Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-01-29
EARTH EDITOR
SAYS SOUTHWEST
IS PROSPEROUS
F [. Vandergrift Sees Great
Year Ahead for New Mex
icoi Snow in Mountains.
Means Big Crops,

| T.. l.. vandegrift. Of Chicago. edi-
tor Of The Earth, the monthly pub
I lication issued by the Santa Fe rail-
road to exploit the resources OF the
country along its lines, arrived in the
city last night and today wiz confer
| with, General Manager X. w. Wiley.
Of the Commercial club regarding
the publication Of big boost article
on Albuquerque and the upper Rio
Grande valley in an early issue Of
THE Earth
Mr. Vandegrift is enthusiastic over
the future of the southwest and of
New Mexico in particular Speaking
on the subject last night he said
"a great asset in the Santa Fee
southwest, especially in Colorado, New
Mexico, Arizona and eastern Califor-
MIA, this winter is the moisture pre-
cipitated in the form of snow. Co
pious rains have fallen as well, filling
soil and reservoirs; but the snow ~
ing on the tops and I'm the canyons
j,of the ,ulbuntains, this lasting far in
to the 'sensonJ hill keep the streams
chpbbHuF ioi hilotehiI 'Vi e'i'
growing period Nearly all the way
from tne fMlsfsd'i river the land
Escape is snowrldJs abb the fall has
BEEN 50 deep, Al times, as to blockade
travel somewhat e
Il get, daily newspapers from all
over Jhe Santa Fc southwest, and
froln fhem ] learn. that heavy rains or
-, a,.a 't....x f.Ila., ,,ot. th. =, rauinu
about every week since early Deem
Der Even the Pecos valley, in south
eastern New Mexico. received fall
of snow in December In northern
New Mexico and southern Colorado,
the watershed Of the Rio Grandc is
packed with snow. TO lie there and,
finally netting, by slow degrees in
the later season, be carried below
for the irrigation Of the valley
likewise, the Mogollons and the
forests of Socorro county are fun of
snow, also the Burro and Black
ranges Of the southwest. Ia these
districts, the watershed drains to both
the Atlantic and the Pacific aud so
both the Rio Grande valley u New
MtAliN, ana Tue Nflii anu t'ttlA NHi'h p
Of Arizona viii come in for shares
Of this moisture this spring and sum
mer. Elephant Butte project, hardly
completed yet already contains
enough water for the irrigation Of
the Rio Grande valley below, this sea-
son. This from rains only; the
snow in reserve.
a.. I1AAe.x-4lt
voir has been filled to the brim and
overlooking by rains: heavy snow in
mountains and forests To melt and
run later in the season. North OF
Tucson. one fall Of snow was so deep
as to block the mountain trails for
two weeks. In the Coconino forest
to the Utah line. and southwark
around Prescott, and over in the
White mountains. the sun shone upon
from four to six feet of snow, New
Years day The Rio Puerco of the
west. and the headwaters of the Lit
tie Colorado, all flowing off the wat
crshed of western New Mexico, Will
be jam fun for Arizona farmers. ear
~ this spring This takes no account
Of rains which have run off there
this winter
"Ten feet of snow were lying In
the Sierras. January 20, and more has
been precipitated since. This means
an unusual abundance of water for
the San Joaquin valley Of California,
this season.
Altogether, the winter will be re-
corded by the weather bureau as fam /
GUS for moisture in the southwestern
states, and logically, the season fol- !
lowing, in these states. ought TO be
equally famous for farm crops Of un, |
usual abundance.