bate : ‘ von oy » , a || 2 wa 34 S i 4 af f a ar 7 o~ , 7 ‘ ' is) Me eae Bh a ey: aN THE CENTRAL Rio Grande Valley ~NEW MEXICO With a Sketch of the Counties of Bernalillo, Sandoval and Valencia A Magnificent Empire of 10,000 Square Miles, Rich Beyond Estimate in Natural Resources By H. B. HENING By Authority of the New Mexico Bureau of Immigration 1908 Within These Three Counties Are Found: The Central Rio Grande Valley, destined to become one of the foremost irrigated farming, fruit growing and trucking districts in the world; with thousands of acres of land subject to irrigation. The City of Albuquerque, the chief consuming and distributing market of the southwest, where every pound of fruit, grain and produce may be readily disposed of. Hundreds of thousands of acres of public land subject to home- stead and desert entry. A grazing area supporting hundreds of thousands of livestock. . Mining districts giving promise of untold wealth and offering _ alluring inducement to prospector and investor. The finest and most healthful climate under the sky; adequate sanitaria, pleasant health resorts, hot and mineral springs of recognized therapeutic value. Occupation, Opportunity and Homes for all who come. For further information about the Central Rio Grande Valley or any section of New Mexico, address the Secretary of the Bureau of Immigration, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ww a enbisnbaq|y IveN PW eyesyrw jesd«éy, y enbsenbnqrTy 3B AaVA epuvay ory ey} ssosrvy Suryooy7 . Ess eee as URING THE PAST TWO YEARS New Mexico has enjoyed a period of unprecedented development. Pop- ulation has increased more than 100,000 and with it has come an enormous and constantly growing demand for land, irrigated and non-irrigated; and for information about the land. National irrigation projects in New Mexico have drawn world-wide attention to the marvelous fertility of the irrigated districts and an accompanying demand for information about these districts, of which the Central Rio Introduction Grande Valley, within the three counties of Bernalillo, Sandoval and Valencia, is one. Development in this central valley has kept pace with the rest of New Mexico. Demand for land is great ; demand for in- formation is greater. ‘The purpose of this book is to furnish accurate, carefully verified, conservatively stated information about this valley, so that the man who is looking here for farm, orchard, occupation, home or health, may, after reading this book, know conditions as he will find them. Included is a necessarily brief outline of development, conditions and the vast natural resources of the magnificent empire of 10,000 square miles, outside the immediate valley of the Rio Grande, yet within the boundaries of the three counties. In preparing this information the writer has to acknowl- edge gratefully, assistance from many of the successful farmers of the valley and from citizens in each of the three counties whose number is too great for individual reference. enbioenbnqry ‘Auvdai0g azsquiny uvoyioury 904} jo 4uBId = ead enbasnbng[Ty 438 ALOMOIG UloJseMy NOS Aupunoy enbsonbnaq ry 4yun0g oeuieg ul suesg dosgqg enbignbnqlTy O}UI SurmMo0D UleIy, [OOM VY The Sal Rio Geande Valley Location, Area and Development HE RIO GRANDE, upon entering New Mexico from Colorado flows for many miles through a series of deep canyons, with high, precipitous walls allowing no opportunity for the diversion of its waters for irrigation purposes. Near the town of Espanola, north of Santa Fe, the valley widens for a short distance to form the Espanola valley. Thereafter it enters White Rock Canyon to emerge in eastern Sandoval county intg a broad level val- ley, varying in width from one to six miles and continuing thus across the southeastern corner of Sandoval county, through the center of Bernalillo county and across the eastern section of Valencia county. This district, from White Rock Canyon to a point considerably below the southern boundary of Valencia county is known as the Central Rio Grande Valley. one of the most fertile irrigated districts in the world and destined to be- come one of the world’s most productive areas. The Rio Grande has been called the Nile of America, and the region along its course in Centr al New Mexico bears a striking resemblance in scenery, topography and to a certain extent, in conditions to the valley of the Nile. Many interesting volumes could be written of the topography, the geology, the climate and the magnificent scenery of this region. They are worthy of all the attention that can be given. From the high mesas or table lands which shield the valley on either side like protecting walls, may be seen with the naked eye the towering peaks of whole groups of mighty mountain ranges, ten, thirty, fifty and even eighty miles away; while but a little distance to the east, shadowing the valley for four-fifths of its length, rise the picturesque Sandia and Manzano ranges, rugged and colorful, presenting an ever changing panorama of lights and shadows as the few fleecy clouds of the land of sunshine float The Rio Grande at Barelas Bridge—Albuquerque ° 6 THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY Albuquerque in 1881 above them. In winter these mountains are snow capped, but they pro- tect the valley below from the driving cold of the east winds, while in summer a constant, cooling breeze comes from their slopes rendering more pleasant a temperature never sufficiently warm to cause discomfort. The eastern slopes of the Sandia range expose the mighty record of half a dozen geologic ages, lending light to the story of the formation of the fertile valley, a valley with a soil so deep that drills punching holes a hundred, five hundred and a thousand feet deep have thus far failed to find a rock to mark its bottom. ~ The location and area of the Central Rio Grande Valley and of the region immediately adjacent may be readily traced upon the maps ac- companying. Within the Central Rio Grande Valley, from White Rock Canyon to the southern boundary of Valencia county is a total area subject to