El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-02-11

Wonderful Growth of Agri-
cultural Interests Along
Rio Grande to North.
IMPROVEMENTS IN
FARMING METHODS
Richest Soil in Valley Found
Where the Bosques Are
Cleared Off.


made in the upper FL PasO valley
from CanutilIo north In the direction
OF Las Cruces-are wholly unknown TO
the average Ell Pasoan, notwithstand-
ing the knowledge on the part of every
body in the city of the rapid progress
which is being made generally in all
valley land matters. 1t is hard TO con-
ceive Of so much activity as is going
on there.
A trip through the valley is a rev.
citation. Brush is being cut and burn
ed. new land is being turned under
with big p1ow. "go-devils' are drag
ging and leyeling the surface, seeders
are busy filling the rich soil full CT
grains that will produce enormous
crops, scraper teams are excavating ir-
rigation ditcaes. border machines are
putting the land in shape for proper
distribution OF the water, roads are
being built, fences are being put MP
and there is general activity every
where.
ride through the valley west and
then north from Canutfllo station
brings before the view a succession
OF wonders that are being wrought
by the modern farmers Ancient,
crooked, shallow irrigation bitches thas
were built in hap-hazard manner
years-maybe centuries ago by the
filled up and new bitches. deep and
straight and laid out in perfect order
and system by engineers, are being
constructed. Laterals are being exca-
waited after the same modern methods
and the surveyors are even setting the
stakes for the borders that viii hold
the water when it is turned in for TIE
irrigation Everything IS being done in
a scientific way-nothing haphazs
about the modern Rio Grande valley
farmer.
Wagon roads are being built too,
and means OF communication with the
railroad thus opened UP. Telephone
lines are being strung all over the val
ley and almost all the ranches now
have them
Land that sold four or five years
ago for a few dollars an acre-it was
contemptuously spoken Of as "the
bosque'Tnow brings $50 uncleared and
from $40 and upwards when IL IS
cleared and under irrigation The
bosque land, since the -pineers" of a
few months ago began cutting it off.
has been proved to be about the richest
in the whole valley. During overflOwS
the bosque caught the driftwood par
ticles and the silt and settled them on
the land in much larger quantities than
was the case with the clear land They
soon disintegrated and formed SOIL
with the result that it is the richest
to be found anywhere near FL PasO-
The river no longer overflows. for cut
offs in the stream at CanutillO and
above at several other places have
Strengthened the bed Of the stream.
and it is now able to carry off all the
flOodwaterS.
There is very little of this land for
sale these days-of course. land Is al
ways for sale when a man gets his
price-but real estate men are not try
ing to sell any of 1t at bargains. The
owners are mostly all improving with
view to permaEency, which is what
is best of all; It is getting out OF
spectators hands. Some are putting
in fruit orchards, some alfalfa. some
wheat some oats. and some are put
ting in all these things. For example.
the owners Of Ell Cato ranch-Map1e.
Baum and White. J. Stony Porcher.
nearby, is preparing to pus IN a fruit
farm. He sold his home in the lower
valley and is putting in a farm on the
newer land IN the upper Royal Jack
man, nearby. has just sold a tract OF
land for over $50 an acre to men who
are going to put in a fruit orchard
Many other orchards are being pre-
pared
All around La Union, old and new
town, these. orchards are being put out
and everywhere. at night, brush fires
may be seen burning where the Next
cans have. cut off the bOsque during
the day, clearing up a new field or a
new orchard. Mexican camps are as
thick as mosquitoes in a Louisiana
bayou district. every member OF the
family working to clear or pillow some
rev piece OF this rich soil now being
put into cultivation.
While the lower valley is already in
cultivation and is producing its riches.
the upper valley is fast assuming a
position just as important to 81 Paso.