CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND AND PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY NEW MEXICO BANCROFT wbu^ University of California Berkeley NEW MEXICO TKe Land of Sunshine * ~r New Mexico THE LAND OF SUNSHINE Setting forth some good reasons why YOU might become a citizen of New Mexico to your very great advantage Passenger Traffic Department Rock Island Lines Chicago. 1907 New IMexico. When a man chooses a new place for a home he carefully considers certain prime factors which are the conditions of ex- istence, prosperity and happiness in that place. First h.e asks about the climate, which, in the long run, is greater than any man. Then he considers questions of soil, products, trans- portation, government, population, education, taxation, facilities for banking, worship, recreation, and other of the perfected agencies of American civilization. When he thus knows the essentials of life in a given place he is prepared to decide like a wise and sane man whether he wishes to live in that place. The man who thus deliberately chooses a new home is a man to be welcomed and honored in life and remembered in death. Such a homeseeker the Rock Island Lines beg the distinction of serving. 44 What about New Mexico?" is the question that is being asked to-day by thousands of home- seekers from all parts of the country. As New Mexi-o as a whole is a very large proposition, with a wide variety of soil, climate, elevation and industrial condi- tions, let us confine the question to narrower limits: "What is this country west of Texas that they call New Mexico?" If we call it the country west of Texas, we simplify matters to begin with. Because New Mexico may be colored green, or some other color, on the maps, and Texas, perhaps, red, and Oklahoma a different color still, one is led to suppose that the countries are as different as the colors on the map. But really they are very much the same. The land is not of a different color, nor are the live-stock across the boundary line of a different pat- tern. The land is higher as you approach the mountains, and you generally, but not always, go deeper for water, but it is good land, and good water, as in Texas or Oklahoma. Free Homesteads in New Mexico New Mexico settled long before our northern west, or our northern east, for that matter, and the children of the first families, who brought the Merino sheep and the Malaga grape, are there to-day, and are "well-fixed." Our northern and eastern people spread out slowly, filling up state after state, passing the Ohio, the Mississippi, and then the Missouri. Now they are going into New Mexico, pouring in, one might say. 15,000 Families Settled There in Eight 'Mdnths. Do you remember the rush to Oklahoma, and how long it took to fill up the country that the eastern editors could not find words to anathematize ? Now there is a movement to New Mex- ico, the last Territory with government land free to the home- steader. The immigrants are gathering, like some eastern pil- grimage, from nearly every state in the Union, selling high- priced land and taking up equally as good at next to no cost at all. "Uncle Sam has land enough to give us all a farm," so the old song ran, but the old gentleman is almost through cutting up the estate. In a year or two he will say : "All gone, my children." A writer from New Mexico, in the Outlook recently, arguing that the "prairie schooner" is not a thing of the past, says: "During the eight months thus far elapsed of this year more than fifteen thousand families have established their homes in eastern and southern New Mexico, and fully half of these have journeyed to their new homes in 'prairie schooners.' " And he adds that his own little valley, not a hundred miles long, that eight months ago was inhabited only by widely scattered ranchers and Mexican sheep-owners, has since been invaded by an army of immigrants a thousand strong, coming from Texas, Oklahoma, Indian Territory, Ar- kansas, Missouri, Kansas and Georgia. Thousands, as we know, are going in over the Rock Island-Frisco lines. Think of New Mexico as the Rock Island-Frisco country adjoining West Texas. If we divide the United States into three parts, eastern, central and western, we will find the Mis- sissippi River making one dividing line, and the Rocky Moun- tains another, with eastern New Mexico falling into the middle section, part of it being in the drainage basin of the great river and part in that of the Rio Grande. As to latitude, New Mex- ico lies between the 32nd and 37th degrees north, as indicated by Savannah, Georgia, and Norfolk, Virginia, on the eastern coast, and from a point fifty miles below San Diego to Santa Cruz, on the Pacific. But while these places are on the coast, we must bear in mind that New Mexico, the Rock Island coun- try west of Texas, is elevated from 4,000 to 7,000 feet above the sea, with the ranges of the Rocky Mountains close to its back; that it has no swamps, and is sheltered from the fog- bearing winds of the sea. Through this country, from the Texas Pan-Handle, the Rock Island-Frisco System runs in a southwesterly direction, climbing to the ridge at Torrance, about half way to the Mex- ican border, and dropping to the Rio Grande at El Paso (the pass, or gateway) at 3,700 feet. And while you may find some harmless horned toads to send back east for souvenirs, you won't find a mosquito in the whole country. Put this down in your notebook : New Mexico, with Ari- zona, will be the last state, within our continental borders, to enter the Union, and it is the last of the great southwest to offer a welcoming hand to the home-seeker. NEW MEXICO HAS MORE FREE HOMESTEADS THAN ANY OTHER STATE OR TERRITORY. "And what do they raise in that country west of Texas?" is the next question of the home-seeker. "Just about what they raise in the Pan-Handle, only gener- ally a little bigger and a little better," replies the New Mexican, with pardonable pride. It would do the enquirer good to attend one of the county fairs held every fall at Tucumcari,- Clayton, Santa Rosa, Lincoln or Alamagordo. Perhaps he will remember the fine Territory exhibit at the St. Louis Exposition. Everything earth yields seems to be here, and of the finest. Grains of all kinds, from the best milling wheat to the big golden ear of maize and the larger heads of kaffir corn and milo maize. Vegetables of every sort, potatoes, sweet and white, beets, squashes, pumpkins, melons, etc., all of mammoth proportions and delicate flavor; and fruit, too, of bewildering variety peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, tumas, figs, Japanese persimmons, New Mexico is Very Fruitful. apples, pears, quinces, grapes and berries ; in fact, everything but the citrus fruits, and all as fine as the finest and as sweet as the sweetest. For example : In 1901, at the Pan-American Exposition, the apples of New Mexico were conspicuous and received first prize, while in 1900 the New Mexico apples were carried across the continent and the Atlantic Ocean to the Paris Exposition, receiving second premium in competition with the famous ap- ples of France and England. Similar were the results of the exhibits of New Mexico apples at the Chicago and St. Louis Expositions. At Buffalo, an agricultural and horticultural ex- hibit from New Mexico received two gold medals, and five certificates of honorable mention in competition with the entire continent. At St. Louis, New Mexican peaches took first pre- mium in competition with peaches from California. The follow- ing were among the exhibits at a recent agricultural fair in the Territory: Barley, 7 feet high; oat heads, 30 inches long; apples, 16 inches in circumference and weighing 28 ounces ; pears, 9 ounces, and peaches, 12 ounces; Muscat grapes, 25 ounces per bunch; nectarines, 6 ounces, and watermelons, 40 Melons Between the Corn. pounds; cabbages, 42 pounds; a bunch of 9 sweet potatoes weighing 18 pounds, et cetera. One might think, looking out on the gray plains, and then on these displays of nature's w.ealth, that. there was some trick in it. But before we go into details, let us borrow some pas- sages from the report of Gov. Hagerman^of the Territory, who surely will be admitted as a competent witness. Under date of Sept. 15, 1906, he says : All Conditions Good. "The Territory was never in a more prosperous condition. During the past year there has been more activity in all lines of industry than ever before in the Territory of New Mexico. The three greatest industries, upon which the w.elfare and pros- perity of the people depend, the stock industry, agriculture 6 Raising Live Stock a Big Industry. and mining, have all shown great activity. The rainfall in most parts of the Territory has been over the average and well distributed throughout the year, resulting in unusually good range conditions and in very gratifying results in many farming districts, both in the mountains and on the plains, where crops are being raised without irrigation. The good grass and abundant water supply, both in running streams and surface reservoirs, has resulted in a large percentage of increase in the herds of cattle and sheep, as well as in small loss among the grown animals. The wool crop, a source of great revenue to the Territory, has been very large, and the market price of both wool and sheep the highest they have reached for many years. * * * "In many sections of the Territory hitherto considered un- productive it is being demonstrated that crops are being suc- cessfully raised without irrigation by means of careful farming and hard work. * * In several places in eastern New M.exico and the adjoining counties of Texas, experimental farms are being conducted under the dry-farming methods a system which I believe will result in great benefit to the whole arid west." Live Stock. By nature and tradition New Mexico is a stock-raising coun- try. Her warm, dry winters; her even climate; her grass-cov- New Mexico Sheep Ranch. ered ranges, dotted with sweet-water springs, make it an ideal stock country. Last January the Territory reported 948,000 cattle, valued at $15,788,000, being an increase from 852,000 head in 1904, which were valued at $11,789,000. This was exclusive of 21,800 milch cows, an increase of 1% in the past two years. Sheep show a still greater increase, the Territory having 2,857,- 000 head in 1904 and 4,558,000 on the first of January last. For sheep range, the hills and valleys of New Mexico are unex- celled anywhere. It is a good country for hogs, too. Altogether, New Mexico has gained nearly two million more head of stock in the past