ir- rigation from the Rio Grande of 120,000 acres. Of this area, forming one of the largest irrigated districts in the world, LAND SUBJECT - probably 100,000 acres are now under ditch TO IRRIGATION (irrigation canals now in use), while of the area under ditch but about 6,000 acres are in actual cultivation. Approximately a fifty per cent increase in the area under actual cultivation will occur within the next twelve months, through ex- tensions of the present irrigation system and construction of new canals. Approximately 20,000 acres within the Central Valley are gncluded in the boundaries of Pueblo Indian land grants, under control of the United — States for the Indians and not subject to sale or lease. This area alone is greater than the entire Riverside district of California, and while not now available for the farmer a portion of it must eventually be thrown open for development, the Indians finding a very small portion of the vast tract of fertile land held for them sufficient for their energies and needs, Eventually the major portion of this land will become available for American farmers, but in the meantime here is a vast area now ready to be turned into profitable farm and orchard lands, offering unusual THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY 7 opportunities for development and investment and with a dependable water supply from the Rio Grande sufficient to irrigate every acre in the valley which can be reached by gravity canals. When it is considered that the entire area of the lands described: is immediately adjacent to the city of Albuquerque, the largest consuming and distributing market between Denver and Los Angeles and when the known and proven productivity of the soil and the certainty of the yield are recalled, the prices now being obtained for these lands are marvellously low, ranging as they do from $25 to $100 per acre for land not under ditch and from $75 to $350 an acre for land under irrigation, depending, of course, upon location as to market, PRICES 07 LAND improvements, and the usual conditions govern- ing the price of similarly located lands. Of the ready market of the Central Rio Grande Valley more will be said. It is sufficient now to say that country road building is epidemic through the region. Good bridges span the Rio Grande at frequent intervals giving ready access to the lands west of the river, while the county of Bernalillo is about to expend $100,000 in the construction of two additional bridges. Recent extensions of the railroads reaching Albuquerque give an im- mediate outlet for freight and express east, west, north and south, with | an eager demand for Central Rio Grande Valley products in all directions. A considerable portion of the area now under cultivation in the Central Rio Grande. Valley was being successfully tilled before the Fathers landed on Plymouth Rock. Every record stands to prove that it had been cultivated for ages prior to that date, THE IRRIGATION for when the first daring Spanish Conquestadores SYSTEM pushed their treasure seeking way north into what is now New Mexico they found the Pueblo, or village Indians growing their scanty crops by irrigation, leading the water from the Rio Grande through crude canals. Thus the Rio Grande Valley seems fully justified in claiming title as the Cradle of Irrigation in America. The Claim of many scientists that irrigation in this valley —antedated irrigation in the Valley of the Nile furnishes an interesting Elks’ Theater Colombo Theater, Albuquerque 8 THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY senetes fleld for speculation. It is enough for the mod- ern American farmer, who is now invading this valley in con- stantly increasing num- bers, that, if possible, the land is more fertile now than when ‘Coro- nado discovered the primitive Indian farm- ers; that essentially the same irrigation sys- tem in use then is in A Typical Central Valley Alfalfa Farm use now, although en- larged and extended, and that the opportunities for profitable develop- ment are therefore great. Irrigation in the Central Valley is by the community ditch system by which farmers owning adjoining lands associate themselves together for the construction of an irrigation canal for their common use. Shares of water are divided in proportion to the amount of land held by each for irrigation and the land owner contributes his porportion in labor or money toward the maintenance of the canal, its cleaning, repairing and the incidental expenses attached. The water right thus acquired goes with the land and is perpetual as any other improvement. Water rights, of course, may be divided, transferred or sold separately from the land, or attached to other lands by deed or transfer. The actual cost per acre for maintenance and use of water on these community ditches varies between communities and also according to whether the land owner desires to contribute his proportion in money, or in labor on the ditch. The charge, in any event, is extremely low as compared to irrigation charges in most of the more modern irrigated districts, varying from 75 cents to $3.00 per acre per year. There are many of these community ditches along the Rio Grande HE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY ) é e x & oe - Albuquerque Commercial Club each one being governed by a board of acequia or diteh commissioners, consisting of three members and a Mayor Domo, or canal superintendent, the four being elected annually by the members of the comunity, at the ditch, or acequia election. These elections are always friendly and the canal superintendent is always nominated with a view to his ability to make his canal give best service. There is much room for improvement in the present system, in straightening canals and stopping waste of water, but the community ditch never fails to get the water to the land. and it is doubtful if the modern system has yet been found which can get the water to the land more cheaply. In any irrigated. district, how- ever, economy in the use of water is essential to expansion and the irrigation