Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-12-27
WHAT NEW MEXICO OFFERS
TO WTDEAWAKE WOMEN

III W1DEAWahE NONi1S
Mrs. Earle's article on fruit grow
ing in the Pecos valley is especially
interesting. as showing the fields of
activity open to wideawake women in
the southwest. II is as follows:
In this semi-arid climate of the high
southwest, out-of-doors work is both
htalthful and practical for women, to
a deeree not understood by those OF
the middle states. The sunshiny days
and the dry ground eliminate the un-
pleasant elements of out-of-door
work. and open to women many ave-
nues of profitable livelihood not avail
able to them in the wet, muddy. con
ditinns of the states where the rain
falls so many days of the year.
Women can earn homes and support
them here, with less effort with less
drain of the vital forces, than in the
city. the office or the schoolroom.
My association of many years with
business women of cities, and the
knowledge gained of the grind of their
confined lives in office and school
room, has left an impression on my
mind not easily gotten rid of during
my practical orchard experiences OF
the past five years.
The important question is. Why do
not more women raise fruit for liv-
ing here where conditions are favor
able?
Application of the same business
principles, which means success in
other lines means greater success,
with less nerve wearing conditions, in
fruit growing The care of a small
orchards. the harvesting, packing and
marketing of the fruit does not take
all the time and energy of one, for
every day of every month of the year.
Some months are left for leisurely en-
10, az CT for hattprinR com
ditions for the years to come. Fruit
growing should be, and is, practical
way for women to make money.
For instance there is a home mar
ket in every southwestern town for
Strawberries. A small patch will yield
a woman q modest living, If she VIII
Investigate soil and varieties, and
grow, nick and market her berries
with the same care and intelligence
that she must s.ve to any interest to
make II succeed.
An acre of strawberries well grown
and cared for, yields here from S,00o
to 5000 squarts, according to variety,
which should net 15 cents per quart.
This crop is harvested and over in
about month, and the season can be
prolonged by raising raspberries or
other small fruits on other pieces OF
ground
However. more permanent busi-
ness. and one that in the end demands
less labor, is the growing of tree fruits
apples. peaches, pears, cherries,
plums and prunes. For women, the
small orchard of five acres has many
advantages over larger ventures, de-
pending upon the kinds of trees Sc
lected for planting an orchard. The
number of trees on five acres will run
from 500 to l 1000 OF possibly 1900.
The planting and cultivation of
young orchard of five acres is q sim
pie matter and not expensive, al
though the work should be very care
fully done.
The heavier labor OF cultivation and
irrigation would call for the occasional
services of a man and a team, while
the supervision and pruning of the
young trees can well be done by the
owner herself.
AS the trees come into bearing. out
side labor. preferably that of women
and young girls. can be called in for
all necessary harvest work As for the
business management of the harvest
and the marketing of the crop, the
bright woman who has grown the
orchard, is just as capable as any
neighboring orchard owner.
And what can be expected from so
little as five years? Very little, cer-
tainly, for the first two, three or tour
years; and yet certain cherries,
peaches, plums and dwarf pear trees
begin now TO yield small crops. fully
as much fruit as they should bear.
And from this time on one safely may
expect increasing annual crops, and
that standard trees, pear and apple,
be in full bearing in from five to eight
years.
And what does "full bearing"
mean2 There are many instances,
here in this Pecos valley. of full
grown pear trees yielding a crop of
from goo to see pounds Of fruit TO
the tree: OF apple trees giving about
double that quantity.
There are peach trees this year that
gave crop of 500 pounds apiece:
there was one instance OF an apple
orchard that averaged see pounds to
the tree Of marketable fruit that
nctted the owner over 2 cents per
pound in the orchard. and this in a
year OF very low prices for apples in
1.-THE country at large.