VALLEY OF THE RIO GRANDE. 
185 
soil, and water at command, the productiveness of 
this valley is great. The chief cereals cultivated are 
wheat and maize. Oats were first planted the season 
I was here, and the experiment was highly successful ; 
the yield being greater than east of the Mississippi. 
Potatoes do not succeed in the El Paso valley. Many 
attempts have been made to naturalize them by early 
and late planting, as well as varying the quality of 
water ; but all have proved unavailing. It is true I 
have seen very good potatoes raised farther north, in 
the vicinity of Santa Fe ; but the failures have been so> 
numerous that they cannot be said to succeed. Onions 
and pumpkins are raised to a great extent, the former 
yielding enormously. Other vegetables are but little 
cultivated ; which I think is morp owing to the want of 
attention than to any fault of the soil or climate. The 
fruits are grapes, apples, pears, quinces, peaches, and 
apricots. The quinces are quite equal to our own ; 
but the peaches lack the delicious flavor of the nor- 
thern fruit, and the apples and pears are decidedly 
inferior. The grape is the most extensively cultivated 
of all fruits. It resembles the Hamburgh grape, 
though not quite as large, and is said to have been 
brought from Spain. There are both white and pur- 
ple varieties. Large vineyards of this delicious fruit 
are seen within the town and the district adjacent to 
El Paso. The vine is never staked or trailed. It is 
trimmed close in the fall ; and in the spring it throws 
out its shoots from the very stump, near which hangs 
the fruit. Each vine is kept separate, and the earth 
around freed from weeds. Careful cultivators cover 
the vines during the winter with straw. With the^ 