system in this valley must be and is even now being improved and modernized. ‘This will come quickly with the rapidly increasing population of American farmers who, not content with the slipshod methods inherited from the Indians, are seeking to bring every acre to the fullest degree of productivity. Already one large irrigation canal on modern lines is completed near Los Lunas, which will add 5,000 acres to the irrigated area, while other important systems are proposed for imme- diate construction. Eventually the National Reclamation Service will make use of the ideal storage reservoir site offered by the high walls of White Rock Canyon at the head of the valley. Surveys have been made and stream measurements are now being recorded with a view to the future con- struction of the project, which, when it comes, will replace all of the old comunity canals and irrigate every acre of land within the valley. Mean- while the old system serves its purpose well, delivers to the lands under 10 THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY ditch an abundant and dependable water supply and at a cost that is in- finitesmal when the abundance and value of the crops produced are considered. Without a single extension of the present canals the Central Rio Grande Valley can and will be brought to the highest state of cultivation. Modern methods and improvements are merely serving to increase efficiency and extend the area. The Rio Grande is essentially a torrential, or flood water stream. From the mouth of White Rock Canyon south through New Mexico it possesses all the characteristics of a typical desert stream, having its flood time and its period of low water. Fortu- WATER SUPPLY _ nately, however, there is always an abundant sup- ply of water for irrigation during the growing season. ‘The vast snow drifts which pile up in the Rio Grande’s enormous watershed during the winter, melt gradually during the spring and early summer, maintaining a large volume of water until practically all crops are matured. Recent expenditure of large sums in dyke con- struction has averted all danger of floods which in past years have done some damage to lands immediately adjacent to the river during the spring freshets. Another source of water supply in this valley, which will eventually became an impartant adjunct to the gravity irrigation canals, is by means of pumping from the underflow. A very large portion of the flow of the Rio Grande passes through the loose sand strata beneath its bed. Water is encountered at from seven to ten feet throughout prac- tically the whole of the valley and while at times the water in the river may be very low there has never been any noticeable diminution of the volume of this underflow, which is encountered in the successive water strata at depths from seven to one thousand fleet, the latter being the greatest depth to which drilling has been done. A number of pumping plants are now in operation, the water being raised by windmills or small gasoline pumps, inexpensive of operation. The water is stored in small reservoirs, also easy and inexpensive of construction. By this means a very large area upon higher levels, not to be reached by gravity canals will eventually be brought under cultivation. The extensive market gar- dens of Herman Bleuher, one of the most successful truck farms near Albuquerque, is irrigated from a reservoir thus supplied. Stock Yards at Albuquerque What the Land Will Produce The Large and Certain Profits from Intensive Cultivation: IHERE IS NO CLAIM of the miraculous made | for the Central Rio Grande Valley. Here as else- where the best results are to be obtained only by hard work, intelligently applied. It is claimed for this valley, however, that with industry and intelli- gence, the soil will give returns as great, if not greater than in any other irrigated district in the world. It is now fully recognized that the most productive land in the world is irrigated land. Irrigation gives the enormous advantage of absolute certainty of the crop when properly planted and cared for. The farmer in an irrigated district is wholly independent of conditions of flood, rainfall or drouth which play so large and so uncertain a part in the calculations of the farmer in the raim belt. If the rain falls on an irrigated farm, so much the better. If it does not fall there is always the irigation canal, much better than the rainfall, because the exact quantity of water needed to mature any given crop, may be applied at will. The irrigated farm requires more careful attention than non-irrigated land. Care and time and intelligence are required in planting and in applying the water, and as a result the farmer in an irrigated district usually confines his energies to a small tract, depending for his revenue upon intensive cultivation, larger yield, and the certainty of the crop. An irrigated farm of ten acres in this valley under intensive cultivation and with carefully selected crops will produce a revenue greater than can possibly be obtained from 160 acres planted to grain or other field crops in the rain belt. Planted to orchard, or producing melons or truck, ten acres of this land may be made to produce a substantial in- come and in the end a moderate fortune. Farms in this valley usually range from ten to forty acres; seldom more than forty. A few large planters of alfalfa, onions. melons, . ect., cultivate larger tracts, a very om few using more than 200 acres. so This, however, is irrigated farming on a large scale and requires the out- lay of considerable capital. ‘The farmer cultivating a small tract makes his profit in proportion to his acres and his industry and the men ‘who are getting the largest annual returns from valley farms are those giving their attention to twenty Aegina Conteal Valley acres or less. Truck Garden 12 THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY Mann Brothers Market Gardens, Albuquerque, Plant of the American Lumber Company in ,Distance The better equipped market gardens at Albuquerque have incomes of from $8,000 to $15,000 a