Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1911-05-12
FRUIT PLENTIFUL
At ESPhNOLA
Frost Has Not Done Amy
Material Damage in
Valley Thus Far
Ia JOYA IRRIGATION DITCH
Work Progressing Rapidly on
This Important Recla.
nation Project.

Hon. l. Bradford Prince came down
yesterday evening from the Espanola
valley and reports the fruit prospects
are excellent through all that section.
With the exception OF apricots, jap
anese plums and some early blooming
peaches and apples, there is practic-
ally nothing affected by the frost, and
the crop OF pears, cherries and Euro
pean plums is exceptionally good. The
great lack in the valley is an evapora-
tor or other appliance by which TO
utilize the lower grades Of fruit, and
it is hoped that the company which
was organized some years ago and
bought the evaporator from the Santa
Fe Fruit Company. will get it into
shape in time to save large part OF
the crop this year. 1t is estimated by
the largest growers that over third
of the crop of 1910 was entirely vast
ed through the lack of means TO uti-
lie it by making what may be called
the by products of the orchard indus.
try-such as dried fruits, jelies, fruit
butter, cider, etc.
On Wednesday. Governor Prince
went up the river to La Joya and We
larde in order to examine the progress
of the new ditch of the La Joya Irri-
cation Company, and also see the con-
dition of fruit in that part of the val
ley. La Joya was appropriately nam
ed, for it is really the Jewel Of the
whole Rio Grande valley, and for just
two centuries, since Captain Sebas
tian Martin, the friend of DeVargas,
selected it in I'LL, for his future
home, it has been the favorite place
of residence of those who could afford
to select.
The prospects there this year are re-
markably fine. better even than at the
lower points of the valley. Not even
the most delicate apricot has been in
| hills affording welcome protection
from wind and cold. The trees are lit
orally covered with fruit of all kinds,
which will have to be thoroughly thin
ned in order to come to perfection.
/ The work on the La .Ioya irrigation
project which is to water part of the
valley above the present ditch line,
is progressing favorably. 1t will be
remembered that this is the small pro-
| ject which was all that the company
could get permission to take water
! for. until the Elephant Butte enter
prise is finished: but which will be
! greatly enlarged as soon as the re-
strictive policy of the reclamation
/ service is ended. 1t begins in the
/ Embudo canon where the water is TAX.
en- from the Rio Grande, and proceeds
down past Velarde and La Joya to Los
=! Luceros and Plaza del Alcalde. There
are now seventeen teams with heavy
j scrapers at work. besides others with
/ plows, etc. and the construction is
| proceeding rapidly. About 1000 feet
of wide ditch has been compelled near
the upper end; about 600 feet more is
finished north of the Canada Ancha.
and nearly or quite mile on the
mesa below the canada, where the
line is being rapidly extended to the
south. When this is completed it is
intended to sell the land in small
tracts of five to ten acres to settlers
for fruit culture: and there is al
ready much inquiry for the land: but
not foot will be sold until the wa
ter is actually upon it. so that there
can be no possibility of delay or
failure.