USA > New Mexico > Santa Fe County > Santa Fe County: The Heart of New Mexico, Rich in History and Resources > Part 3
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Sufficient irrigation has been done to demonstrate what might, and eventually will, be accomplished. The use of the underflow in such valleys as the Santa Fe is also available, and the water can be raised at slight cost by wind mills or power pumps, in some instances at a cost less than that of maintaining headgates and irrigation ditches. The underflow is practically inexhaustible. .
IRRIGATION CANAL AT HOBART.
39
SANTA FE COUNTY, NEW MEXICO.
Dry Farming.
It has been demonstrated, however, that the real difficulty in the arid region is not a lack of rainfall, but the loss of too much water by evaporation, and this can be properly controlled by cul- tivation, especially by the Campbell method of soil culture, which consists in cultivating the soil frequently and deeply and covering the surface with a dust mulch, thereby preventing the evaporation of moisture stored in the ground. It has been proved by careful laboratory and field work that twelve inches of rainfall is sufficient to grow good crops, providing the water is all utilized. The aver- age rainfall for Santa Fe is fourteen inches, and in the mountains is considerably more, most of it occurring during the growing season.
A description of such a dry culture farm gives an idea of the practicability of raising crops without irrigation in the arid region. One writer says: "It is the cleanest, neatest'ranch conceivable. The weeds lining every irrigation ditch and in every irrigated field are conspicuous by their absence. The intense dark green foliage of the trees strikes one's attention upon approach, and the evidence of thrift and health in every growing thing is so convincing that one is utterly confounded. All the preconceived notions as to the absolute necessity for abundant water to raise a crop in New Mex- ico are swept away at a glance, One who has seen thousands of dollars expended to bring a small stream of water for a few miles to develop a little ranch is dumbfounded to see the desert bloom as the rose under simply the magic touch of labor in common with methods of good farming. It is only four years since the first work was done on this desert farm. Several acres of land were cleared of sage brush, and after cropping to corn or small grain, fruit trees were planted. Many of these are bearing this year. It will pay one to visit this ranch to see what can be done without irrigation. One will find there a thriving crop of barley, and corn six feet tall, all kinds of garden truck, and trees of many varieties. There are large cottonwoods, and fruit trees loaded with blossoms and fruit. Apricots, pears, peaches, plums, walnuts, apples, grapes, blackberries and rhubarb are all doing well by the simplest method of cultivating throughout the summer.
"There is more than one way to bottle up water, and the best is to use the soil itself as a bottle. If the soil is deep it will hold all that falls upon it without leaking out below. If the farmer plows it deep, subsoils it in the fall and lets it lie rough through the winter and spring, he opens the bottle ready to catch all the water. If he keeps it blanketed with a few inches of very loose
MOUNTAIN FARM ON UPPER PECOS.
41
SANTA FE COUNTY, NEW MEXICO.
dry soil by cultivation when the soil is in a condition to crumble nicely, and then cultivates frequently thereafter through the sum- mer, he effectively corks up the bottle so tnat but a relatively small part of it gets out into the air. He then also keeps all weeds down and prevents the enormous leakage through the roots, stems and leaves of the plants which would otherwise take place." The Campbell dry soil culture involves processes that are just as bene- ficial to irrigated ground as to dry farming.
The up-to-date New Mexico farmer is the aristocrat of his craft. With twenty or thirty acres of fertile land and ample irrigation rights he is independent. If his ranch is well located, he fears neither excessive moisture nor drouth, neither hard times nor panics. There is always a good market in which his products command top prices, and as to crop failure, it is out of the ques- tion if he knows his business.
There are many thousands of acres in Santa Fe County aside from those already in use which can be utilized for agricultural and horticultural purposes. The portions which are best suited for cultivation are the river bottoms or valleys and the smaller valleys along the mountain streams. There are also large areas, commonly known as the mesas or uplands, which have the finest soil, and parts of which will produce good crops by intensive cul- tivation and the Campbell dry culture method. The soil varies from a sandy loam to a heavy clay, and is ordinarily fertile enough to produce good crops if water is obtainable for irrigation, or under the Campbell method of soil culture. Its fertility is demonstrated by the rapid growth in it of trees and plants.