year, while two small farms of seven acres each, both established less than three years ago, within five miles of Albuquerque, are now producing $2,000 net each, per year. The visitor to this valley may, within a drive of three miles through the valley from Albuquerque be shown farms of from 2% to 10 acres, each producing a comfortable income. The climate of the Rio Grande Valley is ideal for the successful growing of all field and truck crops. The spring is early and subject to few severe changes of temperature, while the growing and maturing of crops is in no danger from killing frosts until November. The soil of the valley is rich and so deep as to be practically inex- haustable, while it is being renewed and fertilized constantly by the deposits of silt carried in suspension in the irrigation water. Its com- position is from adobe (soil which is very CLIMATE AND SOIL sticky when wet and which bakes very hard when dry) to loam, clay loam and sandy loam. Its adaptibility to practically all crops grown in the temperate zone has been demonstrated. ‘There are, however, a few exceptions and the farmer who is beginning in this valley should bear in mind that much depends upon the care and judgment used in selecting his crops. A few crops, which while doing well in other sections are total failures here, while crops which fail utterly elsewhere are among the most valuable crops here. Irish potatoes do not do well in this valley and it is only occasionally that a fair crop can be produced. Sweet potatoes, on THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY 13 the other hand, produce in abundance and quality quite unsurpassed. The soil is generally easy to cultivate after the farmer has become ac- customed to the needs of irrigated land. The principal field crop in the Central Rio Grande Valley at present is alfalfa; and it is likely to continue so because it is the easiest crop to grow and care for, while the profits are large and sure. The mere amateur at farming may make a success of alfalfa BIG PROFITS growing. Once planted and a stand secured the FROM ALFALFA @ltalia field does not have to be resown. Its roots drive deep until they reach moisture level below and from that time the plant derives the chief portion of its water supply from below. Comparatively little irrigation is necessary although the water must be applied frequently as each crop, or cutting comes on. There are alfalfa fields within a few minutes walk of Albuquerque and all through this valley, planted a quarter of a century ago, which have never been reseeded and which are producing more abundantly now than during the first five years. Properly cared for the plant is practically perpetual. . A Typical Irrigation Ditch 14 THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY Bleuher Market Gardens, Albuquerque In this valley alfalfa produces always four cuttings, often five, and in rare instances or specially cared for fields, six cuttings in a season. Each cutting from a fair stand produces three-fourths of a ton to two tons per acre, or as a comparative estimate, six tons per season, per acre. Alfalfa costs from $2.50 to $5.00 per acre per season to grow and harvest, including all expenses for water, cutting, etc., with an added charge of from $1.00 to $1.50 per ton for baling. Obviously the large grower, with his own baling machinery and better equipment, can load his alfalfa on the cars cheaper than the man whose crop is limited to an acre or so. But the profit of the small grower is satisfyingly large. ALFALFA>SELLS “AT. CUTTING AT FROM. $10> to; 312730 per ton. STORED UNTIL THE WINTER SEASON IT SELLS READILY AT $14 to $16 per ton. THE AVERAGE ALL YEAR PRICE IN THIS VALLEY IS $13.50 per ton. A NET PROFIT OF $60 per acre per season from alfalfa is not unusual, while a net profit of $40 per acre, if properly cared for, is sure. THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY 15 Wheat is one of the principal field crops and the area planted is be- ing rapidly extended. The market is ready and top prices are always paid. Flour mills are located at Bernalillo, in Sandoval county, two at Albuquerque, and at Belen, Los Lunas and Peralta WHEAT, CORN, in Valencia county. Wheat is well adapted to the OATS. ETC. soil, easy to grow and giving a good yield, thirty- five bushels to the acre being a fair average. Corn, requiring more care through a longer season, has not thus far been given much attention. Oats, barley and rye do exceptionally well, giv- ing large yields and bringing high prices. There will be a great ex- tension of the area given these crops when the productivity becomes more generally known. The soil and climate of this valley are ideal for the culture of a sugar beet giving a high percentage of saccharine matter. Careful analyses prove that the beets grown in this valley give from 18 to 20 per cent saccharine matter, or from two to four per cent better than the best beet grown in the Arkansas valley region of Colorado. The first extensive experiment in sugar beet culture in this val- SUGAR BEETS ley is being made this season with fifty-two farmers associated in the cultivation of 76 acres in the vicinity of Albuquerque. ‘The average yield here is twenty tons to the acre ‘and the average price on the cars $4 per ton, or $80 per acre gross. The cost of producing varies from $18 to $25 per acre, giving an average net profit of $60 per acre. The entire season’s crop has been contracted for by sugar manufacturers of Holly, Colorado, who agree, in the event of the success of the crop, to establish a sugar factory at Albuquerque to care for the beet crop of the Central Valley. Onions flourish as a field crop in this valley and are receiving at- tention from large planters who are finding them money makers. The Spanish onion, having an exceptionally fine flavor and at- ONIONS | taining good size, is the favorite crop, although the Bermudas and fancy grades also do well. Onions will yield, with careful cutlivation, an average of 30,000 pounds to the acre, and comparatively little cul- tivation is needed after the