THE IRRIGATION AGE. 81 



grass and rain falls frequently, and the valleys are watered by rivers 

 and streams fed from the mountains. 



The markets for irrigated products are chiefly local, but there 

 are nearly 1,500 miles of railroad, including the Atchison, Topeka and 

 Santa Pe, Atlantic and Pacific, Southern Pacific and Denver and Rio 

 Grande system, ramifying every important agricultural and mineral 

 producing district. The soil, climate and other natural conditions 

 make of New Mexico an ideal fruit and vine growing section, and the 

 sugar beets and canaigre roots grow to perfection in this region. A 

 sugar factory at Eddy and canaigre extracting plant in the Pecos 

 Valley insure markets for the tubers. With railway connection east 

 and west, and north and south the native products may be shipped to 

 the markets of the world and compete in quality and beauty with any 

 section of the irrigated realm. Farmers report harvesting $600 worth 

 of watermelons from an acre in the Pecos Valley, and experiencing no 

 difficulty in finding an anxious market. 



All systems of irrigation are practiced throughout New Mexico, 

 and some curious customs prevail among the old timers. The basin 

 system of irrigating trees, consisting of filling a hole with water and 

 allowing that to percolate to the roots is practiced. Some of the 

 Mexicans carry water and irrigate their melon vines by filling boxes 

 or holes near the roots. The old wild flooding method is still in vogue, 

 especially in orchards and meadows. Furrow irrigation is practiced 

 generally by the modern irrigators, though some have sub-irrigation 

 plans and others flood the land occasionally. The soil is so prolific 

 and climate so adapted to plant growth that when water is applied by 

 any means the results are marvelous. Alfalfa produces from three to 

 six crops annually. Trees and vines make a growth of from four to 

 sixteen feet during a season, if well cultivated and thoroughly irri- 

 gated. An acre planted to mixed fruits will yield from $500 to $2,000 

 yearly, after the trees come into bearing. 



The Pecos Irrigation and Improvement Company has the largest 

 irrigation enterprise in the Terrritory, having transformed several 

 thousand acres of desert land into a perfect homeseeker's paradise. 

 As stated in the advertising columns of the AGE this company has the 

 soil, climate and water, and men with little capital, plenty of enter- 

 prise and active minds and muscles can soon create bowers of Eden in 

 this chosen vale. I have no advertising object in writing this about 

 New Mexico, any more than any other of the series of articles that 

 have appeared in former issues, so the readers must not conclude that 

 because I mention Pecos Valley it is a paid advertisement. But those 

 in quest of cheap lands, abundant water, unexcelled climate and all 

 the natural elements for creating magnificent homes, surrounded by 

 vineyards, orchards and everything that can be grown in a semi-tropic 

 country will do well to look over the Pecos Valley before locating 