In order to bring into play the favorable soil, water and cli- matic conditions to the best advantage, the adaptability of varieties of trees and plants should be considered. It is not infrequently found that some varieties, although they may be among the leading ones in other states, are partially or entirely worthless in New Mex- ico; particularly is this the case with the stone fruits. On the other hand, some varieties less valuable in other sections succeed admirably in Santa Fe County. In other words, the proper selec- tion of varieties is an important factor in the success of agricul- tural and horticultural operations, and this is being realized more and more. Considerable success is also attending the introduction and propagation of crops especially adapted to the arid regions. such as durum wheat, kaffir corn and bronco grass.
The prices of agricultural lands under irrigation systems, public or private, and with permanent water rights, are from $10 to $200 per acre, according to location, nearness to railroads and towns,
RESERVOIR AT SANTA FE.
43
SANTA FE COUNTY, NEW MEXICO.
crops, fruit trees, water rights, ditch systems and general condi- tions. The soil of the valleys is superior in productive capabilities to the alluvial soil of the prairie states. The secret of its produc- ing power probably lies in the large amount of sediment contained in the irrigation waters. The Nile Valley, with its waters loaded with sediment, is considered one of the most fertile in the world, and in Santa Fe County there are a number of Nile Valleys in miniature.
The crops are not seriously troubled by fungus diseases. In- sect pests, formerly unknown, have made their appearance in late years, but not to such an extent as in the humid regions. Much sunshine and dry air prevent the growth of fungi, and, therefore, these are not likely to become troublesome. The insect pests that have found their way here can generally be controlled by proper treatment.
Public Lands.
Santa Fe County has 470,000 acres that are subject to entry under the public land laws. Of this area, 18,000 acres are unsur- veyed. [About 200,000 acres of the public land can be reclaimed by the construction of irrigation works, by pumping the underflow or by dry farming methods. This means free homes for five thou- sand families and the possibility of increasing the annual crop values of the county from one million to ten million dollars. This land can be taken up under the homestead or desert land acts.
All men and single women over 21 years old, widows, deserted wives and persons under the age of 21 years who are the heads of families and do not own more than 160 acres of land and are citizens or have declared their intention to become citizens of the United States are qualified to make a homestead entry of 160 acres. (The right to a tract of public land as a homestead can be secured by settlement, which will hold it for ninety days, when or during which time entry must be made. After fourteen months from the date of settlement, the homestead claimant, if he has resided upon, improved and cultivated his claim during the last eight months, can make commutation proof and pay for the land at $1.25 per acre. )
Land unfit for cultivation or grazing purposes, or only valuable for its timber or stone, is not subject to homestead entry. Other- wise, as a rule, all public land, not mineral, may be so entered. The settler is required by law to make improvements upon the homestead and to cultivate part of the same during the period of residence. He must also make the tract his actual and bona fide
RUINS OF GRAN QUIVIRA, SOUTH OF SANTA FE.
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SANTA FE COUNTY, NEW MEXICO.
residence and home. If the law has been fully complied with for five years on a homestead, it is possible to make final proof at any time before the cancellation of the entry. Before final proof can be made on a homestead or desert land entry, application must be made in the land office and a notice secured, which must be published in a newspaper to be designated by the Register.
This application and notice must give the names and postoffice address of four persons, two of whom will be witnesses in making proof. Thereafter and upon due publication, final proof can be made at the land office or before a United States Court Commis- sioner or a Probate Clerk or Probate Judge at the county seat. The land office fees are as follows :
Homestead land
Payable when application is made.
40
6.50
80
8.00
120
14.50
160
16.00
Payable when final proof is made
40
1.50
80
3.00
120
4.50
160
6.00
Every qualified person, a resident of New Mexico, may enter 320 acres, or less, of desert land that can be reclaimed by irriga- tion. Desert land is held to be land without a growth of natural timber, on which ordinary crops will not grow and mature without irrigation.
Before the expiration of one year, after the date of the entry, the entryman must file in the land office a corroborated sworn statement showing how that $1 per acre has been expended for reclamation purposes. Within four years from date of his entry, the claimant must prove its reclamation and pay a further gov- ernment fee of $1 per acre. Desert land entries can be assigned to any qualified person who has never made or held an entry, and assignee can comply with the law and make the final proof.
