NEW JERSEY— NEW MEXICO 



1409 



New Mexico 



The main body of New Mexico is an 

 elevated plain ranging from 3,000 feet 

 to 7,000 feet in lieiglit. From this table- 

 land rise mountain peaks, among which 

 are Sierra Blanca, 14,269 feet; Truchas, 

 13,150 feet; Taos, 13,145 feet; Costilla, 

 12,634 feet; Baldy, 12,623 feet; Lake, 

 12,380 feet, and Mora, 12,623 feet. 



The streams of the eastern and central 

 parts flow into the Mississippi river and 

 the Gulf of Mexico, while those of the 

 western part flow into the Gulf of Cali- 

 fornia. The principal rivers are the Rio 

 Grande, Pecos and the Canadian, flowing 

 to the eastward, and the San Juan, Zuni 

 and Gila, flowing westward. 



The state lies within the arid regions, 

 but the lands are fertile. Wherever there 

 is sufficient moisture either by irrigation 

 or otherwise they are very productive. 

 Portions of the state are very well 

 adapted to fruit growing. Among these 

 portions are those near Santa Fe, Albu- 

 querque and Deniing. It is considered 

 that lands with good air drainage and 

 sufficient water and not more than 7,000 

 feet high are adapted to fruits. There 

 is very little crop-growing of any kind 

 without irrigation. The soil contains a 

 supply of mineral elements that makes 

 it well adapted to horticulture, and some 

 soil chemists believe that insofar as their 

 fertility is concerned they are inex- 

 haustible. 



New Mexico has but little timber. On 

 the mountains there is a considerable 

 growth of fir, spruce and pine, and lower 

 down cedar, nut-pine and mesquite. Oc- 

 casionally along the streams may be 

 found oak, ash, walnut, cottonwood and 

 sycamore. The principal growths are the 

 many species of yucca and cactus, found 



in the arid regions where the climate is 

 not too cold. 



Clira.ate 



The temperature is mild, seldom fall- 

 ing below the freezing point, and not 

 often rising to extreme heat, owing to 

 the elevation. The average rainfall is 

 about ten inches, which for the most 

 part makes farming or fruit growing 

 without irrigation impossible. 



Irrigation is carried on largely by 

 means of canals, but there are places 

 where irrigation is from wells, if water 

 can be obtained without too much ex- 

 pense, and in sufficient quantities to 

 make this method profitable. 



The fruit-growing districts are in the 

 valleys, largely because they can be more 

 easily irrigated and because they are 

 better protected from frosts and winds. 



T. D. A. Cockerell has divided the state 

 into zones, as follows: 



1. Canadian zone: from 8,000 to 9,000 

 feet, where Irish potatoes can be grown. 



2. Transition zone: where deciduous 

 fruit trees, small fruits and sugar beets 

 can be successfully grown. This is at an 

 elevation of about 7,000 feet. 



3. Upper Sonora zone: at about 5,000 

 to 6,000 feet, as around Albuquerque. In 

 this zone European grapes, peaches and 

 sweet potatoes are successfully grown, 

 but apples do not succeed so well. 



4. Middle Sonora zone: somewhat 

 warmer than the upper Sonora and there- 

 fore more inclined to the "semi-tropical." 



Parker Earle thinks that the apples 

 that reach the highest degree of perfec- 

 tion in New Mexico are the Yellow Bell- 

 flower and Newtown Pippin, especially is 

 this true in the counties of Chaves and 

 Lincoln. 



The apple is the most important fruit 

 grown in the state, and second in impor- 



R—G 