two years. Of New Mexico as a sheep country, Gov. Hagerman says: 7 Sheep and Goats Very Profitable. Pre-eminent as a Sheep Country. "The climate and natural resources of the Territory are par- ticularly adapted to the sheep business. On the 1st of January, 1906, the government reports showed that New Mexico had nearly 4,000,000 head of sheep within her borders. On a con- servative estimate of value these sheep were worth about $14,- 000,000. For the past two years the sheep business has probably been the most valuable of any in the west. During the past two seasons the Territory has been blessed with abundant moisture, which has produced an excellent stand of grama grass. This grass is the most nutritious known, and nature cures it where it grows. The fact that New Mexico has been pre-eminently a sheep-growing section was demonstrated by the Spaniards when they settled here hundreds of years ago, as they brought into the country large numbers of sheep of the Spanish Merino breed. "Great development has been made in the last ten years in improving the sheep of this Territory. Many growers have gone to great expense in getting the finest bred Merino and Rambouillet bucks that could be found in the United States. As a result of this breeding the quality of the wool has been improved and New Mexico now produces, in some sections, as fine a grade of wool as can be found in any state of the Union. In number of sheep New Mexico ranks third in the United States, being surpassed by Montana and Wyoming only. As sheep are raised in every state and territory in the Union, it can readily be seen how important this industry is in New Mexico, when only two states contain more sheep. * * * "The demand for New Mexican sheep by the packers and feeders has been far in excess of the supply. It is a well- known fact that sheep from New Mexico will dress out more pounds of meat than any stock from other sections of the United States. There is much less waste when sheep are killed than results from those of the northern territories, and for this reason the sheep from New Mexico are preferred to all others. The demand for New Mexico sheep this year is greater than it ever has been in the past. * * * The sheep growers of New Mexico are in splendid financial condition, as they have obtained fancy prices for their sheep and wool the past few years. Goats. "Equally profitable and as free from difficulties is the rais- ing of goats. Especially on the foothills and on the mountain mesas goats do better than sheep. There are many thousand square miles of profitable goat pasture in the Territory. In Guadalupe, Lincoln, Otero and other mountain counties there are many large goat farms, much attention being given to high-grade Angoras. Incidental to the profit from the hair of the Angoras, their skins and their meat, they will clear land from brush and thus make it available for agriculture. The goat is very hardy, will subsist upon a range that would starve another animal, and is free from disease. There are about 225,000 goats in the Territory, and room for as many millions. Lumber. "One of the greatest business enterprises of New Mexico is the lumbering industry. Few people not thoroughly informed regarding the resources of this Territory realize that New Mex- ico is one of the big lumber-producing commonwealths of the United States. * * * When developed to its greatest possi- bility this industry is bound to rank among New Mexico's great Rich in Coal Deposits. Dipping Sheep. material resources. * * * About 2,500 men are employed in the lumbering camps and at the saw-mills. From the statements of the owners and managers of the various lumber companies it is evident that they are doing all in their power to co-operate with the government to preserve the forests. As far as is practical the lumbermen are attempting to protect young trees and to guard against disastrous forest fires. One of the lum- bering companies the Alamagordo Lumber Company, has of- fered to deed its cut-over lands to the government for the estab- lishment of a government forest reserve. Another company is retimbering its lands by planting the hardy catalpa tree." Coal. In his report for 1905, the Governor spoke at some length regarding the immense coal deposits of the Territory. This subject is chiefly interesting to us here as foreshadowing the future prosperity of this state to be, a prosperity in which the farmer will naturally partake. He says: "The area of the prospected coal lands is 1,500,000 acres, or about one-fiftieth of the total area of the Territory. It is thus seen that New M.exico is well endowed with fuel, the first requisite for successful manufacturing, smelting and railroading. The United States coal mine inspector reports that the coal in sight in these prospected fields amounts to almost 9,000,000,000 tons, and at the present rate of production it will take six thou- sand years to exhaust the fields now known. Considerable of the coal is of good coking quality, and the production of coke during the past five years was 200,000 tons. The coal produced during the same period was 7,000,000 tons, valued at $10,000,000 at the mines." The Governor goes on to speak of one seam of coal 40 feet thick. New Mexico's prosperity is assured. There are also large deposits of silver, copper, iron, lead, zinc and other metals, besides many valuable minerals, such as salt, alum, sulphur, graphite, gypsum, lime, etc. 10 Truly an Agricultural State. The New Mexico Farmer an Aristocrat. Lest some of the readers of this booklet might think we were exaggerating when we speak of the wonderful possibilities of New Mexico as an agricultural country, and that without the aid of irrigation, which is, of course, an immense aid where it can be resorted to, we take the following from the report of the Governor for 1905: "The up-to-date New Mexico farmer is the aristocrat of his craft. * * * If his ranch is well located, he fears neither excessive moisture nor drought, neither hard times nor panics. There is always a good market in which his products command top prices, and as to crop failure, it is out of the question if he knows his business. New Mexico is attracting more attention to-day than at any former time on account of its agri- cultural possibilities. Home-seekers are coming into the Terri- tory in great numbers, taking up or purchasing large areas of land in valleys or on the mesas, and building new agricultural communities of considerable importance." Alfalfa. Alfalfa is one of the most valuable crops of New Mexico. It is profitably grown not only in the irrigated valleys, but on the "benches" and wherever there is a water table within the reach of the plant's roots, which may be twenty feet, or even more. It is grown considerably in dry farming sections, where there is no irrigation. In New Mexico, as in western Texas, alfalfa does well in almost every class of soil. / The chemical constituents of the soil seem to have little to do with the growth of the crop, provided the surface is level and the roots can get down to the water table, and the depth that the roots will penetrate in search of water is almost incredible. It grows well on light sandy loam as on the heaviest adobe. In fact, about the only place that alfalfa will not grow is in a water- logged soil. The area of alfalfa in New Mexico has increased from 12,140 acres in 1890 to 63,000 acres in 1905. The average annual yield in the Territory is about three tons to the acre. (These figures are taken from the Governor's report.) The cost of production, including taxes, harvesting, baling and delivery Cutting Rye. 11 12 An Abundance of Grains. to the car, does not exceed four dollars per ton, and the large irrigation farmers produce it at a much lower figure. The demand for alfalfa, aside from that of local consumption, conies from cities and towns, mining and railroad camps, and the thousands of isolated stock ranches scattered over the arid and semi-arid sections, as well as a considerable demand from por- tions of Texas and the republic of Mexico. At harvest time the price of alfalfa is comparatively low, usually not exceeding $8 per ton, but the forehanded farmer who holds his crop until win- ter usually gets from $10 to $13 per ton. Alfalfa farming has proven very attractive and profitable and it is not surprising that the area devoted to it has increased five fold in the past fifteen years. As to the feeding value of alfalfa, it is conceded throughout the country that it leads all other forage crops in its total digestible food constituents and nitrogen contents. Other Forage Crops. "While alfalfa is the main forage crop, it is not the only one. There are some twenty or thirty varieties of grasses that grow wild upon the range and which are harvested for hay, the chief, and probably the most nutritious being grama grass, which during the wet years yields as high as two tons to the acre. Large quantities of it are harvested on the public range and sold during the winter or fed to stock. At- tempts to cultivate the bromo grass, a drought and cold-resist- ing forage crop of great value to stock men, yielding three to four heavy crops per year, has proven successful, especially on the upper Pecos. White clover does well, as do nearly all the other forage plants of the temperate zone. Of late the value of wild peas for the feeding of stock has been recognized, and as the yield per acre in nutritive value is equal to that of an acre of alfalfa, there is a future for those who will go into the feeding of lambs and beeves in New Mexico, as the wild pea and lupine requires very little attention. Oats do very w.ell in the mountain valleys, as well as on the plains farms, and the yield per acre is quite profitable. In fact, oats have become a staple crop in the. northern part, even where the raising of other crops is not attempted. The cultivation of spineless cactus also opens vast possibilities to the stockmen, for cactus^ and mesquite are as native here as are the sage brush and the pinon. Other Grains. "Wheat is a sure crop in New Mexico if sown early. The yield of wheat per acre is equal to the yield in the leading wheat growing states. New Mexico wheat received first pre- mium at the World's Fair at Chicago and at other expositions. Before the building of the railroads, the Taos and other val- leys of New Mexico w.ere considered the granaries of the Southwest. Rye, barley, millet, and other cereal crops do as well, and there is a good home market for all that can be produced." Heavier Yields than in the North. The Governor is too conservativ.e. Perhaps he was afraid that he