The entry of agricultural land is restricted to 320 acres by any one person. under any or all of the agricultural land laws. For instance: If a 320-acre desert entry is made. a settler is not en- titled to a homestead, or if a homestead entry of 160 acres is made, a settler can then only enter 160 acres more for a desert entrv.
Under the act of March 3, 1891. any person, company or corpo- ¡ration may locate a reservoir or reservoir site and ditches on
Acres.
Land.
$ 1.25
PERRY'S HOMESTEAD IN SANTA FE CANON.
47
SANTA FE COUNTY, NEW MEXICO.
public land for the purpose of irrigation, and can obtain a right to the same and fifty feet each side thereof that cannot be dis- turbed by any person or persons who may afterward obtain title to the land on which such reservoir and ditches are located.
Sections 16 and 36 in each township are school sections and belong to the Territory; these are leased by sections and are under the supervision of the Territorial Land Commissioner.
When an entry of any kind is to be made, evidence of citizen- ship will be required. If the applicant is native born, his own affidavit of that fact will be sufficient. But if he was not born in the United States, in addition to his own affidavit, he must furnish a copy of his declaration of intention to become a citizen, or of his certificate as a citizen.
Persons desiring to settle upon the public domain, either as homesteaders or upon desert entries, must "rustle" for themselves in order to find suitable quarter-sections for such location.
The choicest lands along the water courses, great or small, per- manent or transitory, are now about all in private ownership, title having been derived from confirmed Spanish or Mexican land grants or under the public land laws of the United States. Still, by careful search, even in the oldest settled sections, good locations for homesteads may yet be had.
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There are no maps showing public lands open for entry. Town- ship plats can be examined at the land office at Santa Fe, and the lands open for entry in the different townships can be found there- on. The settler should select the locality in which he wishes to locate, and then get a township plat or plats showing the vacant land, which will enable him to examine such tracts as may seem desirable. The plat of the particular township in which his loca- tion may be situated can be procured by application to the Reg- ister of the United States Land Office at Santa Fe, and will have to be paid for at the rate of from $1 to $4 per plat, according to the amount of work necessary thereon, by the intending settler.
Alfalfa.
Alfalfa is grown in all the irrigated sections up to an altitude of 8,000 feet and does well in almost every class of soil. The chemical constituents of the soil seem to have little to do with the growth of the crop, provided the surface is level and the proper amount of water is given. It grows well on light, sandy loam, as well as on the heaviest adobe. It is said by an able writer that alfalfa will not stand "wet feet." That is true if he means that it would not grow in a water-logged soil. Where the soil is well
1
PUEBLO INDIAN DANCES.
49
SANTA FE COUNTY, NEW MEXICO.
drained it will extend its roots to the water table and grow lux- uriantly, even if the water table is only a few feet below the sur- face of the ground.
The average annual yield is about three tons per acre. The cost of production, including taxes, water rent, growing, harvest- ing, baling and placing on board the car, does not exceed $4.00 per ton. There are some alfalfa farmers who are able to place alfalfa on the car at a much less figure because they have perfected their system of irrigation and handle the hay with improved machinery. The net profit in growing alfalfa under irrigation is considerably larger than the average net profits realized on wheat and corn in the older agricultural sections. It is a crop that requires little labor, if the field has been made level and the soil well prepared before seeding, after which the operations are simple, resolving themselves into irrigation and harvesting. On many soils, one irrigation will produce one crop, which may vary from one-half to two tons per acre. The price of alfalfa varies, depending upon the demand, and at harvest time the price of alfalfa is compara- tively low, usually not exceeding $8 per ton, but the forehanded farmer who holds his product until winter usually gets from $10 to $14 per ton. As to the feeding value of alfalfa, it is conceded throughout the country that it leads all other forage crops in its total digestible food constituents and nitrogen contents.
Forage Crops.
