El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-01-25

w THILE the development Of New
w Mexico was steady and active
in all lines during the past
year, its first as a state, the greatest
advance was made in agricultural de-
VelOpment.
The states biggest event Of the year
In this line was the progress made up
on the Elephant Butte dam, which is to
reclaim 10000 acre in the Rio Grande
valley of New Mexico, from the point
where the dam is located, south to the
Texas line, 100 miles distant The work
was started in real earnest upon THIS
dam early in the year and has con-
GlnueQ steadily until all the prelimina-
ries are now practically completed and
excavations can go forward for the
foundation Of the great cement and
stone dam
The project will cost S1O.OOO,OOo. and
will supply also lands in Texas and
Mexico a total of nearly 200, 900 acres.
It Is expected that within two or three
years, at most If no III luck attends the
construction work upon this largest OF
the worlds great irrigation enterprises,
water viii be stored in sufficient guam
tity to assure its permanency. The
completion Of the dam viii probably
require five years or more The pre-
liminaries constituted q mammoth IN
dertaking in themselves, and, including
bOrings and surveyingss have occupied
the dam viii occupy but little longer
than the preliminaries, part of which
included the building of a railroad line
from the Santa Fe main line to the
dam site, a distance Of over u miles.
Irrigation Develops FAST.
Irrigation development has been
steadily going forward in all parts Of
the state while this gigantic project
has been under way and several thou
sand acres Of cultivated land have been
added TO the total elassed as farming
land in the new state. This includes
not only farming, but fruit and grape
-r.-n-
important factor in the commercial lie
Of the state. Apples, peaches, pears,
plums, ounces and grapes form a large
part of the annual profitable produc-
ton Of the state and they command the
very highest market prices in the coun--
try The PecOs valley apples, produced
at Roswell, Hagerman, ArteSla, Hope
and Carlsbad. sell readily in the eastern
markets for better prices than the Mis-
souri, product, heretofore considered as
fine as any the country produces Inc
Pecos valley product appears TO have
delightful flavor that IS seldom equaIed
and as a shipping apple it's hardness
strongly recommends It TO the buyer.
Other apples Of fine flavor and good
keeping qualities are also grown All
over the state, particularly in the Vicin-
~ Of AlamogordO, Three Rivers, Noun
tain Park and sections in the Sacramen-
to and San Andres mountains, but even
these regions and the PecoS valley are
not the only apple growing sections IN
New Mexico and they make money Tor
the growers. Apple land, where the or
chards are healthy and the irrigation
water assured, sells for as high as
$500 an acre and in some instances, the
product has brought the owner a 90
percent return the first year on land
even at this fancy price. which TO
date is the top figure.
Peaches a Productive Crop.
Peaches are probably the next most
productive fruit crop Of the new state
and this year the increased acreage
over that Of former years was more
than doubled and the number of carloads
sent to the eastern market was several
more than in any previous year Carls-
bad, where the peaches came in for the
second time, the trees having been
planted but four years ago, when the
Carlsbad irrigation project was COM
pleted. this year marketed over 50 car
loads Of peaches and these brought
$500 per car. Some cars brought as
much as $500. This IS a sample Of
what the product nets the farmer.
ATtesia marketed IS carloads Of the