It runs about three inches deep. The American plough is found to yield more, but its costliness prevents its being adopted. The yield is neither increasing nor diminishing. The land is watered by irrigation, which renews it. There is no system of rotation of crops; no Hessian flies nor weevils. The average price is $2 per bushel. Corn. The manure employed is ordure from goats, sheep, horses, and cattle. At Socorro from five to twenty-five bushels per acre are scattered over the field in February. The ground, for corn, is broken at the same time. They sow wheat in January, and early in April furrows are run, all in the same direction, and about six feet apart, and the corn is dropped, by the eye, at intervals of about six feet. Five or six grains are put in a hill, and give 15 or 16 stalks. It is never suckered, and the suckers yield as well as the main stalk. The corn is usually ploughed once, and hoed twice. The land is irrigated just before running the rows for planting, and the corn is watered from one to four or five times, according to necessity and the general demand for water. The average product is 45 to 75 bushels to the acre. At Doña Ana manure is not used. The corn is dropped, or drilled, and hoed out to 15 stalks in the hill; the hills six by six feet apart. It is rarely ploughed even once after planting, at either place, and never in more than one direction. The average product is 75 to 100 bushels to the acre. The greatest labor expended on the crop is in irrigating, exclusive of the expense of digging the acequias, or aqueducts. Numerous small dams are thrown up over the fields, furrowing little squares, and all connected to retain and guide the water in its flow. Land rents at Socorro for $5 per acre. The wages of a peon are $4 per month and his provisions; clothing, housing, and doctor's bills not furnished; and the days he does not work are deducted. From the system of planting by irrigation, four peons are required to do the work of one negro in the United States. The farmers commence to gather their corn, by order of the alcalde, all on the same day, and gather day and night; and, by a similar order, the animals are turned upon the fields all the same day. Corn is never fed to animals. Manure from hogs is never employed. Oats, Barley, Rye, Peas, and Beans.-The two first yield largely; they have been planted only in small quantities, from want of seed. No rye or peas, except the English garden pea. The garden or English pea is sown broadcast, and yields much less than in the gardens of the United States. Beans (frijoles) yield 35 to 45 bushels to the acre; they are, in planting, dropped irregularly, about the same proportion to the acre as in the United States; are planted alone in the ground, or with corn half way between the hills. The land is renewed by the sediment deposited from the water of irrigation. Peas are never planted as a renovating crop. Clover and Grasses.--Clover has been planted in but one instance, probably, in the Territory; the yield was enormous. Of the grasses all are wild; one ton may be cut to the acre in the bottoms. All the meadows are natural; none laid down. The grass upon the hills is preferred; it is called grama by the natives, and remains green during the winter. The stock all subsist upon it during the winter, and chiefly in the summer. It yields much less to the acre. Dairy Husbandry.--Butter is not made nor used by the natives. The yield from the cow's milk is large. The milk of the goat, cow, and sheep is equally in use for drinking and for making cheese. That of the cow and sheep is equally esteemed for drinking; that of the goat less, and is prepared by salting and boiling, and is eaten with mush. The cheese is precipitated from the milk by means of the stomach of the sheep. The stomach is prepared by covering it with whey, to which is added a handful of common salt. After this has remained together in a vessel for a day, the milk is added; the casein (curd) is precipitated immediately; is removed and pressed between small boards; and is offered for sale in circular cakes, 4 inches in diameter, and from 1 to 24 inches thick. It is made for immediate use, and is rarely seen more than a few days old. It is eaten with sugar. Neat Cattle.--Cost of rearing until 3 years old is not over half per cent. per annum on the value of the animal; at that age they are worth $20 to $25 per head. Cows for the dairy are worth $40, but may be hired for the year at $1 per month. Varieties in the breeds are never heard of. Steers are broken for the yoke by lashing the yoke to the horns behind them, by means of a rawhide thong; from the yoke trails down between the steers and upon the ground a long, heavy log; and they are goaded by a long, sharp-pointed stick, until they are accustomed to the yoke, and learn the words of command. Like all the other domestic animals, they are bred as tame as dogs. Horses and Mules.