would not be believed if he said that wheat yielded twice as much in New Mexico as in the northwestern wheat states, but he would be corroborated by the Department of Ag- riculture. From the Government crop tables it will be seen that the average yield of wheat in New Mexico in 1906 was 25 bushels to the acre, against an average of 12.4 bushels for the Dakotas and Minnesota. Moreover, the value of an acre of wheat in New Mexico is given at $20.75, against $7.85 for the great wheat states named. The difference is even more Ranks High in Sugar Beets. Beans and Kafflr Corn. pronounced in favor of New Mexico when we consider the hay crop, regarding which the Governor of New Mexico speaks with such well-merited enthusiasm. The Department of Ag- riculture report, just cited, shows that the average value of an acre of hay in New Mexico in 1906 was $26.88, against $7.54 for the three states used in the above comparison, or, if it claimed that a term of years would supply a much fairer test, which is quite true, we find that, taking the past ten years, the average value of an acre of hay in New Mexico was $25.28, against $6.01 for the northwest! If figures prove anything, they prove that farming pays in New Mexico. Corn. Corn (maize) stands next to alfalfa, in acreage and value of total product. Kaffir corn (a variety of sorghum) grows as well, if not better than ordinary corn, and in some parts of the Territory is grown almost exclusively for feeding stock. It yields from 25 to 50 bushels to the acre, besides producing a large quantity of excellent stover. Both the grain and stover are fed to cattle and sheep in the fattening pens. Kaffir corn is an excellent drouth resister, and in northeastern New Mexico is raised without irrigation. Sorghum also yields good crops and in many localities is grown for its sugar content. Sugar Beets. New Mexico ranks first among localities best suited to the growth of high-grade sugar beets. In nearly all localities where good beets can be grown, there may also be found the neces- sary fuel, limestone and water of good quality, as well as cheap labor. In the face of these facts, it seems plain that New Mex- ico will soon have its sugar factories. When it becomes known that New Mexico is even better suited than Colorado for both the growing of beets and the manufacture of sugar, capital will develop this industry as it has others. The isothermal sugar zone of 70, or that belt of the United States best adapted to the growth of sugar beets, extends east and west across the United States and embraces that portion having ^ a mean sum- mer temperature between 69 and 71 F. Entering the north- ern boundary of Colorado, it passes through the entire state Prospects Bright for the Farmer. and into New Mexico, where it forms a loop in the extreme southern part of the Territory, and passes upward again and out at the extreme northwestern part. The entire agricultural part has the proper climatic conditions for the cultivation of sugar beets, although the Mesilla and lower Pecos valleys in less degree than the more northern valleys. Beets when fully matured have shown a high sugar content. Dr. Wiley, of the United States Department of Agriculture, who is undoubtedly the best authority in the country on sugar beets, says: "It is evident that there are many localities in New Mex- ico where conditions of temperature are most favorable to the growth of beets. There are also large areas of comparatively level lands which are capable of irrigation. Wherever the tem- perature of these regions is sufficiently low to permit the proper development of the beet, and where sufficient water for irriga- tion can be secured, there is good reason to believe that the industry may be established and prove to be profitable. While the summer days of New Mexico are not so long by an hour or more as in the regions farther north, the amount of sunshine which the growing beets will receive is practically as great as in more northern localities, because of the comparative absence of cloudy or rainy days." The same scientist tabulates analyses of sugar beets grown in the different states and territories, from which it may be seen that New Mexico grown beets have a higher percentage of sugar than those of any state (of twelve) which at that time had sugar factories in operation, and in purity of juice were only exceeded, and that very slightly, by those of New York and Wisconsin. The average of sugar content for eleven states was 12.8, and for New Mexico, 17.2; and the average of purity was 80, while the New Mexico beets tested 82. Do not these facts indicate that northeastern New Mexico is destined to be the sugar bowl of the country? General Agriculture. A chapter might be written on the methods of agriculture pursued by the successful New Mexico farmer, but there is not room for it here. We have aimed to give results methods are easy to learn. The "Dry-farming" system, which every intelli- gent farmer at the north puts in practice, more or less, has been Harvesting Sugar Cane. 15 New Mexico's Orchards Equal the Finest. found to be very successful in the Pan Handle of Texas and in eastern New Mexico. Do not get the idea that "dry-farming" means desert farming nothing of the sort. You might as well suppose that the kind of farming that they do in the east, which might be called "w.et farming," means putting wooden shoes on the horses, as they do in Holland. Dry farming is simply the trick of making a little water go a long way; of making fifteen or twenty inches do the work of crop raising better than forty inches. In other words, demonstrating that a little water judiciously used, is better than too much. Recognize our coun- try, says the New Mexico farmer (formerly from the east or the north), as an agricultural country, and you will soon catch on. Look at the thousands of new homesteads that have been entered and improved ; look at the new dwellings, the barns, windmills, and other evidences of prosperity; look at the grow- ing crops, or the crops in stack and barns, and look at the stock, and see if it does not all testify to the goodness of the land. Notice the new towns springing up along the Rock Island, and see how the old towns are taking on new life. This is not because of mineral wealth, though the Territory is one of the richest mineral regions in the world, but because the country is prospering agriculturally. This is an established fact. Fruit. We have spoken of the exhibits of New Mexico's fruit, and their triumphs, at international expositions. New Mexico, in its latitude and elevation, resembles the fruitful vales of northern Persia, famed in all history for the great variety and delicious quality of its fruit. The growing of fruit is assuming large proportions in the Territory, where, on account of the great amount of sunshine and the dry climate, there is little trouble from insect or fungus pests. It may already be said that the orchards of New Mexico are fully equal to those of the finest horticultural sections of the United States. The apple flour- ishes in Lincoln and Otero counties, and is being extended suc- cessfully to the draws and valleys of the northern counties. An apple tree in Otero county in 1900 yielded 6,000 pounds of fruit. Other pomacious fruits, like the pear and quince, thrive as well as the apple, but these are not so important nor are they planted so extensively. The pear has a marked adaptability and thrives Fruit Orchard Three Years Old. 16 Grapes Grow Well. Drying Fruit. on the heavy adobe soil, seldom showing blight. The trees usually bear early, and are long-lived and hardy. The peach succeeds in all the fruit-growing sections of the Territory and usually begins to bear at three years from the time of planting. The tendency of the trees is to overbear, and it becomes necessary to thin the fruit. A peach orchard of 3,000 trees has yielded 100 tons of fruit. In size and quality, New Mexico peaches are not excelled anywhere in the country. The fruit, as a rule, are highly-colored, due doubtless to the more continuous sunshine during the ripening period, and from the same cause are rich in sugar and are highly flavored. The profitable period of the peach tree here is ten or fifteen years. By replanting an orchard at intervals of five to eight years a profitable orchard can be kept up almost indefinitely. In New Mexico, the apricot gives evidence of a longevity greater than that of any other orchard tree, with the possible exception of the pear. At Santa Fe, seedling apricot trees are known to be two centuries old. Cherries and plums are being successfully cultivated and there is a growing demand for these fruits. The English Morello and other sour cherries do especially well, and are as highly flavored as in the east. The Gages, Damsons and egg plums, and other old English varieties of plums, are found to succeed, as do the Japanese sorts. The Territory is celebrated for its grapes, and; like Texas, it enjoys the distinction of being able to raise both the Vinifera and the Labrusca varieties. The so-called California grapes do finely, and these are the kinds grown for market. The native or American grapes are also satisfactory for commercial pur- poses, and are mostly grown for family use. The Diamond, Concord, Catawba, and other eastern varieties do well in the northern counties. It is estimated that there are over fifteen thousand acres of vineyard in the Territory. Small fruit does well and yields big profits, especially cur- rants, raspberries and gooseberries, which obtain a size and flavor that are nowhere excelled in this country. The prospect for canneries and preserving plants in New Mexico is very bright. 