. Observations of a ranchwoman in New Mexico . ch details lies, of course,in that question of accuracy. One success-ful American grape-grower estimates thateach vine yields him on an average twenty-five pounds of grapes. This is the Missiongrape, taken all in all the most satisfactorygrape to grow here. It was brought to theterritory several hundred years ago bySpanish priests, and is certainly a deliciousgrape, purple in colour and very juicy,devoid of the solid flesh which makes somehigh-priced varieties such uncomfortable eat-ing. It ripens some time in August, is notsubject to disease, and
. Observations of a ranchwoman in New Mexico . ch details lies, of course,in that question of accuracy. One success-ful American grape-grower estimates thateach vine yields him on an average twenty-five pounds of grapes. This is the Missiongrape, taken all in all the most satisfactorygrape to grow here. It was brought to theterritory several hundred years ago bySpanish priests, and is certainly a deliciousgrape, purple in colour and very juicy,devoid of the solid flesh which makes somehigh-priced varieties such uncomfortable eat-ing. It ripens some time in August, is notsubject to disease, and when more widelyknown, owing to improvement in transporta-tion facilities—our present bugbear—shouldcommand an immense market. Here comesin, again, the need of co-operation—co-operation as it is practised in California andelsewhere. It is easy enough to make fruitgrow in New Mexico ; to sell it to profit andadvantage, especially in the case of small ormoderate growers, is another matter. Thesmall grower, under present conditions, finds. OUR CROPS 61 himself at a disadvantage. He is not able—railroad charges on the one and only rail-road being so high—to ship with profit, andthe local market is soon glutted. He eithersells his grapes at a cent a pound, makes thecrop into wine, or tears up his vineyard inwrath and sows the land to alfalfa, vowingthat grapes cost more to irrigate, prune,cultivate, and bank up for the winter thanthey bring in the market. Co-operationalone will bring relief, and with the influxof intelligent farmers, who understand thatin union is strength, prosperity is bound tocome. Even in peach-growing the smallfarmer cannot be sure of his market. Thelarge grower is, of course, safe enough. Last June I was in a peach orchard con-taining about sixty trees in full bearing. Alovely display it was indeed, the great roundfruit glowing in the evening sunlight, andbending the branches almost to the the owner did not share my was n
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