-The growing of them would be profitable, if it were not for the Indians; the expense of raising them is not one per cent. The brood mares are used, with foal or not, the same as other horses. They are taught to bear burdens (children) from the earliest age. Sheep and Wool. There is little or no demand for wool, and it is coarse; it is worth 4 to 10 cents per pound; is used for making a coarse kind of blanket called serape, and of carpeting called jerga, and for mattresses and pillows. The materials for clothing are now obtained from the United States. There is but one variety of sheep observed; it is small, and the meat of fine flavor. The average yield by lambs is 100 per cent.; the cost of raising sheep two per cent. per annum; and their yield 80 per cent. Hogs are rarely seen; of a small variety, and worth from $15 to $50. The absence of mast prevents their being raised for market, or to obtain bacon. Bacon and hams are almost entirely unknown by the natives; a little is brought from Mexico, and never cured among them. Cotton is never seen here. Sugar-cane is unknown here; yet at Socorro, molasses is made from the green stalks of the maize, common in the country. Rice is not planted. It might be raised on the damp bottoms. Upland is too dry and stiff for it. Tobacco. A species of tobacco, with a round leaf, five inches in diameter, and the stalk rising to the height of six feet, is raised. The seed is planted in a small spot of ground; the plants are set about two feet apart; the leaves are picked off when green, before the plant goes to seed, and dried and formed into small bundles. It is called punche; is mild, and has a pleasant flavor; raised chiefly for family use. Cannot estimate the production. Is never planted in reference to any other crop. Hemp is unknown. Root Crops.-Turnips, carrots, beets, onions, and garlic yield enormously. The onions are the large white onions, and cannot be excelled. The other roots have been planted in such small quantities that the yield and cost of production cannot be estimated. The beet grows to a very large size at Doña Ana, and at San Elizario, 60 miles further south. Potatoes.-The Irish yields nothing but weeds, which are very luxuriant. The sweet potato is never planted. Fruit Culture.-Very little attention is given to the cultivation of fruit, other than the grape. Peach and apple trees are planted or set out, with intervals between them of 15 or 20 feet, forming small orchards; but the trees are never trimmed, and the fruit is rarely allowed to remain on the trees until it is ripe. Apple trees, however, are not found below Limitar, nor above El Paso del Norte. The apples brought from them are small and sweet, and may be kept fresh, it is said, all the year. The trees yield well, and it might be made a profitable crop. No disease of any fruit tree is observed. Budding and grafting are unknown; and I have never heard of any instance of transplanting except of the grape. The grape-vine grows in the form of a bush; is bare of branches for two to two and a half feet, and rarely attains a height above three and a half to four feet. It is propagated by transplanting roots, and by cuttings. Either is buried in the ground six feet apart. At the end of two years the first bears grapes; the second at the end of three years. In October, at Socorro, the dirt is drawn up on the roots, and against the main stem, until it nearly reaches the branches. About the 1st of March it is drawn. away from the roots-not baring them-and formed into drains from 15 to 20 feet in length, for irrigation. As soon as this is accomplished, the vines are pruned; removing all the dead branches, and, cutting off all the young branches of the preceding year a few inches from their origin, the vines have no other support than the main stem. One bush will yield annually about half a gallon of brandy-aguardiente. Two years ago a vineyard could be bought for 50 cents per bush; now they are worth $1. The removal of the dirt from the roots may be so timed as to delay the budding of the crop, and thus save it from the late frosts. They are never embanked at Doña Ana. At Socorro the bunches of grapes are picked, about the middle of September, for brandy; they are placed in the shade for four days, then tread and pressed by the bare feet upon a leathern sieve; the juice and skins run into a raw-hide vat, where they remain for 18 to 25 days, when the brandy is distilled and put away, uncolored, in earthen jars. The grapes for wine are allowed to remain on the vines until fully ripe, when they are picked, put away for four days in the shade, and tread out in the same manner by the feet; the husks are separated from the must, and the last is boiled, placed in rawhide vats, the mouths of which are closed by dirt, supported on strips of wood. When fermentation ceases, the wine is drawn off and stored away in casks or porous earthen jars. The brandy, or aguardiente, is colorless. The wines are red, sweet, and acidulous. The former is called vino arropado, the last vino blanco. There are two varieties of grapethe muscatel and the black grape. The first is white, and is esteemed the most. The finest wine is made by selecting the best bunches of muscatel, and picking from them the finest and ripest grapes, which are pressed without the stems. Forest Culture is unheard of, though they are careful of the few sparse groves of cotton-wood that skirt the river, and use it for all mechanical purposes, as well as for fuel. Manures.