17 New Mexico Growing Rapidly in Population. New Mexico's Population. To say that the Territory of New Mexico has a population of 300,000 means little. Many cities in the east have more peo- ple, though they may have a much smaller proportion of pros- perous inhabitants. But when we consider that in 1850, when the Territory was organized, though it then included what is now Arizona and a portion of Colorado, it had but 61,500, w,e can understand the great change that has taken place in the population. But a small portion is the natural increase of the original inhabitants. The greater part of the New Mexican citizenship of to-day is the stock that has drifted in from Texas, from Mississippi, from Alabama, from Arkansas and Kansas and from other states west of the Mississippi, with a sprinkling of nervous, hustling northerners. But it is not only in popula- tion that New Mexico has progressed during the past half- century. A public school system has been established and is being liberally maintained, its schools comparing favorably with those of eastern cities of much larger population. Financially, the Territory is in excellent condition; institutions are well sup- ported and the bonded indebtedness is being paid off, with a low rate of taxation. Progressive Communities. Here is what the Governor says of the condition of society in the Territory: "The cities and towns are progressive, and the idea that the Territory is upon the ragged edge of civiliza- tion is entirely erroneous, for civilization is older in New Mex- ico than in any other part of the United States. Every settle- ment has its church and its school house, and social organiza- tions and fraternities were organized in the centers of popula- tion as long as fifty years ago, the Masonic and Odd Fellows' lodges at Santa Fe, for instance, having both celebrated their semi-centennial. Irrigation works, a network of railroads, mod- ern mercantile establishments, colleges, academies, high schools, institutions of learning and of charity, hospitals, sanitariums, all testify to a spirit that aims to keep abreast with the times. The larger towns have electric light works, two of the cities have electric street railways, all of the larger towns have water- works, four of the cities have free delivery mail, three rural mail routes have been established, the Territory has entered upon a program of good road building, and on every side there are evidences of civic spirit and pride manifested in beautiful homes, prosperous farms, and progress along every line of pub- lic and private activity." Union County. Union county is the first reached from the Texas border, by the Rock Island-Frisco lines, and is located in the northeastern corner of the Territory. The county is as large as the Hawaiian islands, and three times as large as the state of Delaware. The Canadian river, flowing across the lower end of the county, is its principal stream, and other streams are Ute Creek, Tram- peras, Tucumcari, Los Cerros, Flag, Carriso, Major Long, Leon, Palo Blanco, Hoi Keo, Currumpaw, Travesier and Dry Cimar- ron. In the north are the Sierra Grande in which Mount Ca- pulin, an extinct volcano, rises to a height of 9,000 feet. Ex- tinct volcanoes, by the way, indicate a remarkably rich soil. We take the following description from the official report: "Stock raising is the principal industry and source of ^its wealth. The mild winters, the free range, and the flourishing grasses make stock raising very profitable here. Of the 60,000 18 Union County Rich in Resources. cattle on the range, many are a good grade of Herefords, and a number of model stock farms are to be found. The number of sheep exceeds 600,000, it leading all others in the Territory in the sheep industry. At Clayton, the county seat, 3,000,000 pounds of wool and about 600 carloads of stock, are sold an- nually, while buyers of lambs for feeding and breeding pur- poses make frequent visits to Clayton and Folsom. Each year 100,000 lambs are shipped to Colorado and Kansas City points, where they are fed for market. Of late years, quite a number of cattlemen have been raising alfalfa on a small scale for feeding purposes. Altogether, about 2,000 acres have been put under cultivation. The sheep growers will undoubtedly soon follow this example. The cattlemen are rapidly improving their stock by importing registered cattle from the States. The rais- ing of goats is a growing industry, as well as the breeding of horses for market, both proving profitable. Railroads afford good facilities for the shipment of stock. Whenever water is available for irrigation purposes crops of grain, vegetables and fruits can be raised with unvarying an- nual success. There are a number of orchards in which every variety of fruit of the temperate zone is raised. Wild fruits and nuts grow in abundance along the streams and on the Cattle Range, New Mexico. mountain slopes. If the flood waters which run down the river beds at certain seasons were stored, fully 100,000 acres could be brought under cultivation. Many natural reservoir sites exist. Dry farming will eventually reclaim many acres in this county. Over 2,000 homestead entries have been made since June, 1905. Mining is in its infancy, but there are undoubted indications of gold, silver, copper and lead ores in various precincts. Coal deposits exist in the northern part, the veins being an exten- sion of the Trinidad fields in Colorado. Fine mineral springs are at Folsom, and there is but little doubt that artesian water will be found at a moderate depth. The climate is as good as is to be found in the United States. The altitude, ranging from 4,000 to 8,000 feet, giving the air a lightness that is especially beneficial in pulmonary troubles. The nights are always cool, and the summer heat is moderated by the altitude as well as the cool breezes from the mountains, while the cold in winter is tempered by the constant sunshine and protection which the mountains afford from high winds. 19 N^Va^rva^ { \ &">> P ^--~^ V ArroyohonJ B "<* ^AWSC ORanches !' ofTaos / _, li l )f L LA NO MAP OF EASTERN PORTION NEW MEXICO Traversed by Rock Island Lines Nara Visa a Coming City. The county seat is Clayton, situated in the northeastern part, on the Colorado and Southern Railway. Here the Federal land office for the northeastern part of New Mexico is situated. The town has a population of 800, with electric light, water works and good public buildings. Nara Visa. Nara Visa is 46 miles from Dalhart, and has about 500 popu- lation. The town is only a year old and has over thirty busi- ness houses, including seven general stores, two dry-goods stores, one of which is valued at $100,000; a drug store, four hotels, a National bank with deposits of over $70,000, two wide- awake newspapers, two lumber yards and three coal yards. A water works, ice and electric light plant have been organized, and an active business men's club is busy inviting industries of a varied character. Bonds have been voted for an $8,000 school, and churches and public buildings will soon follow. Among the strong points of Nara Visa, the water is perhaps the most important. It is pure, cold and soft, entirely free from alkali, and is plentiful at a depth of 50 to 200 feet. The rail- road wells here analyze 98 per cent. pure. The soil ranges from a light, sandy loam near the Canadian river, to a heavy, dark chocolate loam further north, and is very productive for small grain, fodder crops and fruit. Corn yields 35 and 50 bushels, and wheat 15 to 30 bushels on sod land. The latitude is the same as that of Raleigh, N. C, with an altitude of 4,000 to 4,500 feet above the sea level, insuring a good ripening season, with mild and equable weather both summer and winter. The summer evenings and nights are always cool, and there is an average of over twenty clear, sunshiny days to the month. The climate is considered a specific for asthma, and some have come here on that account alone. Amistad. Amistad, on the Tramperas prairie, north of Nara Visa, is a settlement of about 250 families of Christian people of sev- eral denominations from the north, who have founded this pro- tective colony in Texas and New Mexico, where religious, edu- cational and healthful social influences shall be secured for themselves and their children. They have a church, school and academy; general store, hardware store, lumber yard and hotel, and are actively engaged in securing new industries. At lone, 20 miles west, is an Iowa settlement, which is doing finely. Central City, 35 miles north of Nara Visa, has a bank and store, and is an excellent opening for many kinds of trade and business. It is in an artesian belt, which means that it is good for alfalfa and fruit and vegetables. There are no negroes in the neighborhood. About eight miles west is a settlement of Hungarians, whose industry and thrift has made them many friends. They are making themselves comfortable homes where a few years ago the land could scarcely be given away. One of the great needs of this country is a good nursery, where fruit and other trees can be originated and domesticated, and new and valuable varieties introduced. Mr. L. K. Egerton has established a nursery at Nara Visa, and after considerable experience in the Pan Handle and western Oklahoma, he says that fruit and shade trees put out in the Nara Visa country are doing better than any he has put out in any other section of the southwest. Mr. Willard Belknap, an attorney and successful ranchman and farmer, writes that those who have cattle on range are selling them off as rapidly as possible, as farming has practi- cally ended the free range, but the homesteaders are going into the stock farming business by raising hogs, beef cattle and dairy What One Man Did. Orchard Near Nara Visa, N. M. products. He adds that an association is being formed to promote the raising of cantaloupes, and another of broomcorn raisers, the soil and climate being ideal for both these prod- ucts'. By the way, the first sale of a deeded homestead in this sec- tion, lying fifteen miles northwest of Nara Visa, with no im- provements but a well, was made this August ('07) at $2,000. Land in the Texas Pan Handle, five miles east of this point, is selling at $8 to $15 per acre for the "raw stuff." In a radius of twenty miles around Nara Visa there are about 137,000 acres of deeded land, now priced at $8 to $15 per acre, and 75,000 acres of good land open to homesteaders. Most of the occu- pants of homestead lands are preparing to commute, an evidence that they are satisfied with the land and able to perfect their titles in advance of the legal limit. The soil in this part of Union county varies from a heavy red sandy loam to a dark chocolate loam. All crops of the Pan Handle are raised here, especially Kaffir corn, milo and sorghum. Just east of here wheat has been extensively raised, with as high as 40 bushels to the acre. Within a couple of miles of Nara Visa last year 35 bushels of corn to the acre were made on sod land. The rainfall here for June last was over three inches. Here are a couple of letters from recent home- steaders, which tell their own story : $150 an Acre from Turnips. I came to the Nara Visa country August 5, 1905, and made a homestead entry on a quarter-section of free government land, in January, 1906. I located on my claim and commenced to break sod and get ready for a crop. I planted milo maize, Kaffir corn and Indian corn, all of these crops doing well. My Indian corn made 30 bushels to the acre on sod land; the fod- der did not get so good a stand but I made two tons of fodder to the acre. I experimented with melons, cantaloupes and pumpkins and they all made a success. I had half an acre of turnips and gathered 125 bushels, weighing from four to five pounds each. The turnips sold readily for 60 cents a bushel. 