310 



THE IKEIGATION AGE. 



Antelope Valley 



New Mexico 



The Properties of the French Land & Irrigation Company 

 Are Located in This Famous Valley 



It is said by the inhabitants of Colfax County, New 

 Mexico, that there is no other single county in the United 

 States which combines within itself so many of the essen- 

 tials which go to make up the requirements of a home. 



Within this county are located 35,000 acres of the 

 finest coal in the United States. On the slopes of the 

 Raton and Taos mountains are 500,000 acres of mer- 

 chantable timber, principally yellow pine and cedar. In 

 the mountains on the western boundary are rich and pro- 

 ductive mines of gold and copper. 



These extensive resources, which are being rapidly 

 developed, require a vast army of men. and are furnishing 

 a steady and growing market for the products of the 

 irrigation farmers in that vicinity. This makes land which 

 is being irrigated on the eastern slopes of the mountains 

 and on the mesas out from the slopes especially valuable. 



charge of this immense tract, comprising 125,000 acres, 

 which has been developed under the able generalship of 

 Sophus Richard, who fills the position of general man- 

 ager and treasurer of the company. 



The first purchase of 50,000 acres of land, which was 

 developed by the company, was made from the U. 

 Land & Cattle Company, and contemplated the construe 

 tion of two irrigation systems with seven large reser- 

 voirs, for the storage of 2,819,720,000 cubic feet, or ap- 

 proximately 75,000-acre feet of water. These reservoir 

 may be filled twice annually, thus doubling the capacity 

 These two systems divide the tract into two parts, which 

 are locally known as the North and South Side tracts, eac" 

 containing about 25,000 acres. 



The South tract is at present under irrigation and 

 during the season of 1909, something like six or seven 

 thousand acres were cultivated advantageously and profit- 

 ably. During the season of 1910, just opening, it is esti- 

 mated that the amount of land which will be sown to 

 crop, will aggregate 12,000 acres, the greater part of this 

 will be worked by the owners, who are actually residing 

 upon the land. 



The second purchase made by this company, of about 

 75,000 acres, consists of 35,000 acres of irrigable land, for 



Preparing land for irrigation, near French, New Mexico. 



These facts were brought to our attention by conver- 

 sation with one of the officials of the French Land & Irri- 

 gation Company, whose lands are located adjacent to the 

 town of French, fifty-four miles south of Trinidad, Colo- 

 rado, and eighty miles north of Las Vegas, New Mexico, 

 in what is generally known throughout the section as the 

 Antelope Valley, which is destined to become one of the 

 beauty spots of western America. 



The water to irrigate these lands is secured from the 

 Cimarron and Mermejo rivers and the Ponil, Cerrososo 

 and Van Bremmer creeks, all of which rise in the Taos 

 and Raton mountains, lying to the west and northwest, 

 with a drainage of about 1,500,000 acres, or 2,300 square 

 miles. The water rights on these rivers have been ap- 

 proved, and are the first rights, with the exception of a 

 few ranches which have been under cultivation for a num- 

 ber of years. The annual precipitation of moisture in 

 these mountains is much greater than in -the lower valley 

 land, and average for a series of years from 20 to 25 

 inches annually. 



The French Land & Irrigation Company, which has 



which sufficient water is available, and 20,000 acres of 

 good merchantable pine timber, while the balance is con- 

 sidered excellent grazing land, which will prove a val- 

 uable feature to contemplating settlers, who are incline 

 to go into the stock raising business. This second pur- 

 chase necessitates a third irrigation system, to be con- 

 structed in the near future, which will not be a part of 

 or in any way connected with the two systems formerly 

 mentioned. 



The early purchasers on what is designated as the 

 South tract have noted the rapid advance in the price 

 of their lands until the majority of them can readily sell 

 for twice the price paid, and all this has transpired within 

 the short period of two years. Persons who secure land in 

 any one of the tracts mentioned have all the advantages of 

 the improvements which are made on the South tract, 

 including those of good neighbors, suggestions as to the 

 best method for irrigation which may be obtained by con- 

 tact with these neighbors, as well as the town advantages 

 to be had by reasonable proximity to the growing tov ~ 

 ( Continued on page 332.) 



