THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



French Land and Irrigation Co. 



French, Colfax County, N. M. 



Irrigation System Is Substantially Constructed Colfax 

 County Orchards Have Produced for Thirty Years 

 Oat and Millet Yields Heavy Sugar Beets Contain 

 High Percent of Saccharine Juice Active Local De- 

 mand for Vegetables French Land and Irrigation 

 Company Plans More Irrigation Work. 



In August, 1907, this company purchased from the 

 W. S. Land and Cattle Company 51,000 acres of land in 

 Colfax county, New Mexico, and immediately began pre- 

 liminary surveys preparatory to putting in a thoroughly 

 modern and up to date irrigation system. The system 

 when completed will consist of seven large reservoirs, 

 with a capacity of 64,500 acre feet. The water to supply 

 these large reservoirs is drawn from the Cimarron and 

 Vermejo rivers and their tributaries, which drain an area 

 of nearly 1,500,000 acres of mountain land immediately 

 adjoining the tract. The irrigation system is considered 

 by experts to be one of the best and most thoroughly 

 constructed in the west and fully equal to the best work 

 done by the United States government. 



The demand for the lands of this company being so 

 great, in July, 1909, they purchased 74,000 acres more 

 adjoining their first holdings, being the balance of the 

 tract owned by the W. S. Land and Cattle Company. Of 

 this latter purchase about 35,000 acres will be irrigated, 



els per acre. Large crops of millet have been raised and 

 the value of these first year's crops have in some instances 

 been sufficient to pay for one-half the purchase price of 

 the land. 



The second crop to be raised by these farmers in the 

 year 1910 will be sufficient to pay for the entire purchase 

 price of the land. Where alfalfa grows successfully it 

 clearly demonstrates the fertility of the soil. It is nature's 

 guarantee that the soil is good. 



The semi-arid country of the southwest is the natural 

 home of alfalfa. Nowhere else does it grow to so good 

 an advantage and become so rich in the singular fattening 

 qualities that has given it so well earned a reputation. 



Alfalfa is one of the leading products of this valley. 

 It yields from five to seven tons per acre yearly and the 

 local demand insures a good price. Fifty dollars to sixty 

 dollars per acre is the ordinary value of a year's crop of 

 alfalfa in this locality, and as the country develops this 

 amount will be increased instead of diminished. When 

 the expense of caring for and placing on the market of 

 this crop is considered the net amount received from al- 

 falfa land is perhaps greater than any other crop, except- 

 ing fruit. 



The sugar beet is another crop that promises much 

 to the farmer. This county has taken numerous prizes on 

 her sugar beets, judged by the percentage of sugar and 

 the purity of the juice. Tests made at the sugar beet 

 factories and by the United States government at Wash- 

 ington show that the beets raised in Colfax county con- 

 tain several per cent more sugar than those from any 

 other state. 



The standard price paid by the factories at the rail- 

 road in this county is $5.00 per ton, which is the same 

 price paid at the factory, the expense of freight being 



Views on the French Land and Irrigation Company's Project, \ew Mexico. 



the remainder consisting of rolling land suitable for pas- 

 turage and timber land in the mountains covered with an 

 excellent quality of merchantable pine timber. 



The soil on this tract is a dark chocolate loam, rich 

 in all the chemicals necessary to produce the best quality 

 of alfalfa, grains, vegetables and fruits. 



Colfax county is the best apple country known in the 

 ! United States. Orchards have produced in abundance for 

 over thirty years without a failure. 



The perfect climatic conditions, the large number of 

 sunshiny days to mature the fruit and the absence of in- 

 sects all assist in bringing it to the highest stage of de- 

 velopment. In appearance they have a ripe, rich, red 

 tint and perfect form, that make them a marvel of beauty, 

 and possess a peculiar flavor that cannot be surpassed. 

 Apples from this district took first prize at the Buffalo 

 Exposition. 



Owing to these conditions, that do not exist elsewhere 

 in the United States, the apple is the best paying com- 

 mercial fruit crop, but all kinds of small fruits grow in 

 abundance. Cherries and plums are a safe and profitable 

 crop and the pear and quince yield abundantly. 



While this tract of land has only been recently opened 

 for sale, there have been upwards of 6,000 acres broken 

 up and seeded to grain and millet during the season of 

 1903. The results obtained by new settlers working under 

 all the adverse conditions that must of necessity come 

 to them in settling upon and opening up a new farm, the 

 results obtained have been wonderful. Oats have been 

 grown on these new farms, newly broken up in the spring 

 of 1909, that have yielded from fifty to seventy-five bush- 



paid by the factory, owing to the superior quality of the 

 beets. The average yield per acre is from fifteen to thirty 

 tons. It costs about $30.00 per acre to raise them, and 

 taking the smaller average of fifteen tons per acre, the 

 net profit would be $45.00. 



The local demands from the cities, ranches and mining 

 camps furnish a market for vegetables that is constantly 

 growing and insures a profitable market for this kind of 

 produce for all time to come. New Mexico has never yet 

 been able to produce a sufficient Quantity of edibles for 

 her people and has had to depend on neighboring states 

 for her supply. 



Celery, tomatoes, rhubarb and asparagus are especially 

 fine, and cantaloupes and water melons cannot be beaten 

 anywhere. 



Cabbages and cauliflower grow to an immense size, 

 frequently weighing from twenty to twenty-five pounds 

 each. 



As an instance of what the ordinary farmer can do 

 raising vegetables for the market, Mr. E. L. Gorham, for- 

 merly of Rockford, 111., now residing near French, and 

 a recent settler on these lands, raised on one and one- 

 fourth acres newly broken in the spring of 1909, 130 bush- 

 els of Mexican beans. The market price at the stores 

 in French, N. M., for this product is now 4 cents per 

 pound. At this price his one and one-fourth acres netted 

 him nearly $300.00. 



This result as well as other estimates made in this 

 article is not unusual, being only what any farmer may 

 do one year with another by careful and intelligent man- 

 agement. (Continued on page 45.) 