22 Stock Raising in Quay County. I put in fifteen acres of Indian corn the 17th of April; at this date, June 22, it is about knee-high, and has a good stand. I am well pleased with the Nara Visa country ; all any man has to do is to go to work with the same energy as he would back east and he will have no trouble about crops. E. M. KERR. "Corn, the Finest I Ever Saw." I went onto my claim about the middle of January, 1907, and with my son commenced to break the sod. We planted fifty acres of Indian corn about the 10th day of May. It is now looking the finest I ever saw. I have not had to plant any of it the second time, and, in fact, I do not know of any one who has planted corn the second time here this year. We have planted twenty-eight acres of milo maize; it was planted about the middle of May and is doing as good as I ever saw. We have about nine acres of sorghum and are just about to sow seven acres of millet. We have about an acre of Irish potatoes sowed about the first day of May, and have already dug po- tatoes as large as a hen egg. We have a small patch of alfalfa with a good stand, and it is about seven inches high at this time. We have over one hundred acres of crops in and every- thing is doing well. We have plenty of rain and all any man need to do to get good crops is to take hold and work. The Nara Visa country is good enough for me. I came here from the Cherokee Nation, and I consider this as good a coun- try as I have ever seen, and the climate is the best. G. W. PAYNE. All kinds of grain and fodder, as well as fruits and vege- tables, that may be grown in the Mississippi valley, have been grown in this part of New Mexico for the past six years. The country is especially fitted for raising hogs, poultry and dairy cattle; the mild, open winter making it possible for all kinds of stock to run out during the day, requiring shelter only during the night or during an occasional "norther." The rainfall is twenty to twenty-five inches, the larger part of which is during the growing months. In fact, during last April and May (1907) the rainfall of northeastern New Mexico exceeded that of the northern Mississippi valley by about an inch each month. Quay and San Miguel Counties. Quay county lies directly south of Union county and the eastern end of San Miguel, consisting almost wholly of the great Pablo Montoya grant, and adjoins Deaf Smith and Old- ham counties of Texas on the west. Following is from the of- ficial report already cited: "Quay is classed as a plains country, but it is by no means entirely level, the surface being broken by hills and peaks, which in spots rise to the dignity of mountains, all being foothills of the great Rocky Mountain system. The southeastern portion is part of the Staked Plains. The county is in the drainage area of the Canadian River in its northern part. Besides the Canadian, the Pajarito is the principal water course. The Plaza Largo and the Trujillo are other streams, but are dry part of the year. Basins or water holes dot the plains, which are filled with water at times, forming lakes in the rainy sea- son. "Being a grazing country, the stock industry flourishes. On its ranges are 150,000 sheep and 60,000 cattle. Tucumcari has become a great wool-shipping center, the grade of wool pro- duced being above the average. The mild winters and a good supply of water make the county especially favorable to the stock industry. 23 0S& Tucumcari a Very Important Place. "Agriculture is also carried on upon a small scale, water for irrigation being supplied chiefly from shallow wells. The water can be raised by windmills or with gasoline engines. On the Pajarito and around Tucumcari there are good farms. A be- ginning has been made in raising fruit, the climate being espe- cially adapted to horticulture, apiary, chicken farming and other branches of husbandry. Dry farming gives encouraging results. Excellent building stone is found, as well as clay for the mak- ing of brick. The climate, like that of the rest of the Terri- tory, is a specific for lung and throat trouble. The winters are mild and the summers are cool, especially the summer nights. The altitude varies between 4,000 and 6,000 feet. On July 1, 1905, there were 1,467,532 acres still subject to entry under the Federal land laws, although around Tucumcari the land has been pretty well taken up by homesteaders." Tucumcari. Tucumcari, 93 miles from Dalhart, is the county seat of Quay county and the business town for the eastern part of San Miguel, as it is close to the county line. Here the Rock Island- Frisco line, on its way to El Paso, joins the Dawson branch of the El Paso Southwestern, which runs up into the coal fields, timber and mining country of Colfax county, and gives access, through Raton and Trinidad, to the Colorado mining region. From the east, the Rock Island-Frisco, which has already placed its shops and roundhouse here, is building from Amarillo, thus giving bee-line connection with Oklahoma City, Memphis and the east. Another road is projected from central Texas, so that the transportation necessities are well provided for. Tucumcari has about 3,000 people, having doubled in popu- lation in the past twelve months. There are two banks, with deposits of over $400,000, while a year ago there was but one bank, with less than $90,000. There is a fine $15,000 stone court house, and a two-story brick school, costing $10,000; two news- papers, three lumber yards, two wholesale merchandise and commission houses, with agricultural implement and hardware, two groceries, three drug stores, three general merchandise (the business of one of which averaged $1,000 a day last year), one tinshop and cornice works, two furniture houses, one bakery, one photographer, one musical instrument house, an ice factory and cold storage, cigar factory, broom factory, a wool-scouring plant that ships some 2,000,000 pounds of wool a year, three hotels, several restaurants, etc. There is also an electric light plant, telephone service and good artesian water. A valuable and profitable addition to Tucumcari would be a well-managed sanitarium. The altitude is 4,194 feet, and the climate, winter and summer, is all that could be desired. The average temperature for 1905 was 57, and for 1906, 56.8, while the lowest in 1905 was -11 and in 1906 -1. The highest in 1905 was 101, and last year 100. It should be added that in this wonderfully dry atmosphere the extremes of heat and cold are scarcely felt. The precipitation in 1905 was 22 inches, and in 1906 it was 15.3. Average, 18.3 inches. The average precipi- tation, May to August, inclusive, was 10 inches. An illustration of the dryness of the atmosphere: Last Sep- tember a collection of grain, fruit, vegetables, etc., was made by the postmaster and exhibited in the postoffice, and a very creditable exhibition it was, by the way. The big sweet po- tatoes, beets, squash, pumpkins, etc., including a large water- melon, remained on the floor until June last, when they were seen by the writer, and they showed no decay. They had dried up. Meat, when it is killed, may be exposed to the sun and dried; it does not spoil. And the tubercle bacillus, which lives on dampness, dries up also and ceases its torments. 25 Some Examples of Success. Many Testify ^to Fine Crops. Revuelto, Palomas and Montoya are growing towns of Quay county, the first named being ten miles east, on the line of the new Choctaw road, and the others being stations on the El Paso line. There is also a flourishing German settlement about four- teen miles south of Tucnmcari. Here are some examples of what Tucumcari soil can do, and they are only a few out of half a hundred witnesses whose records we have. Judge W. C. Patterson, general farming, made 40 bushels of oats to the acre, beside a big crop of oat hay; two and a half tons of beans, and four and a half acres of peanuts, which fed four head of cattle, five horses and seventeen hogs. Judge Pat- terson believes in peanuts. R. M. Salyer has a thrifty orchard of apples, peaches, pears, plums and cherries, besides a vineyard of various varieties. William Murphy, near Tucumcari, made four cuttings of al- falfa, the second being two and one-half feet high, the whole totaling eight feet. Harvesting Millet. Capt. Langston, of near Tucumcari, last year, raised 270 bushels of corn on 9 acres, 25 tons of Kaffir corn on 10 acres, 25 tons of milo maize on 10 acres, 255 tons of cane on 30 acres, 3,600 Ibs. of Mexican beans on 3 acres and sold at three cents a pound, 1,000 melons from l l /2 acres, and 300 pounds of peanuts from y* acre. A. A. Blankenship, of near Tucumcari, raised 200 bushels of oats, 30 tons of maize and 5 tons of barley, from 90 acres of sod, and sold $500 worth of hogs. Earnest Dodson, eight miles south of Tucumcari, rented 25 acres to a neighbor for one-third of the crop, and his part netted him $4 per acre. E. H. Fullwood, of Tucumcari, a successful grower of broom corn, has put up a broom factory to handle his crop. The neighborhood will plant 1,000 acres this year. Last year he had 10 acres that produced one and one-half tons of oats per acre, one-quarter acre of onions that yielded 1,000 Ibs., and four acres of broom corn that made 100 dozen brooms, which he sold at $4 per dozen. Alfalfa last year produced two and three cuttings at $12 to $15 a ton. Onions yielded 4,500 Ibs. an acre; broom corn, one- quarter to one-half ton an acre; and corn, 20 to 50 bushels an acre. New Mexico is Very Healthful. .