. The Central Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico. Agriculture. 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 punc
. The Central Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico. Agriculture. 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 included 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
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