Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/331

NEW MEXICO 319 is mostly carried on in a very primitive man- ner. The principal crops are Indian corn, wheat, barley, oats, apples, peaches, melons, apricots, and grapes. The territory is espe- cially adapted to the culture of the grape, the yield of fruit being abundant, and the wine produced of excellent quality. Potatoes do not generally thrive, but cabbages, onions, pumpkins, &c., grow well ; and in the south quinces, pomegranates, and figs may be raised. The country is better adapted to stoqk raising than farming. Large tracts, where agriculture is not practicable, afford abundant pasturage. Owing to the mildness of the climate, arti- ficial shelter is never required. The valleys, foot hills, and table lands are covered with nu- tritious grasses, the most valuable variety being the mezquite or grama grass, which preserves its nutritive properties and furnishes abundant food throughout the winter. Sheep raising is one of the chief industries of the territory; the flocks are almost entirely free from disease and require little care. The principal forests are confined to the mountain ranges, and con- sist chiefly of pine, cedar, spruce, and other evergreens. On the foot hills there are exten- sive tracts of pinon or nut pine and cedar, and along the margins of the streams belts of cot- tonwood, sycamore, and other deciduous trees, while in the south groves of oak and walnut are abundant. The principal wild animals are the deer, mountain sheep, antelope, elk, cou- guar, ocelot, lynx, bear, coyote, wolf, weasel, hare, squirrel, and beaver. Wild turkeys, geese, ducks, sage hens, prairie chickens, &c., occur. The number of acres of improved land in farms in 1870 was 143,007; number of farms, 4,480, of which 1,345 contained less than 10 acres each, 1,172 from 10 to 20, 1,293 from 20 to 50, 358 from 50 to 100, 299 from 100 to 500, 9 from 500 to 1,000, and 4 more than 1,000; cash value of farms, $2,260,139; of farming implements and machinery, $121,114; amount of wages paid during the year, including the value of board, $523,888; estimated value of all farm productions, including betterments and additions to stock, $1,905,060; value of orchard products, $13,609 ; of produce of mar- ket gardens, $64,132 ; of forest products, $500 ; of home manufactures, $19,592; of animals slaughtered or sold for slaughter, $224,765 ; of live stock, $2,389,157. The productions were 338,930 bushels of spring wheat, 13,892 of winter wheat, 42 of rye, 640,823 of Indian corn, 67,660 of oats, 3,876 of barley, 10 of buckwheat, 28,856 of peas and beans, 3,102 of Irish potatoes, 8,587 Ibs. of tobacco, 684,930 of wool, 12,912 of butter, 27,239 of cheese, 19,686 gallons of wine, 813 of milk sold, 1,765 of sorghum molasses, and 4,209 tons of hay. The live stock consisted of 5,033 horses, 6,141 mules and asses, 16,417 milch cows, 19,774 working oxen, 21,343 other cattle, 619,438 sheep, and 11,267 swine. There were also 21,467 horses and 128,767 cattle not on farms. The number of manufacturing establishments 598 VOL. xii. 21 was 182, having 13 steam engines of 252 horse power, and 42 water wheels of 659 horse power ; number of hands employed, 423 ; cap- ital invested, $1,450,695; wages paid during the year, $167,281; value of materials used, $880,957; of products, $1,489,868. The only important establishments were 36 flouring and grist mills, value of products $725,292; 12 saw mills, $121,225; and 7 quartz mills, $399,*712. There are no railroads in ope- ration in the territory, but several lines are projected through it. The Texas and Pacific, in progress in Texas, is to pass through the S. portion ; the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe is in progress from Granada, Colorado, its present terminus, to Santa Fe, through the N. E. portion of the territory; and the Denver and Eio Grande, in operation to Pueblo, Colo- rado, and still in course of construction, is in- tended to pass down the valley of the Rio Grande. The projected line of the Atlantic and Pacific railroad passes through New Mexi- co along the 35th parallel, but no progress has been made since its completion some years since to Vinita, Indian territory. There are two national banks at Santa Fe, with a joint capital of $300,000. The executive power is administered by a governor and secretary, ap- pointed by the president with the consent of the senate for four years, and by an auditor, treasurer, adjutant general, and attorney gen- eral, chosen by the territorial legislature. This body consists of a council of 13 and a house of representatives of 26 members, elected by the people for two years. The judicial power is vested in a supreme court, with appellate jurisdiction ; district courts, with general ori- ginal jurisdiction ; probate courts, and justices of the peace. The supreme court is held by three judges, appointed by the president with the consent of the senate. The district courts, (one in each of the three judicial districts into which the territory is divided) are held by a single judge of the supreme court. There is a probate court for each county. The valuation of property, according to the United States censuses, has been as follows : YEARS. ASSESSED VALUE. True value of real and personal property. $5,174,471 20,818,768 81,849,798 Real estate. Personal property. Real and personal. 1850 1860. . . 18TO. . . $7,018,260 9,91T,991 $18,820,520 7,866,028 $20,888,780 17,784,014 The total taxation in 1870 was $61,014, of which $34,115 was territorial, $26,101 county, and $798 town, city, &c. There was no terri- torial debt at that date. The receipts into the territorial treasury in 1874 were $46,317 82 ; expenditures, $43,361 59. Prior to 1871 there were no public schools in the territory. In that year a law was passed organizing a sys- tem of free public schools, and placing them under the management of a board of supervi-