^. An Interesting Letter. TUCUMCARI, June 20. I have been engaged in farming here for five years, on a small scale, and have found it very profitable. I have raised Indian corn for the last three years, the average yield being about 25 bushels per acre. Last year's yield was better, owing to the land being in a better state of cultivation. I have also had splendid success with milo maize, Kaffir corn and oats, rye, millet and Mexican beans. The soil is a dark, sandy loam, and produces with less moisture than any lands I have ever culti- vated. Water is generally shallow, though in some localities it is deep. It is usually of good quality, though in places some soda is met with. The climate is very good, with the exception of high winds in the spring months. The evenings are always cool and pleasant. The country is being settled up with a good class of peo- ple; thrifty farmers from Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Texas, in fact, from most all states. Stock farming pays, as the climate is well adapted to stock of all kinds. Hogs do un- usually well. We have had a splendid market for all farm produce. R. A. DODSON. The Canadian river, with the Rio Concha and other tribu- taries, flows through the eastern end of San Miguel county, and the adjoining benches and plains offer promising opportunities for grazing, fruit and alfalfa. Atarque, Canadian, Campana, Chaves, Medio and Bell Ranch are points in this neighborhood that are well worth looking up. The Bureau of Immigration has this to say about San Miguel: "It will be hard to find public lands in the valleys of the streams or where springs or permanent lakes are situated. Nev- ertheless, many good locations on the public domain are still open, although it is not believed that any of them contain liv- ing water. The public lands are excellent for grazing and ex- perience has taught that upon many quarter-sections in this county water can be developed by artificial means. Abundant crops of cereals and vegetables can be raised wherever and whenever sufficient water can be had. It is one of the leading sheep raising counties in the Territory. There are also many common goats raised and many cattle are owned and grazed within its confines. "During 1905 and 1906 several successful experiments in rais- ing crops by intensive farming or by the dry culture method were reported." Alamo Ave., Alamogordo, N. M. 27 Railroads Mean Rapid Development. New Mexico Ranch Home. A Mile High. The land gradually rises as we go west and south, and at Pastura we find ours.elves at an elevation of 5,285 feet, or nearly 1,100 feet higher than Tucumcari. At Torrance, which is a junction point, and where cement works are located, we have an altitude of 6,432 feet, and at Corona, a little beyond, we are on the height of land, at 6,666 feet. If it were not that the whole country was a natural sanitarium, and where simply liv- ing out in the open air and going about one's business was to insure sturdy good health, one might expect soon to see a big health factory erected at Corona, or on the Mesa de Callo, near by. If I were asked to name the three leading crops of this country, I should say: health, Kaffir and cantaloupes. Guadalupe County. Guadalupe county is south of San Miguel and west of Quay. The Governor's report says: "The county is rapidly developing. A few years ago it did not contain a mile of railroad, telegraph, or telephone line. It was practically isolated from the world and even from its neigh- boring counties. But since then the Rock Island and El Paso and the El Paso and Northeastern railways have built into the county, forming a junction at Santa Rosa. With the railroads have come the telegraph, new towns, new settlers and new life. It is, first of all, a stock country. This year (1905) it produced 3,000,000 pounds of wool, and the sheep on its ranges are esti- mated at 600,000. Some of the highest grade wools produced in New Mexico come from this county, the bulk being of De- laine-Merino mixture. Cattle raising is an important business. About 10,000 Shetland ponies and about 10,000 goats are in- cluded in the county's wealth. In the eastern part are many springs. On July 1, 1905, there were 1,562,578 acres subject to entry. The Pecos river cuts through from northwest to south- east, and in its valley are fertile agricultural lands. Its princi- pal tributaries are the Gallinas, Enteros, Agua Negra, Chiquita, San Juan de Dios, Alamogordo, Petrillo, Pintada, Salado, and Los Lunas. The northwestern portion is in the drainage of the Canadian; the Pajarito and Cuervo are the principal trib- utaries. There are no modern or extensive irrigation systems. The county has no high mountain peaks or ranges, but is never- theless very rugged. The following land grants are in the county: Preston Beck, Anton Chico, Perea and Agua Negra. Some of the Richest Soil on Earth. "The crops raised are alfalfa, fruit, vegetables and cereals. There are no developed mines, but indications of gold and cop- per ores exist, and oil rock is quite prevalent, covering a large area around Santa Rosa. Large deposits of good building stone and some pine and cedar timber are found. The county will always be a fine stock country, for it possesses vast stretches of grazing lands that are not likely to be invaded by the farmer, miner or factory hand. But it also has some good farming possibilities. The soil is very fertile, and the building of storage reservoirs or the development of water by means of windmills, gasoline engines, or other power, will ultimately place large tracts under cultivation. Fort Sumner is an old army post, and near it is to be laid out a new town, to be known as Sunny- side, and which is to be the principal settlement under the Lake Urton reservoir project, under contemplation by the reclama- tion service. It has a weekly newspaper and several stores. Puerto de Luna, eight miles south of Santa Rosa, was the for- mer county seat and is the center of a good agricultural dis- trict. Pastura is the postoffice and shipping point for the sheep ranches of the Salado Live Stock Company. Anton Chico and Colonias are agricultural settlements. Santa Rosa. "The county seat is Santa Rosa, which consists of an old and a new town, the latter having been laid out since the advent of the Rock Island. Five hundred acres are embraced in the town site, which is picturesquely situated on the Pecos river, and platted around a plaza, one side of the plaza being reserved for a modern hotel. It is a prosperous and growing trade and stock center, with a population of 1,200. It has two weekly newspapers, a bank, several churches and a good public school. The new town is situated at an elevation of 4,600 feet. The sur- rounding country, with the exception of the valleys along the river, is prairie and devoted to cattle and sheep raising. Along the valley splendid fruit, grain and vegetables can be grown with the aid of irrigation. A remarkable example of the well-and-windmill method of irrigation now exists in the county at the Sumner ranch, eight miles north of Santa Rosa. The town is sheltered by hills on two sides. It is subject to but few of the windstorms so likely to spring up at any time in the less protected uplands which make up the greater part of the county. The country surrounding is not without its scenic at- tractions and the climate is good. Santa Rosa sandstone quar- ries are already well known. In addition to its local use the superb sandstone, including solid red, white and gray colors and variegated hues, should develop a shipping industry of wide radius and profitable returns." Lincoln County. Comprising an area larger than the state of Connecticut, Lincoln county has some 1,750,000 acres subject to entry under the United States land laws, 88,700 acres being still unsurveyed. Its lies within the drainage area of the Pecos river, although only the headwaters of several of its tributaries are within its lines. The Rio Hondo, one of its tributaries, is the largest stream and has its tributary streams of clear, cool water known as the Bonito, Eagle and Little Eagle, and Ruidoso creeks. Storage reservoirs, to supplement the present primitive irriga- tion systems, would increase the cultivated area, according to the Governor's report, to 100,000 acres. Climate and soil are very suitable for the raising of fruit and grain. The orchards on the Bonito, the Ruidoso, and other streams produce as fine fruit as can be raised in the United States. Good crops of oats, wheat and barley are raised with- 30 Promising New Towns Springing Up. . out irrigation on some of the mesas. Even alfalfa is thus grown. The following crop figures are taken from the official report: Wheat yields 30 bushels to the acre; cabbage, 30,000 pounds, and grapes, four and a half tons to the acre. There are in the county 200,000 sheep, 85,000 cattle, 1,000 goats and 3,000 horses. Naturally, it is a fine stock country, springs of sweet water being frequent and the range good throughout the winter. The Carrizozo Valley, some sixty miles in length and twenty wide, lies at the western base of the Capitan range, surrounded by extinct volcanoes and lava beds, which, being interpreted, means that it has the richest soil on earth. We wonder often that the Neapolitan peasants cling so tenaciously to their scant acres on the scarred side of Vesuvius, but it is because they well know that the finest fruit and vegetables in Italy are raised in that powdery volcanic soil, laboriously watered by hand. Mr. N. S. RoSe, U. S. Commissioner at Carrizozo, thus writes of the country: Paradise of Pear Growers. "The valley lies almost on the 33rd degree of north latitude, and at an average altitude of about 5,500 feet, thus giving it a matchless climate, free from extremes of either heat or cold, and noted the world over for its healthfulness. The soil ranges in depth from four to ten feet. It is a silt washed from the mountains and is highly impregnated with mineral. It is for the most part a light reddish sandy loam, and is superior to the alluvial soil of the prairie states, producing almost any crop grown in the north temperate zone. "Growing crops are seldom troubled by insects or fungus dis- eases, the almost continuous sunshine of the region preventing the growth of fungi. Orchardists do not have to spray their trees, and a wormy apple is an unheard-of thing, there being no codling moths. Parker Earle, the well-known horticulturist, alluded to this valley as a paradise for pear growers, stating that he had been driven from various other places by the blight until he had at last discovered that in New Mexico, his favorite fruit reached its highest perfection in size, color and flavor, and that the age to which the tree would live could not be computed, as there is no blight. "The soil also produces the best of cereal and vegetable crops, and the new settler can depend on wheat, oats, corn, sorghum, melons and all vegetable crops for support until his land can be made more profitable by planting it to orchard. To the farmer who has been used to taking his hogs to mar- ket for a money crop this region offers particularly attractive features, as the hog-cholera is unknown here, and there is al- School House, Alamogordo, N. M. 31 Alamogordo an Attractive City. ways a good home market, with prices higher than in Kansas City or Chicago. Experiments have been made which demon- strate that milo maize and Kaffir corn fed to hogs bring