While alfalfa is the main forage crop, it is not the only one. There are some twenty to thirty varieties of grasses that grow wild upon the range and which are harvested for hay, the chief and probably the most nutritious being gramma grass, which, during wet years yields as high as two tons per acre. Large quantities of it. are harvested on the public range and sold dur- ing the winter or fed to stock. Attempts to cultivate brome grass, a drouth and cold resisting forage crop of great value to stock- men, yielding three to four heavy crops per year, have proven successful, especially on the Sparks Ranch east of Santa Fe. Clover does well, as do nearly all the other forage plants of the temperate zone. Of late, the value of wild peas for the feeding of stock has been recognized, and as the yield per acre in nutritive value is equal to that of an acre of alfalfa, there should be a future for those who will go into the feeding of lambs and beeves in Santa Fe County, as the wild pea and lupine require very little attention. Oats do very well in the mountain valleys as well as on the plains farm, and the yield per acre is quite profitable. In fact, oats have become a staple crop in the mountains, even where
TABER.
ON THE UPPER PECOS.
51
SANTA FE COUNTY, NEW MEXICO.
the raising of other crops is not attempted. The cultivation of the spineless cactus also opens vast possibilities to the stockman, for cacti are as native as are the sagebrush and the pinion.
Wheat.
Wheat is a sure and good crop if sown early. The yield of wheat per acre is equal to the yield in the leading wheat-growing states. New Mexico wheat received first premium at the World's Fair at Chicago and at other expositions. Rye, barley, millet and the other cereal crops do equally well, and there is a good home market for all that can be produced.
Corn.
Corn stands next to alfalfa in acreage. Where water for irri- gation purposes is plentiful the yield of corn compares favorably with the yield of this crop in the corn belt.
Sorghum yields good crops and in several localities is grown for its sugar contents.
Potatoes.
By many, the potato has been considered an impossible crop, yet it can be and is grown successfully in the mountains east of Santa Fe. The difficulties in growing potatoes seem to be those of varieties and management under irrigation. Colorado failed in its first at- tempts to grow potatoes, but now this crop forms an important source of wealth in the Centennial State. Sweet potatoes are grown without difficulty. The best success with potatoes has been achieved in the higher mountain valleys. On the Viveash Ranch, on the upper Pecos, for instance, at an elevation of 10,000 feet, as well as on the Sparks Ranch, the yield of potatoes, both in quality and quantity per acre, surpasses that of the potato fields of Greeley in Colorado.
Vegetables.
Wherever water for irrigation can be had, vegetables thrive. While truck gardening is not carried on very extensively, it is nevertheless increasing every year. Celery can be grown to per- fection where some care in growing 't is exercised. Santa Fe County is among the best celery-growing sections and its product is superior to the product from California, Michigan and Louisiana. Cantaloupes and melons are raised successfully. The tomato can be grown and ripened if given some protection against frosts.
Santa Fe County is famed for the superior onions which it pro-
RESERVOIR ON SUNSHINE ORCHARD IN ESPANOLA VALLEY,
53
SANTA FE COUNTY, NEW MEXICO.
duces. It is not infrequent to see specimens weighing one and one-half pounds. The yield per acre is large. The results of ex- periments at the Agricultural Experiment Station at Mesilla Park show that such varieties as the Red Victoria will produce in New Mexico 32,000 pounds per acre, and at the United States Indian Industrial School at Santa Fe 16,000 pounds of the best onions were raised on one acre.
Beans are a staple crop. Peas do equally as well, and the pro- duction of chili or peppers is a distinctive feature of native hus- bandry. Cabbage and beets attain an extraordinary size and the average yield per acre would be considered phenomenal in the east. The garden vegetables all flourish and the openings for energetic truck farmers are especially inviting. Okra, peanuts, spinach, rhubarb, squash, melons, pumpkins, all do well, especially in the river valleys.
Sugar Beets.
The Santa Fe, Tesuque, Santa Cruz and Rio Grande Valleys rank first among localities best suited to the growth of high-grade sugar beets. Here may also be found fuel, limestone and water of good quality, as well as cheap labor. In the face of these facts, it seems that Santa Fe should soon have a sugar factory, especi- ally since beet sugar factories are exempt from taxation the first six years.
Dr. H. W. Wiley, who is undoubtedly the principal authority on sugar beets today, has the following to say :
"It is evident that there are many localities in New Mexico where conditions of temperature are most favorable to the growth of beets. There are also large areas of comparatively level lands which are capable of irrigation. Wherever the temperature of these regions is sufficiently low to permit the proper development of the beet, and where sufficient water for irrigation can be secured, there is good reason to believe that the industry may be established and will prove profitable. Beets grown in Santa Fe County show a higher percentage of sugar than those of any other state which has sugar factories in operation, the average being almost 18 per cent, while the purity of the juice exceeds 82 per cent.