crop is well started. The 1907 onion crop in this valley sold at an average of $2.50 per ‘ Fifty Dollars Worth of Garden Truck—the Regular 100 pounds. The 190:3 Morning Crop of the Bleuher Gardens 16 THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY In Bear Canyon, Sandia Mountains, East of Albuquerque crop will bring about the same price, growers finding a net profit of from $500 to $750 per acre. If the profits from Alfalfa, onions, beets and other field crops are large, they are completely overshadowed by the earnings from truck gardening. Several of the largest incomes in New Mexico today are enjoyed by men who own truck gardens in TRUCK GARDENING © the vicinity of Albuquerque. The ready mar- ket, so absolutely essential in trucking, is found in Albuquerque and in the constantly growing demands of the cities and towns along the Santa Fe railroad north, south, east and west. ‘There is a ready market, at high prices, for every pound of truck that can be grown in this valley. Melons are grown extensively by a few gardners for the local and immediate southwestern market. Cantaloupes will not become a large shipping crop immediately owing to the competition of the established Rocky Ford district where the crop ripens at about the same time. The local demand, however, is enormous and the acreage could be doubled many times without crowding the market, while the flavor of the melon grown here is quite the equal of the Rocky Ford or Brawley product. The same conditions are true of watermelons, which produce abun- dantly and in exceptional quality. Celery is one of the prize truck crops. The plant produced here by the Blueher and the Mann Brothers gardens is acknowledged to be superior to the best Michigan product and celery from these gardens is supplied to the Harvey eating house system from Chicago to San Francisco upon yearly contract while it is eagerly sought by the markets of Denver and Los Angeles. Tomatoes, cabbages, cauliflower, beans, carrots, parsnips, turnips, all produce abundantly and find ready markets while the small table vegeta- THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY t7 bles are produced all year round, one especially equipped truck gardener selling an average of thirty dozen bunches each of lettuce, onions and radishes per day, every day in the year. Asparagus is one of the special crops which produce large profits. It has been demonstrated that asparagus can be made to produce $1,000 per acre net, in this valley. Aside from a few large and very profitable orchards fruit growing has not been developed to any considerable extent in this valley. There are large orchards near Bernalillo, Albuquerque, Los Lunas and Belen the profits from which have demonstrated APPLES, PEACHES, the tremendous commercial possibilities of PEARS. GRAPES. ETC. the fruit growing industry. — These profits have attracted notice and the industry is now receiving a great deal of attention. The next few years will bring many young orchards into bearing and within five years fruit growing on a large scale will have been fully established. The opportunities for large returns are very attractive. As elsewhere in New Mexico the apple is the chief fruit crop. A dozen of the better known standard ‘varieties flourish here and the yield in ordinary years is large, some thinning usually being necessary. The fruit may be sold on the trees if desired. The market, particularly for winter apples, is dependable. Peaches, while not so dependable a crop as apples, because of the light spring frosts which sometimes catch the early blooming varieties, produce ,abundantly and a fruit which is unsurpassed in size, coloring and flavor. ‘The Rio Grande Valley peach is in great demand. Pears do splendidly. The trees are long lived, come into bearing quickly, and produce large crops of fine fruit. Apricots also grow finely in all parts of the valley. The small fruit grown by the Pueblo Indians is a delicious fruit and with the proper care which is now being given it by some grow- ers is improv- ing both in size and flavor. Plums do well, the crop from the so - called native trees be- ing abundant and in demand for preserving. Last, but by Public Library, Albuquerque no means least 18 THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY in the list of impor- tant horticulture pro- ducts is the grape. Around Bernalillo and in the vicinity of Belen and Los Lunas are large vineyards which produce boun- tifully and almost without record of a failure. Grape grow- ing was introduced in this valley by the early Spanish Mis- sionaries, the taste- ful mission grape Fred Harvey Indian Building deriving its name from the mission fathers who first planted it. This grape is a splendid table variety and is very popular. ‘The so-called California varieties also flourish although they are not extensively grown as yet. The ¢ulture is all on the stump system and the yield from old bearing plants is from 30 to 50 pounds to the plant. Six hundred or more vines may be planted to the acre. The grapes now grown are chiefly mid-season varieties and the shipping season is therefore short. With the introduction of earlier and later ripening varieties the season will be extended and the profits increased. The growing of small fruits, strawberries, blackberries, etc., has not been undertaken on an extensive scale as yet, although all experiments thus far have proven successful. Flower culture offers a profitable and pleasing field in this valley. Several successful hot houses and green houses are being conducted although these are not able to supply even the local demand for cut flowers and potted plants. The growing of roses and all the familiar garden flowers is easy and in Albuquerque many of the homes on the older residence streets are framed in luxuriant climbing roses and decorative vines and surrounded by handsome lawns and _ attractive flower gardens. By proper attention to seeding flowers may be had in the garden from the first days of spring until late in November. The following figures give a few actual results which have