-Lime and plaster are never used for manure; the soil is full of salts, and requires vegetable matter. Meteorology.-At Socorro, 1850, thermometer, F., max. 104°, June 20; min. 1°, December 6. Max. Min. Mean. 64 8 38 Max. Min. Mean. Max. Min. Mean. Max. Min. Mean. 85.1 28 56.1 103 55.2 77 85.2 37.2 61.1 The following vegetables are dried here; and, when cooked a year after, are as fresh as when they were picked: Tomato, picked ripe, split open, and dried in the sun. English Pea, picked green, placed on dirt floors, dried in the shade. Snap Bean, picked green, steeped in warm water, placed on planks in the sun to dry. Squash, picked green, cut in slices, dried on planks in the sun. Parsley, picked green, steeped in warm water, hung up and dried in the sun. Very good raisins, though small, are made by drying the grapes on the bunches hung up in the house. This is a sketch of the customs of the farmers in this country, in an agricultural point of view, and can give to the Commissioner very little information valuable to agriculture. This is peculiarly a grazing country, and one of the finest perhaps in the world. The natives, until the United States troops came here, planted barely sufficient for their individual use, and they plant very little more now, though the love of silver has induced them to afford sufficient to subsist the troops. Yet the lands are rich, and, could they be irrigated so as not to require the working of the crop to be suspended, would yield extraordinarily. It will show, however, in a slight degree, that the people are primitive and ignorant; and anything that will tend to throw influence in the way to give them intelligence, will tend to improve agriculture and every other art here. They need first to be taught to read and write, and then the free circulation of every means of conveying intelligence, especially newspapers and journals. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, His Excellency J. S. CALHOUN, J. F. HAMMOND. Santa Fe, New Mexico. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, SANTE FE, NEW MEXICO, SIR: I have the honor to enclose to you the accompanying communication in response to a Circular of yours, asking for useful information. General Baird, the writer of the communication, is one of the most useful, intelligent, and reliable men in the Territory. With great respect, your obedient servant, Hon. THOMAS EWBANK, Commissioner of Patents. J. S. CALHOUN. ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, SIR: I had the honor to receive your letter of the 6th October, enclosing a Circular from the Commissioner of Patents, requesting information on a variety of points connected with the interesting and important subject of agriculture. I must plead a press of business in getting in the present crop, and other affairs, as an excuse for this long delay in answering you. You are aware that we have none but mud fences in this country, and but few of those; so that we have to labor without ceasing, when the alcalde gives the order to gather corn, lest we be left behind and have our corn destroyed by the stock, when turned loose without tenders. Next year some of us, I trust, will be relieved from this inconvenience, as we intend to have our lands enclosed by means of ditches and walls, (timber, you know, in the Rio Abajo, is quite out of the question.) I have never seen a field of corn in this Territory well matured before it was gathered. This results from two faults: in the first place, we are compelled (at least, find it preferable) to wait until the strong winds of the spring cease before we plant corn, as they are extremely detrimental to vegetation; and, in the second place, we are always hurried in gathering in the fall. You are aware of the fact that we are dependent upon irrigation; for which purpose, however, the Del Norte, with proper industry, affords every facility. This would seem, at the first view, to render all seasons for cropping equal; but such is not the case. I find, even with my short experience in this country, that irrigation but partially supplies the place of rain. When showers fall copiously during the time that wheat and corn are growing, they afford a much better yield, notwithstanding abundant irrigation. I was at a loss to account for this, until I examined an excellent treatise on agricultural chemistry, |