even greater returns than Indian corn. As these crops are easily grown here, there should be no trouble in making the hog busi- ness profitable. "While there are a number of promising new towns starting in the valley, the principal town and trading center of the re- gion is Carrizozo, a division point on the El Paso and South- western Railway, an extension of the Rock Island, which tra- verses the valley lengthwise, thus giving it the best of trans- portation facilities. Besides being the central point in the val- ley, Carrizozo is the supply station for a vast stock range and mining country surrounding the valley. To the north are the copper mines and lumber mills of the Gallinas mountains, while at the east are the camps of White Oak, Jicarilla, Nogal, Capi- tan and Parsons, all producers of minerals, and two of them having good coal mines as well. Again, at the southwest, and some 30 miles distant, are the rich copper mines of the Oscuros." Lincoln county is rich in coal as well as in the precious and bas.e metals. The coal production of the Capitan mines has been as high as 100,000 tons a year, and there are also producing mines at White Oaks, near the Rock Island-Frisco line. The extensive undeveloped coal fields and iron ore deposits presage future industrial prominence. Fine timber covers the moun- tain sides, and the Lincoln Forest Reserve, covering half a mil- lion acres, is a Government pledge of the perpetuation of the forests. There are several saw mills, one flouring mill, and a number of reduction and cement works. At Fort Stantpn, the United States Marine Hospital service maintains a sanitarium for consumptives, thus giving official testimony to the superior- ity of the climate of this part of N.ew Mexico. The Fort Stan- ton reservation has an area of 28,000 acres. Gold, silver, copper and lead are found in producing quantities in the southwestern part of the county. Otero County. Otero county lies in the southern part of New Mexico, be- tween the valleys of the Pecos and the Rio Grande. The streams flowing from the Sierra Blanca in the north and the Sacra- mento mountains in the middle of the Territory, offer oppor- tunities for irrigation, some of which have already been utilized with great success. A dam across the Rinconada canyon, near Tularosa, which will impound sufficient water to irrigate 20,000 acres, is projected. A considerable acreage is under cultivation, it being practicable to raise crops in parts of the Sacramento and White mountains without irrigation, water being reached at 20 to 200 feet. The leading industries are stock raising cattle, sheep and goats doing equally well ; mining, especially in the Jarillas, where gold, silver, copper, iron, lead and turquoise deposits exist ; lum- bering, there being thousands of acres of virgin timber lands in the Sacramento mountains, and manufacturing, there being lumber mills, tie-preserving plants, and railroad shops at Alamo- gordo. The Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation and part of the Lincoln Forest Reserve are in the county. Alamogordo. The county seat and largest town is Alamogordo, 4,500 feet above the sea level, and probably the prettiest town in the Ter- ritory; it has experienced the most remarkable growth of any town in New Mexico. The town was established only in re- cent years, and it has to-day over 4,000 inhabitants, broad streets, brick business blocks well stocked with merchandise, 32 Grand Mountain Scenery. Park Adjoining Station, Alamogordo, N. M. five churches, the Southwestern Baptist college, the Territorial asylum for the blind, two large sawmills costing over $200,000, an electric light plant and ice factory, steam laundry, planing mill, an artificial stone plant which utilizes the gypsum from the white sands, a water works system (which cost $100,000), a railway hospital, a woman's club, a park a mile long, three weekly newspapers, a fine railroad depot, a modern and com- modious hotel, a fine public school building, and a public li- brary. It is the headquarters of the Sixth judicial district. The streets are lined with shade trees and here and there about the city are beautiful parks. The city water supply is brought 12 miles from springs in Alamo Canyon, the last 8 miles of the dis- tance being pip.ed. The water for the irrigation system is brought down from La Luz Canyon, 7 miles away. A $25,000 court house has been constructed, a $75,000 tie-preserving plant, two big lumber mills and railroad shops. The town is the geographical and commercial center of a fine fruit-growing section, has thousands of tributary fertile acres open to Government entry, is on the main line of the shortest route between Kansas City, Denver, and El Paso to California and Mexico, and is within several hours' jaunt of the famous Cloud Croft, a summer and scenic southwestern resort, with which it is connected by the Sacramento Mountain Railway, one of the engineering wonders of the United States. Cloud Croft. The ride to Cloud Croft from Alamogordo is one of the most interesting scenic trips imaginable. Alamogordo is at the base of the mountains and in a distance of 26 miles the rail- road makes the ascent of 5,000 feet, through gorges and over chasms to the summit, presenting a series of mountain views that combines the 'beauties of the Yosemite with the majesty of the Alps and the rugged grandeur of the Rockies. At Cloud Croft the summer temperature ranges from 60 to 72 degrees, with no extreme changes. There are no chilling breezes, or oppressive rays of heat. Usually the morning is fresh and invigorating, the mid-day bright and genial, and the 33 34 Figures Showing Remarkable Production. evening sufficiently cool to render a fire decidedly comfortable. Throughout the month of June there is very little precipitation, but the melting snow of winter has already left the grass and foliage green and thick. There is no dust at any time of the year. No grander forests can be found in any country. The trees include the sugar pine, with its picturesque spread of boughs; the red fir, with its deeply corrugated bark; the yellow pine, white pine, some a hundred, some two hundred feet high, with scarcely a limb for the first fifty feet, and often six feet through at the base. There are groves of aspen and all varieties of ferns. The whole mountain top is carpeted with blue grass, and the altitude precludes the possibility of snakes or poisonous insects. Wild flowers grow in magnificent profusion everywhere, but at- tain their greatest luxuriance on the hill sides and in the half- exposed valleys, where they imbibe the showers and the sun- shine. Swarms of humming-birds hover over these floral feasts, their brilliant irridescent plumage flashing in the light, and the movement of their wings filling the air with a bee-like drone. There are primroses, buttercups, verbenas, red bell-shaped lilies, daisies with stems as long as the arm, and dozens of other queens of plant life, not in patches, but vast fields of them masses of yellow, red, pink, white, and purple, blending in an indescribable glory of color. It is estimated that the Sacra- mento region contains as many as fifty varieties of wild flow- ers, some growing upon lofty peaks as far as the eye can glance, while others hide their gentle faces in deep gorges where the sunlight never falls. A Few Figures. A few figures, just to show how New Mexico is growing, will do no harm. In the first place, it may be interesting to know that the six counties of the Territory which we have been considering contain about 30,000 square miles, or the equivalent of three times the area of the state of Massachusetts, with Con- necticut added to the sum. Now the Territory as a whole : Population in 1890, 153,593; in 1905, 300,000. Number of farms: 1890, 4,458; 1905, 15,000. Acres in farms: 1890, 787,882; 1905, 0.200,000. Value of farms: 1890, $8,141,000; 1905, $30,000,- 000. Value of farm implements: 1890, $291,000; 1905, $1,500,- 000. Value of farm products: 1890, $2,000,000; 1905, $18,000,- 000. Acres in alfalfa: 1890, 12,140; 1905, 63,000. Acres under cultivation: 1890, 91,745; 1905, 340,000. Butter produced: 1890, 105,000 pounds ; 1905, 500,000 pounds. Eggs : 1890, 280,000 dozen ; 1900, 840,000 dozen. Hay: 1900, $1,427,000; 1905, $2,000,- 000. Cereals: 1900, $980,000; 1905, $1,500,000. Vegetables: 1900, $278,400; 1905, $350,000. Fruit: 1900, $197,300; 1905. $500,000. These figures show progress. The Climate. It can be said of the climate of the plains east of the moun- tains that it is as near perfect, for health conditions and agri- culture, as can be imagined. The mean temperature is 50 in the northern part, and 60 near the Rio Grande. The clear days will run from 225 to 250 in the year, not counting the partly cloudy, and the precipitation from 10 inches along the river to 20 inches and over in Union county. Nearly Approaches Paradise. This booklet aims to give a fair and even conservative de- scription, and picture such conditions of agriculture as are with- in the reach of intelligent and industrious farmers. That it has at least approximated such result may be judged by the en- dorsement given in "A Ranchwoman in New Mexico," by Edith Sunstrokes Unheard Of. Bird's-eye View of Tucumcari, N. M. M. Nicholl, an English lady (McMillan & Co., 1898), where the following interesting comments upon the climate are made: 'The winter climate of this section is as superior to that of Virginia, or Southern California, as that of these two states is to the winter climate of Vermont. Here one brilliant day succeeds another with little variation. Weather (bad) comes in the shape of a stray wind or so or a very occasional rain or light snowfall. Our winter warmth is due entirely to the force oi the sun's rays shining through an atmosphere un- impeded by fog or damp. * * * * In southern New Mexico we make no pretenses. We light good fires and keep ourselves warm nights and mornings, or, in fact, whenever we are likely to feel cold. * * * In New Mexico, to sit in the winter sunshine is to bask healthfully. This does not imply that there is no difference betwixt shade and sunshine with us; on the contrary, the difference is strongly accentuated. But in this dry, aseptic, bracing atmosphere, and at such an altitude, there is no relaxation of the system, and, in consequence, com- paratively little susceptibility to atmospheric variations. The astonishing leaps the thermometer is capable of making betwixt a winter sunrise and its noon is looked upon by progressive physicians as being not only beneficial to consumptives, but al- most essential to their