been accomplished in the Central Rio Grande Valley from the field and truck garden. They are carefully compiled’ SOME ACTUAL RESULTS irom statements by reliable farmers and IN DOLLARS gardeners and may be easily verified: ALFALFA—Average yield per acre per season, 6 tons. Cost of production per acre per season, $5. Average sell- ing price, per ton, $13. Cost of baling, per ton, $1.50. Average net profit per acre per season, $54.00. THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY 19 Sucar Brrts—Average yield per acre, 20 tons. Average selling price, $4 per ton. Average cost of production ik acre, $20. Net profit, per acre, $60.00. , CANTALOUPES—Average yield per acre, 300 crates. Average selling price per crate, $1.50. . Average cost of pr oduction, per acre, $100. Net profit per acre, $350.00. WaATERMELONS—Average yield per acre, 40,000 pounds. Average selling price $1.00 per one hundred pounds. Cost of production $100 per acre. Net profit, per acre, $300.00. Tomartors.—Yield an average of 20,000 pounds of marketable tomatoes to the acre. Average selling price 5 cents per pound, for a six weeks season. Cost of production about $200 per acre. Average net profit per acre $800.00. AspARAGUS—From an acre and a half the Bleuher gardens at Albuquerque cut 30 dozen bunches of marketable asparagus per day. The average selling price is 50 cents per dozen bunches. The tract pro- duces an average of 2,100 dozen bunches per season, or $1,050. The cost of production is about $150-per season. A net profit of $900 from the acre and a half. Several other smaller asparagus beds near Albu-: querque produce proportionate results. CxyLery—The Bleuher gardens at Albuquerque plant 30,000 plants to the acre from which is produced.a season average of 3,700 dozen bunches at 40 cents the dozen, or $1,480 per season. The cost of pro- duction averages $250 per acre per season. An average net profit of more than $1,200 per acre per season. Other less extensive planters are obtaining proportionate results. Ontons—Average yield per acre, 30,000 pounds. Average selling price, $2 per 100 pounds. Cost of production, average, $125 per acre. Net profit per acre, $475.00. Sweet PoraTorEs. Average yield 400 bushels to the acre. Average selling price, $1.25 per bushel Cost of production, aver- age, per acre, $75. Net profit per acre, $425.00. CABBAGES —Aver- age yield per acre per season, 30,000 pounds. Average selling price $1.50 per 100 pounds. Average cost of pro- Santa Fe Tie Treating Plant at Albuquerque 20 THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY duction, ‘per’ acre,;--$100,00:" Net. 2-profit) per) acre;y per esezson, $350.00. CAULIFLOWER—Average yield per acre, 20,000 pounds. Average selling price per 100 pounds, $1.50. Cost of production, $100 per acre. Net profit per acre, $200. Brans—Average yield per acre, per season, 5,000 pounds. Average selling price 5 cents per pound. Average cost of production per acre per season, $50. Net profit per acre per season, $200. TuRNIpSs, CarRoTS AND Parsnrps—These produce an average of 30,000 pounds each to the acre. ‘The average selling price ranges from $1.00 to $1.50 per 100 pounds. The average cost of production is $50.00 per acre and the average net profit from $200.00 to $250.00 per acre. Mancor PEpPpERS—Average yield, 6,000 pounds per acre per season. Average selling price, per pound, 6 cents. Cost of production, average per acre, $100.00. Net profits per acre, $260.00. Mexican CuiiE—Average yield per acre, dried (red chile) 4,000 pounds. Average selling price 10 cents per pound. Cost of production, $50.00 per acre. Net profit per acre, per season, $350.00. It may be seen from the few averages given above that the Central Rio Grande Valley offers a wide lattitude in the selection of very pro- fitable crops. ‘These averages, except where noted, are not from the gardens of anyone especially prepared grower, but have been taken from . the results given by a number of successful farmers and gardners who have given close attention. and hard work to intensive cultivation of the land. Bearing apple and peach orchards in this valley will produce an average net profit, under careful tending, of from $650.00 to $900.00 per acre. The figures given have been carefully averaged and may be easily confirmed. Dairying and poultry growing are industries as yet only partially d& eloped in this valley and offering a wide field for profitable labor and investment. ‘The ten or twelve large dairies in the vicinity of Albuquer- que are all money makers, yet Albu- DAIRYING AND POULTRY querque ships in seventy-five per cent of the butter it consumes. Albuquerque also ships in from sixty to eighty-five per cent of its eggs and poultry. Several large poultry farms have already proven successful and the business offers special inducements. IRRIGATION OUTSIDE THE Irrigation in the three counties des- RIO GRANDE VALLEY cribed in this book is by no means con- fined to the Rio Grande Valley. There are a number of exceptionally practicable opportunities for private ir- rigation enterprises and several of these have already been taken ad- vantage of by energetic men and corporations. The Rio Puerco, which THE CENTRAL, RIO GRANDE VALLEY 21 flows through western Bernalillo and through Valencia county, carries sufficient water to irrigate all the land along its course, a very large ‘area. Thus far only a few small ditches have been taken out of. this river, which will require capital to develop on account of the depth of the stream bed. Just now, however, an extensive colonization project is proposed on the Antonio Sedillo land grant, of 81,000 acres, which contemplates the building of a reservoir and an extensive canal system and which will transform this entire grant, lying along the river, into a fine farming district. The land, when watered will produce equally as fine crops as can be produced in the Rio Grande Valley. At Bluewater, in northwest Valencia county,a great irrigation reservoir and canal system has been constructed by the Bluewater Development Com- Scenes on the Bluewater Irrigation