Alamogordo news-advertiser. (Alamogordo, Otero County, N.M.) 1912-1914, 1913-02-08
DEMONSTRATION
FARM NOW EXISTS
Mr.. Bemis Writes Entertain
ingly of What is Accom-
plished on One Farm

In your editorial of February 1st
| note the following: "a few acres
devoted to demonstration purposes,
where capable man could show
what intelligent cultivation of our
rich loan will yield in the way of
crops, would be good idea"
Now few of our people know
that we have right here at our
door such tract that would make
the most enthusiastic follower of
dry farmer Campbell sit up and take
notice. The tract lies about Az
miles west of town and belongs to
Mr.. Herman Pruess who raises year
ly crops of cane, milo maize, kaffir
corn and millet that would astonish
some of our own people, and this
with no other water than our natur-
al rainfall. Nor are the feed crops
mentioned the only crops raised sue
cessfully; the growing of pumpkins,
squashes, beets, fruit trees, etc,
has proved beyond a doubt that by
intelligent use of Our flood waters,
scientific cultivation of the soil, in
order to store and hold the mois-
ture and the use of that grey matter
(every man is equipped with to a
more or less extent) can be made to
produce.
This tract consists of 100 acres.
The southwest 40 acres being of a
loamy nature, easy to cultivate and
holding moisture WELL The bal
ance of the land is of a more adobe
nature and is used as pasture and
watershed, this is ditched so that
any water falling is carried on to
the 40 acres cultivated and and as
our land naturally slopes to the
southwest, tthe feasibility of this
plan Is obvious. If you want to
prove these things go out to the
Pruess ranch during the growing
season, or go out even now, you will
find stacks of feed. sheds filled with
the heads of maise, kaffir and Je-
rusalem corn, as fine and large as
you have seen anywhere, fat
and contented cattle and chickens,
all fed on what is yearly grown on
this dry farm. Mrs. Pruess will
show you grape vines with a
growth of ever IL feet last year,
healthy looking fruit trees with ev-
cry fruit bud alive and promising,
also that asparagus can be success
fully grown here as well as many
other things.
Surely here are demonstrations by
home people who have had the cour-
age to dare and to do, who are salts
fled boosters, not knockers, and who
by using right methods have, and
are demonstrating to all the fact
that these diversified crops can be
successfully grown here with only
our natural rainfall.
Their IL foot windmill furnishes q
pure and clear water sufficient for
all stock and household purposes
Now, under these conditions, why
not successful dairying? Why not
successful poultry raising?
Another advantage of having your
cultivated 40 acres in the southwest
corner is this: Your l20 is used as
pasture; every rain you get is con-
stantly carrying from this pasture
fertilizer to enrich your cultivated
land. thus by naturel means you are
continually adding more to your lane
than your crops are taking away. En-
riching 1t more and more each year
instead of deterioration this is con-
servation by natural means. II your
soil Is all adobe-well, that is anoth
er matter; you have then a water
shed that will shed water like u
shingle roof, but for holding the
moisture. that's something else.
But II you can select your land
SO that you can have deep sandy
loan on the lower side, ditch so as
to put all the flood water on this
loan soil, then plant at the right
time. you will find you can nave mo
ture enough. with scientific cultiva-
tion. to raise crops that will be an
advertisement to our town and coun
ty. GEO. c. BEMIS.