improvement, implying as it does strong tonic and bracing influence combined with the important factor of excessive dryness. * * * "Let me repeat with emphasis, that if any person imagines that in coming to New Mexico he is coming to the tropics, he is singularly deluded. But though there exists no paradise on earth, the climate of this section approaches as nearly to para- dise as any earthly clime may. * * * "Sunstrokes and prostrations from heat are unheard of with us. Therefore when we read of this form of suffering occur- ring in England when the thermometer is only in the vicinity of eighty, in our clime a delicious and health-giving tempera- ture, we realize more than ever the aseptic and invigorating qualities of the atmosphere we daily breathe, and no matter to what heat the thermometer may rise later, the morning hours are invariably fresh and sparkling. El Paso, a Storehouse of Wealth. El Paso, and the El Paso country, though in Texas, may properly be included in a consideration of New Mexico. El Paso, "the Pass," the gateway. Whence? To Mexico, a land that will soon, nay, it does even now, surprise the people of the north with its wealth of resources, the richness of its soil, and the salubrity of its great central plateau. Do not con- sider the Rio Grande as the boundary of the .earth, beyond which there is nothing but chaos. A new world lies beyond 36 Why Don't You Go to New Mexico? that muddy stream; a world of vaster wealth for the peaceful conquest of our commerce and our agriculture than Columbus offered to Spain. El Paso is the pass, too, to the Pacific, by our most southerly and lowest grade road to southern California. Situated thus, on the highway between two great nations, and midway between the Gulf and the western ocean, under skies the fairest that smile on an American city, the prospects of El Paso are bright, indeed. The city has a population estimated (1907) at 42,000. It is, first, a mining metropolis, the trade center and headquarters of the richest copper district in the world, the most extensive coal measures west of the Ohio river, the greatest silver mines of the world, some of the richest gold mines, immense iron de- posits, abundant lead and zinc, rich quicksilver deposits, im- mense beds of sulphur and salt, gypsum, cement, rock, onyx of rare beauty and gem turquoise. Near El Paso, also, is a de- posit of rich tin ore of unknown extent, and petroleum is abun- dant in west Texas and New Mexico, though not yet developed commercially. El Paso is electrical with the energy of production. A ton of ore goes through its great smelters every minute of the year. Eight railroads groan with the burden of ores and bul- lion, fuel, machinery, timber, supplies, and provisions for the mining camps. Mining investors and prospectors make El Paso their headquarters, and in their train come the merchants and the men of business. They must all be fed, and here comes in the work of the farmer, the truck grower, the dairyman, the Cloudcroft Mountains New Mexico. 37 Why Don't You Go to New Mexico? fruit grower. The country is discouraging, at first, to the east- ern farmer. He does not understand how plants can be made to grow in that ardent sunshine. But let him visit the dairies, the alfalfa farms, the orchards, and the market gardens, and he will see that it is done, and what is much to the purpose, that the farmers make money as well as the smelters. Why Go To New Mexico? Why go to New Mexico? Because it is the country that offers, without doubt, the largest return in the fruits of the soil, in remuneration for crops, and in health, long life and happi- ness, for your expenditure in money and effort. Too far away? That is what the boy up in Maine said to the man from New York. Settle in New Mexico, that Rock Island-Frisco country west of Texas, and your children will grow up nearer the center of this country's life and energies than will be the people of New York. There will be "things doing" in the Southwest, on the Gulf and on the Pacific, and across the Rio Grande, in the next fifty years, and the man who raises alfalfa, poultry, mutton and melons, on the mesas and in the arroyos of New Mexico will have a share in the prosperity that is now dawning on the Land of Sunshine. Very low Homeseekers' Excursions ar^ run by the Rock Island-Frisco Lines each first and third Tuesday of each month. The tickets are round-trip, first-class, with generous return limit, and liberal stop-over privileges are granted. These low rates of fare are made to enable you to see the country for yourself and to decide by actual inspection whether the country is all that is claimed and meets your ideas of a home. You owe it to yourself to make a trip of investigation if you T cue* *. j R S. ToRRiNGTON....Trav. Pass'r Agent 728 La Salle Station ..... , , ILL]CH ......... Trav Pass , r A | en( Ctoctn,,.U, Obi. ....... 38 Eas, 4 ,h St. . . . ..... ,..\ -""" Colo. Springs, Colo ____ 2 Pike's Peak Ave .......... W. W. WOOD .......... City Pass'r Agent Council Bluffs, Iowa... 16 Pearl St ............... A. T. ELWELL ......... City Pass'r Agent Dallas, Tex., C. R. I. &G. Ry.,cor. Main and Akard Sts., S. J. TUCKER. . .City Pass'r Agent D.p.rt, I. W . . .... .3*0 Brady S, ............ j ; g^V ".'."iS?. PaS SjS 307 Brady St ............. A. H. LOVETT ......... City Pass'r Agent Denver, Colo .......... 800 i?th St ................. G. W. MARTIN ........... General Agent P, R. MACKINNON . . .Trav. Pass'r Agent M. L. MOWRY ......... City Pass'r Agent l)es Moines, Iowa ...... 423 Walnut St ............ GEORGE R. KLINE ..... City Pass'r Agent Detroit, Mich., 5 Campus Martius, W., Majestic Bldg., F. B. GILMER ..... Dist. Pass'r Agent ( GARNETT KING ............ General Agent El Paso, Tex .......... C. R. I. & G. Ry. ... ..... \ RICHARD WARREN ---- Trav. Pass'r Agent ( H. D. MCGREGOR ..... City Pass'r Agent t,C. R. L&G.R Hot Springs, Ark ................................. M.J. GEARY. . . ........ City Pass'r Agent Indianapolis, Ind ...... 9 and 10 Claypool Bldg ---- J. F. POWERS ........ Dist. Pass'r Agent * * * ....... 4 and 4I3 Bryant Bid., \ *%$&** Sf? JgS v gth and Main Sts .......... C. W. JONES ........... City Pass'r Agent Leavenworth, Kan ..... 424 Delaware St ........... J. M. ALLEN. ............. General Agent Lincoln, Neb .......... 1045 O St .................. F. H. BARNES ........ City Pass'r Agent tittle Rock, Ark ...... 211 Main St.... ............ JAMES HARRIS ........ Dist. Pass'r Agent W. M. ANDERSON ...Trav. Pass'r Agent A. E. HANGER.. ....... City Pass'r Agent London, England ...... 29-30 Cockspur St. S. W. . . ALEX. JACKSON ..... Gen'l European Agent 'Los Angeles, Cal ....... 555 South Spring St ........ J. L. STANTQN ...... ..Dist. Pass'r Agent HENRY N. SEARS ____ Trav. Pass'r Agent WM. ROSEMAN ......... City Pass'r Agent Louisville, Ky ......... 8 Todd Bldg ............... C. S. HALT.. .. ......... Commercial Agent ( E. SUTCLIFFE ....... . . .City Pass'r Agent Memphis, Tenn ........ Peabody Hotel ......... \ F. R. NEWMAN . , .. ..... City Ticket Agent ( W. L. EVANS ........ Trav. Pass'r Agent Mexico City, Mex ..... 5 Mayo St. ....... ..... CHAS. B. CLEVELAND ..... General Agent Milwaukee, Wis ....... 203 Chamber Commerce . . .W. M. BURNS ........ Commercial Agent Minneapolis. Minn ..... 322 Nicollet Ave ........... W. L. HATHAWAY ..... Dist Pass'r Agent * . D. LYON ......... Trav. Pass'r Agent A. L. STEECE: ......... City Pass'r Agent Nashville, Tenn ........ 416 Church St ............ PAUL S. WEEVER ----- Trav. Pass'r Agent New Orleans, La, ...... 707-709 Gravier St ....... \ L&^SS V.Tra^pSr 5ft New York, N. Y ........ 401 Broadway ............. K. E. PALMER, Gen'l East'n Pass'r Agent JAS. M. HAYES ...... Trav. Pass'r Agent DEFOREST LINDSLEY ...... Pass'r Agent R. S. GRAHAM ......... City Pass'r Agent Oakland, Cal .......... 1168- Broadway .......... , E. B. KARON ........... City Pass'r Agent r, OKI.... 50,50, Basset, B.dg ..... Omaha. Neb ........... 1323 Farnam St ............ J. E. UTT ... ......... ---- General Agent A. O. Rows .......... City Pass'r Agent F. P. RUTHERFORD. . . .Div. Pass'r Agent W. D. FOSLER ....... Trav. Pass'r Agent reoria. HI ............ 101 South Jefferson St. ____ H. I.. BATTLE ....... , ..... General Agent C. C. ANDERSON ..... Trav. Pass'r Agent WARREN COWLES ...... Div. Pass'r Agent ADOLPH LANGFELDT,. .City Pass'r Agent in.li A i u- -D nu < + c*- J PERRY GRIFFIN ....... Dist. Pass'r Agent Philadelph a, Pa ...... 1019 Chestnut St ......... } A RoEMR ....... Tray Pass , r A | eQt nu*,i . ii -D c -^f. i/i cf '"" J GEO. S. PENTECOST ..Dist. Pass'r Agent Pittsburgh, Pa ........ 522 Smithfield St ...... -j L H McCoRMICK . . !Trav . Pass ' r A | ent D,,_ii n .1 A-.. TI,V^ cf J C. A. HUNTER. ........... General Agent Portland, Ore. ..... ., .140 Third St ............ -j ALFRED G> R ICH ARDsoN,City Pass'r Agent Pueblo, Colo ....... ; . . .226 North Main St ......... GEO. R. CRUZEN ....... City Pass'r Agent Rock Island, 111 ....... 1829 Second Ave ........... F. H. PLUMMER ....... City Pass'r Agent Sacramento, Cal ....... 1009 Second St ...... ...... H. H. DERR ......... Trav. Pass'r Agent St. Joseph, Mo ........ Sixth and Edmond Sts ..... J. J. GOODRICH ..... . . .City Pass'r Agent St. Louis, Mo .......... 900 Olive St ............... F..J. DEICKE. . .Gen'l Agent Pass'r Dept. 501 Frisco Bldg. ........... H. P. MANTZ ......... Dist. Pass'r Agent 900 Olive St ............... C. L. SICKLES ......... City Pass'r Agent St. Paul, Minn ........ Sixth and Robert Sts ....... F. W. SAINT .......... City Pass'r Agent Salt Lake City ......... 100 W. Second South St ---- JAS. DOOLITTLE .......... General Agent H. L. VOUNGERMAN, Trav. Pass'r Agent J. F. HARVEY ........ Trav. Pass'r Agent ( F. W. THOMPSON. . .Gen'l Western Agent San Francisco, Cal ____ 872 Market St ............ < C. A. RUTHERFORD . . .Dist. Pass'r Agent ( P. A. ZEIGENFUSS. . . .Trav. Pass'r Agent Seattle, Wash ......... 322 Pacific Block. . ......... . _ Trav. Pass'r Agent ,. _. Va J C. E. MORTON ....... Trav. Pass'r Agent Topeka, Kan ................................... j A. M. FULLER ......... City Pass'r Agent Wichita, Kan ................................... PHIL W. JOHNSTON. . . .City Pass'r Agent L. M. ALLEN, General Passenger Agent ...... Chicago, III. W. J. LEAHY. First Asst. General Passenger Agent .... Chicago, III. HAL. S. RAY, Assistant General Passenger Agent - St. Louis, Mo. GEO. H. LEE, General Passenger Agent, Choctaw District, - Little Rock, Ark. C. B. SCHMIDT, Commissioner of Immigration ..... Chicago. III. JOHN SEBASTIAN, Passenger Traffic Manager, - Chicago, III. Rock Island 13 2230