Project pany with offices in Albuquerque, which will irrigate 30,000 acres in the Bluewater and San Mateo valleys. This land is also very fertile and will produce all the crops that can be grown in the Rio Grande Valley. This project is now complete and the near future will see the growth of a flourishing farming community there, since the lands are to be sold in small tracts to bona fide farmers, at very reasonable prices and on easy terms. This project transforms what was until recently only sheep range, into the best of farming lands. In addition to these projects there are numerous small streams in the mountain districts where farming by irrigation is now being carried on and where there are splendid opportunities for development, with com- paratively small outlay of capital. The Jamez river is a fair example. The storage of flood water, which at certain seasons pours down the mountain canyons and arroyas to go to waste, offers another opportunity for successful development of small tracts. On of the most attractive ranches in Bernalillo county is at the base of Sandia Mountains where an The Bluewater Project, Western Valencia County THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY 23 enterprising homesteader has built a dam across the outlet to one of the small canyons, thus storing sufficient water for the irrigation of his tract. Ali of the land in these three counties, in valleys or in mountain regions, will produce abundantly when water is applied. The so-called dry farming, or farming without irrigation has not been successfully at- tempted in this region, save in the higher altitudes. Over the rest of the region the rainfall on an annual average of forty years, is less than 10 inches, while for successful dry farming 15 inches or more is needed. The numerous opportunities for irrigation by storage of flood water, or by pumping, now to be found, will within the next few years bring under cultivation a very large area outside the Rio Grande valley and will become an important factor in the productivity of the region. Although not so great as in other sections of New Mexico there is a vast area of public land open to entry under the homestead and desert land laws in the three counties. These lands, however, are scattered, and careful personal investigation is necessary PUBLIC LANDS OPEN to find the desirable tracts. In connection TO ENTRY with these open lands, the possibilities for development through storage of flood water and pumping are very important. There are many locations in each of the three counties where a water supply may be developed by one or the other means. In all three counties the desirable lands along the water courses have long since been taken up, are held in private ownership, in private land grants or Indian land grants. The homesteader in this region must leave the beaten paths and strike out into the less developed sections, where, with industry and perseverance he is fairly sure to find a desirable home. The acreage of public land open to entry in the three counties is ap- proximately as follows: Acres See COUMIEY: sree © s)= cler sia + slene cln ewe nes ere. soe © 6 ereie silaiabe eso. sie 200,000 sesetea cHisnieUi he COLITULY oor seateis 2-05. clic) el eleler sic 211s wcrielletrauaieye wysie'e \ seenie ses 700,000 Pee AMEN Ae I eANe GO ERL Gann) sie ees) oe te siotco tans a careUolialfe isubnienee) eriefal a aire! e)'onske) eheneissy's\ie: tis 1,000,000 In Bernalillo county the chief public land area is in the extreme west- ern part and on the broad mesa east of the Rio Grande. In Sandoval county the public land open to entry lies chiefly in the mountain districts of the central and northwestern portions. In Valencia county there is a vast area of public land in the western portion, although for forty miles north and forty miles south of the right-of-way, the Santa Fe railroad owns the odd numbered sections or alternate sections under the terms of the old government grant to the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company. This land, now chiefly valuable for grazing, is being prospected for arte- sian water and a strong artesian flow has been discovered at Suwanee, forty miles west of Albuquerque where one well has been brought in. Extensive drilling is now being done to develop the artesian area. In the event that the proven area is large, another great irrigated district will be added to the region, since the water has been found suitable for irrigation Intersection of Second St a Some Typ and Gold Avenue, Albuquerque : ‘3 J 9 Residences 26 THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY purposes. There has been a rush of land hunters to the district and practically all vacant public land in the immediate vicinity of the well has been filed upon. The railroad, however, in the event of development of an extensive artesian water supply, will probably put its vast holdings on the market at low prices. Some idea of the vast area of the three counties described herein is had from the fact that they constitute about one-twelfth of the whole area of New Mexico. New Mexico’s total area is 122,000 square miles. The total area of these three counties is 10,785 square miles. The area is divided as follows: County. Sq. Miles. Acres. Berna lio) oi Hose eons een aeiortes aes 1,240 793,600 SAMGOVAL. ss). caeare aitarenate tone ¢ ex ctarahereetete a rerere 3,833 2,453,120 Walenciaies 2 2. Rikewcachs o eicione orel oerectinke iteine tenets 5,712 8,655,680 TO tale ia ce eiock toners tome Mera ede hae tects eh see zee 10,785 6,902,400 Of this area of approximately 7,000,000 acres, 1,900,000 acres are open to entry under the United States land laws; 541,456 are within Pueblo Indian land grants; 1,623,172.97 are within the Spanish or Mexican land grants, which have been confirmed by the United States court of private land claims (Grants made by the Spanish or Mexican governments, prior to the American Occupation, and since confirmed by Congress). The remainder, approximately 3,000,000 acres, is held in private ownership, within the Santa Fe