other grains. Men and women
We're busy cutting and baling hay.
harvesting kanir corn, sorghum, and
other feed crops. The cotton was be-
ina picked and hauled TO the gins.
on the road we met load after load
OF hay, pea green" alfalfa, cotton go
ing to the gins, corn and other feed
stufs. People in carriages passed.
and autos whizzed by. The contrast
was striking, as on the same roads
three years ago, one could drive hour
hour and only meet an OCCASION
al cowboy.
Last season many thousand fruit
trees were set out, mostly peach,
n apple. n some grapes. all
OF the European or California varie-
ties. This season the planting OF trees
and grapes win be very heavy.
Alfalfa planting has been very eX-
tensive this season. about TWO thou
sand, 1--WE hundred acres having been
seeded this summer and ALI. There
are now about seven thousand acres
in alfalfa. The demand for hay, how
ever, increases more rapidly than the
production, and hay is selling today
in Carlsbad at SIS "a ton.
Among field crops planted this sea-
are kaffir corn. cotton. sorghum.
broom corn: they have an made good .
The demand for feed is so
great that kaffir corr has already sold
at $50 an acre in the shock in the
field.
The tendency is towards smaller
and better tillage. some fruit,
some alfalfa. a few acres OF corn and
other field crops, a few cows. chick
ems, garden. etc. viii make "a living.
md "a good margin Of profit. on forty
TO eighty acres with the work well
distributed over the entire year as
the rush OF a one-crop coun-
try.
In short. SO much has already been
accomplished since the water became
AVAILABLE from the new irrigation
works, that the country is hardly 20
no recognized. but vet IL is only a
beginning. So far il has only been
demonstration OF the possibilities or
Carlsbad project. There are bet
Ter opportunities az present thar ~
time ia the past and without the
uncertainties Of "a new and untried
schools. rural delivery 81
nail. stations. power lines. telephone
inss. etc. are conyVuieuces already
established
Tn. C-r-shaLLrAiest tlaly Is wlil-