The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-03-30
INTERESTING VALLEY
c. r. Nichols Tells of His Recent
Visit to the Rio Grande
Valley, Texas.

faitSys RSAuS. |
During the past winter there have
been frequent excursions from this
portion of South Dakota to h Rio
.Grande Valley of Texas. Many farm !
ers of Lake county have Joined
these excursions, in some instances
purchasing land in the Rio Grande
Valley, so that there is a local feel
ing of interest in that southern sec
ton. These excursions have been
promoted by the La Feria Land
Syndicate, which owns a large body
of land in the Rio Grande Valley,
and it is the desire of the company
to settle the valley with thrifty
northern farmers. Hence, induce
ment has been made to South Dakota
and Iowa farmers to visit the local
ity and inspect the land.
The Rio Grande Valley lies far
Their south than any other portion OF
the United States, except the south
ern extremity of Florida, yer four
hundred miles south of lower Cali-
lfornia and about the same distance
south of Louisiana. The valley
which can be irrigated by a system
of canals from the Rio Grande COM
prises an area fifteen miles wide and
sixty-fve miles long. The La Feria
company has under irrigation SO, 1000
acres of land in the valley, n this
is the portion which has been visit
ed by local citizens, some of whom
have made purchases.
G. r. Nichols, a Lake county farm
er of good judgment of land values,
residing a few miles from Madison,
recently returned from an excursion
visit to the Rio Grande Valley, and
his estimate of the country and what
he saw in the way of production in
the valley by irrigation will be OF in
terest. In discussing his visit with a
Daily Leader reporter, Mr.. Nichols
said he had heard more or less dur
ing the winter about the wonderful
productiveness of the irrigated val
lev, some of which he was inclined
to doubt, and becoming interested he
finally decided to visit the valley and
decide for himself. Continuing, Mr..
Nichols said that he found conditions
not only up to the reports which he
had heard, but he could frankly say
that not half of the good qualities OF
the country had been told. He is
fully convinced that the Rio Grande
ENalley has a great future, and it
would sem almost impossible TO
make a mistake, after looking the
Ountry over in buying a tract of
the land. The valley is small, fifteen
| by sixty-fve miles in area, and it will
mot be long before the entire valley
has passed into the hands of farmers
land occupied. The land is divided
into small tracts, ranging from five
to forty acres to each purchaser, and
the time is not far distant, when ii
is finally all settled, when it will be
like a city as purchasers almost with
out exception improve their hold
ings, which ii is almost necessary to
do as the company assesses the land
SO per acre for irrigation purposes
whether it is improved or not. Mr..
Nichols says il is simply wonderful
how productive the irrigated land
/, really is. 1t is a fact that alfalfa
fields are cut eight times a year, and
, it grows all the year round. The
sale price of alfalfa hay ranges from
: SIS to SIS per ton, and there is a
, ready market for it. Corn is a profit.
able crop, several farmers with
: whom Mr.. Nichols talked stating hat
? their average yield of corn was about
! 100 bushels to the acre. Farmers
follow the corn crop with a cabbage
. crop, and Mr.. Nichols says he be
llieves he was reliably informed wher
Farmers stated that the cabbage crol
! brought as high as 1926 per acre
being the second crop of the year
All kinds of vegetables are raised il
astonishing quantities, and every
Thing that is produced inds a read,
lsal eat a good price on account of al
learly market, the products beini
flour or five weeks ahead of Cali
fornia. Hog raising would be
iprof.table industry as they could b.
lpastured on rich alfalfa fields tn
lyear round with very little grain t,
mature them.
The fruit industry is in it's infanc.
. lin fact ii is a new country-bu
: the valley is no doubt destined to be
come one of the greatest fruit pro
= ducing sections in the United States
Mr.. Nichols stated that never had b
seen such mammoth lemons as hun
= on the trees in the young orchards
Grapes are raised i'm abundance an
/, of the finest quality. Orange tree
have been planted and are beginnin
- to come into bearing.
h Winter gardening consists of rails
e ing for the early market, tomatoes
onions, lettuce, radishes, cucumbers
! beans, etc. From so to 120 days ar
given over to vegetables and durin
> the balance of the year staple crop
are raised. Every month is a grow
= ling month in the valley.
. In the matter of rental of irrigat
: ed lands under cultivation, Nj
Nichols states that the prevailin
.price is $40 per acre per crop, an
1.-TWO crops a year.
During his stay in the valley Nj
Nichols met several Iowa farmer
and discussing with them the ma
ter of climate, was informed ths
they preferred the Rio Grand
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