THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



377 



LAND OF TAGS 



Secret of Wonderful Richness of Taos Valley Soil Earth 

 Has Been Storehouse for Ages Ranches Orchard & 

 Land Company Rushing Irrigation Works Great In- 

 flux of Settlers Taos Indians Plan Annual Festival. 



Experts in geology, dispatched by the government to 

 stu(Jy into conditions and determine the reasons for the 

 marvelous fertility of certain crudely irrigated sections of 

 northern New Mexico, have declared in their official find- 

 ings that in prehistoric times this entire territory was 

 probably an immense lake. Seismic disturbances, torna- 

 does and volcanic eruptions, submerged masses of tangled 

 verdur'e the flotsam and jetsam of the countless ages 

 following creation and for centuries held decaying vege- 

 tation at the bottom of this gigantic inland sea. 



The world changed. Slowly the waters receded from 

 their playgrounds of centuries. Huge masses of rock 

 towered over the dying sea. Impervious to heat, they 

 watched the waters still further recede until only turbu- 

 lent rushing streams coursed their sinuous ways across, 

 the lands while the sun, constant and relentless, dried 

 mesa and valley into brown unproductive earth. 



Today, after the rise and fall of at least two empires, 

 the relics of which are yet in evidence, the earth has lost 

 but a fraction of its legacy of richness from the long ago. 

 Science and industry are reclaiming these arid lands. 

 Soil has retained its plant foods for thousands of years 

 and today wherever the earth is given drink it offers up 

 its thanks in bounteous crops. 



Taos valley in old New Mexico promises much to the 

 invading white men. In splendor of scenery, historic in- 

 terest and lastly, fertility of soil, it is unsurpassed by any 

 section of this great southwest. Even as it gave homes 

 to the .most advanced type of aborigines, so must it give 

 lust and strength of mind and body to its new inhabi- 

 tants. Its lofty mountains, its sunny weather and its 

 smiling fields must reflect upon its peoples through hun- 

 dreds of years to come a sunny temperament, a thrift and 

 a peace of mind that bodes naught but wealth and lon- 

 gevity. 



In connection with the Taos valley it may be stated 

 that Ranches Orchard & Land Company, having within its 



grant a section embracing about 15.000 acres of the finest 

 mesa land, has undertaken and is rapidly bringing to ma- 

 turity a great irrigation project. About 2,500 acres are 

 already under water. Within the next twelvemonth this 

 acreage will be doubled. 



Attracted by the glowing accounts of crops and the 

 aggressive policy of the Ranchos Ochard & Land Com- 



of Pueblo River, Near Ranchos, Taos Valley, New Mexico. 



Pastoral Scene, Ranchos, N. M. 



pany is preparing new acreage lor 

 culture, there has, during'the past two 

 months, been &n enormous influx of 

 homeseekers to this section. Drawn 

 by the veracious reports of sunny 

 weather, little extreme of heat or 

 cold, and prospects of bumper yields 

 of beets, alfalfa, grains and fruits, 

 tourists and settlers from the east 

 have surmounted the difficulties in 

 reaching the Taos valley and almost 

 without variance have .quickly invest^, 

 ed in lands. 



Manager Joe B. Warner is most 

 optimistic over the outlook both for 

 this year's crops and for sale of lands. 

 He states that the orchards, although 

 many ^are but a year or two years old, 

 give promise of early maturity and 

 abundant yield. Attracted by the cli- 

 matic conditions, fertile soil and the 

 records of yielding orchards, numer- 

 ous experienced pomologists have 

 purchased land and are now actively 

 in the field, planting and arranging for 

 fruit culture on an extensive scale. 

 Inexperienced settlers receive the bene- 

 fit of scientific knowledge and great 

 interest has thereby been awakened in 

 orchard culture. 



(Continued on page 3S."O 