railroad grants, and within three national forests, the Jemez, in Northeast Sandoval county, the Manzano No. 1, in Eastern Bernalillo and Valencia and the Manzano No. 2, or Mt. Taylor in Northern Valencia. As has been said, of the more than half a million acres of land in the three counties now held in Pueblo Indian grants, much of the agricultural land will eventually be opened to cultivation by American farmers. For the present, however, the land can neither INDIAN LANDS AND be sold nor leased and lies idle, save for PRIVATE LAND GRANTS the small portion cultivated or used as pasture by the Indians. More than a million and a half of acres in the three counties are within private land grants and much of this land also lies in the Rio Grande valley. At one time.these grants were a serious obstacle to the development of the country. Many of them, however, have now been partitioned, or are in course of partition by the courts; several have been purchased outright by individuals or corporations who are selling them off in small tracts, as in the case of the Antonio Sedillo grant on the Rio Puerco, or holding them for an advance in land values. Since their confirmation by the United States court of private land claims, absolutely clear title to all of these grants can be given, and they are rapidly breaking up, being now rather a stimulant toward than an influence against rapid development. The history of these land grants is of intense interest and could be made to fill several large volumes. Some ‘ie Scenes at the United States Indian School, Albuquerque \ Looking West Across the Truck Gardening District From Albuquerque : 28 THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY of them on partition have been found to have hundreds of owners, one or two having had more than two thousand claimants, heirs of the original grantees. Some of them contain valuable farming land, others, as in the case of those in the mountain regions, contain fine tracts of timber, while others are valuable for grazing. These grants will play an important part in the immediate future development of this region. The following table shows the list of confirmed grants within the three counties. Those marked XX have been partitioned, or in other words, are in condition for sale with reliable title; those marked R are wholly or in part within the Rio Grande valley; those marked P are wholly or in part in the Rio Puerco valley. Those marked M are in the mountain fegions: BERNALILLO COUNTY Grant. Acres. MO wri Of (CMMI Tq sos, oho) reat eas pee Se we, eos kalca arlene Pech ae pe dae eee te 27,800.00M Ganon-@es@arniven 5 faa. catholic se tar ot anel ev ehee nies die CMeneT eet ene naa 2,000.59M Ganada detlos Apaches: Mee ccs avon aeecsre ore aea a euaiet ae 40,000.00M @anada, de los “AlanvOS) Fees Susy cia a, ol od cpeuelin. coe oe cucmehe: cite eet 200.00M Mow. 'Ofs ALPISCOx o:. ss ctopneie ict aha os ayele. adem cheesy seals Men oes oPRE ate Sis 0 28 ant 2ibe Mowmn Of AlbUGUerGWe! Gt jc.) .e bets ss cus che suet cucuer aca aens canes 12. OR OEY Mera’ Galle SOs? a4 ates hus ae eked ove erases ob oR eRe eee 35,084.78R PAN ATCO fers, pease ec a Ore eels el cane te ke ance nies LakeeMcliay cue tee 28,724.22R EU PEVATIUGIIGOY setenv saeco Ruane elmerie foes fe RMSh Tansee eae 16,300.00M SAMA COM Ores Se Susans ro Seene eto ITO ho oreo o tahicice. «Umeha Mero arehs een 13,914.76M OLE] 005) VEN ee ea Sera Ste GLOlOnS Okc EE NCUCRORGTORENORG chaste due ce cin Seb ,28,000.00M.XxX CajyaGeSRiOs o--e So. scccers ele eae tetera ieee S's C16, Senet aman eas 25,000.00R.XX Canadardeslos vAl amis pavg enter: ete crchichis ==. \)e) abet ae ele commoners 200.00M.XX LajoViaia Gare. ccs crsncic mie eyes teas te vetehemetare te, ¢ -scil bei Meleiae) eek enanent esters 32,404.10M. XX BarnevDeryMieeWMoOntan Orr serene sieiseenenes te e.+) ioe) © ales aeatan ener ne meee 30,000.00P.XX TOtA2 GRE TANISt.< 1a oemtrnekesetenete Le ee aaePen a cece aRebehies sy ae neEE 742,917.08 THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY 29 VALEN CIA COUNTY Grant. Acres. Sea PaO RET EMES INL Marne eso. Meh sc, 3-0)» «. 0 ee ceene, 4 coded are sicventan wees S 37,099,.29M eRepNVT Ne CE OLOLIIET Olt char vcliouarea)so oe oles ole ea). Cel Sak d adele trovedeib os 16,490.94M MaAsaAICOLOTAM ON. ao c6 ccs 8 kes 2 3% Pe pat Osan eta, See 59,000.00R PERVERT Tiowewaie es lewis cf e Cate trel'e ie icv a eta eles eke vie ml we 121,594.53R ONBSWT8) - GE, TESS Sy 0) Sp el Rane ene ey ia na ee ee ae Pee a 73,000.00R ROTO Lm CH OMLOLAR tens falets. mine -ayacs pos, wise los eecdeleled¥id, aces ellenouarece 123,567.92M.XX CAMA AnOSMOS ADACMES! 0 oc ceca ck a Re stlle nie es ee aut elne 46,249.09M Selly, IIH E SOY SY Oit a SW eee are Ae a ee etl Snes - 1,750.00M.XX FAMTEGHT GES CUM O Mensa ah so: sas talicidis al atauah em Youeuk nd we Sa ate rela eee 18,254.14P.xXxX Thee)” GIG) LEAP ASITIIG), 2a SAN Sere RS er ER aie 2 ce, Ct aman aye 49,440.82R INECOMSmOMHeADN GC. CHAVES! 6 cc cscs te aae cece see ec ene 46,244.94R ELS Gel LURID INES stial shcirotibs sia ai'el oc Sia cae eieteha icc enene oreo ikl ea holes 592,691.68 Following is a list of the Pueblo Indian land grants and reservations within the three counties. Those marked R lie wholly or in part in the Rio Grande valley: Pueblo. Area. County. RGN Zane Meybel teenie tira) eg eieis suet ‘asia sitet (OO eeaware s, e tied Weynsiae cashes Sandoval AMTCTEDE) GORA Rae On eee Dee TAT IVAN - Pease Zan ro) 1s RA Ped = en Me ae ig % ww 2 yy me) ie a Le Bis = Ww ye AG 0 Ree ] iis ; Alboquuier : ky WR Sy oh hg Eastern RR. ~ } 2 Shas "R- Oe i ence en tea Ny a Gn : y Cc Mi x i " “? }. hy § % 4 District it p ty z edt Ce ere ' ee [Farmin % & by Ag ; 9 gotta “ane Mayvigs Pay Fx i THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE Sargent, LIne & Ee e 2 a —_— - —— ; 2 C | See ye! kK, a Meas Pte Can yer, @. og Can Juands mH, | ' | Ee. = MAP SHOWING Rio Grande Volley IN Sandoval, Bernalillo and Valencia Counties, New-Mex. from White Rock Canyon te the Socorro County bine » g st Scale'-@ miles to Pinsh VALLEY -. Hollinger Corp. pH 8.5