It is estimated that the people of New Mexico consumed 16,- 000,000 pounds of sugar last year. Not one pound of this sugar was manufactured in the Territory, notwithstanding the fact that natural conditions are better suited to sugar beet growth and beet sugar factories than in almost any other place in the United States, and possibly in the world.
ORCHARD SCENES AT SANTA FE.
.
55
SANTA FE COUNTY, NEW MEXICO.
Tobacco.
Wild tobacco, called "puncha," grows along the foothills of the mountains. Many farmers continue to grow tobacco of seeds from the original plant, preferring it to Havana or any other variety. The cultivated plant is very similar to the native. The native farmers do not sow the seed in beds and transplant, but drill in rows. The plants are from five to five and a half feet high and have about forty leaves. They are small and resemble Turkish more than any other variety in growth and shape of leaf. Tobacco of all varieties will grow well and has an unusually fine flavor and aroma if sown early and protected well.
Canaigre and Rubber Plant.
Both of these plants grow wild. The first named is valuable on account of its high contents of tannic acid, a necessity in tanning leather. Recent experiments have shown that the rubber plant will yield a good quality of crude rubber, and that its cultiva- tion for manufacturing purposes can be made profitable. A com- . pany has been organized at Santa Fe to utilize the wild rubber plant for that purpose.
Horticulture.
Of all the fruits, the apple is the most extensive and the most profitable crop, and it has been placed in competition with the world at the great expositions. In 1901 at Buffalo the apples from New Mexico were conspicuous and received a first prize, while in 1900 the New Mexico apples were carried across the con- tinent and the Atlantic Ocean to the Paris Exposition. There New Mexico was counted with the best apple growing sections in the Union, as specimen apples received second premium. Sim- ilar were the results of the exhibit of New Mexico apples at the Chicago and St. Louis Expositions. This may give an idea as to the kind of fruit that can be grown. Not only is the fruit of superior quality, but the crops produced are enormous; as a rule the trees tend to overbear. The apple orchards vary from small family places to very large commercial orchards. The Dockweiler, Miller, Wise, Hickox, Buena Vista, Harroun, Boyle, Hobart, An- drews, Jones and other orchards are particularly noted for their fine fruit. The most profitable varieties of apple grown are the winter apples, such as Ben Davis, Gano, Missouri Pippin, Wine- sap and Mammoth Black Twig. In a lesser degree, the early varieties are also prolific. Among the leading kinds may be men-
SUNSHINE ORCHARD IN ESPANOLA VALLEY.
57
SANTA FE COUNTY, NEW MEXICO.
tioned the Early Harvest, Red June, Yellow Transparent and the Maiden's Blush.
Other pomacious fruits, like the pear and quince, thrive as well as the apple, but these are not so important, nor are they planted in such large areas. The pear has a marked adaptability, the trees usually bear early, are among the best drouth resisters, and are long-lived and hardy. The fruit, especially of the larger varieties, like the Bartlett, Idaho, Beurre, Easter and Clapp's Favorite, grows very large and is of fine quality. There is a bright future for the extensive planting of this fruit.
Peaches are grown in all the fruit growing sections and find their way into the Colorado and Kansas City markets. The early- ripening varieties, such as the Alexander, Sneed, Waterloo, Ar- kansas Traveler and Hyne's Surprise, are among the successful and sure bearers. This is due to the fact that, as a rule, the early varieties are the late bloomers, blossoming late enough to escape the late spring frosts. The peach trees usually begin to bear at three years from the time of planting. The tendency of the trees is to overbear, and it becomes necessary to thin them in order that the fruit may not be too crowded. In size and quality, Santa Fe County peaches are not exceeded by peaches from the best peach growing states. It is the common opinion of those who have tasted both California and Santa Fe County peaches . that the latter are the better in quality. The fruit is, as a rule, highly colored, due, perhaps, to the more continuous sunshine during the ripening period. Probably, the profitable period of the peach tree here is from ten to twelve years. By replanting an orchard at intervals of five to eight years, a profitable orchard can be maintained almost indefinitely.
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