New Mexico

(-mēks'e-ko,) a S.W. territory of the U. States, ceded by Mexico to the American govt. in 1818, forms an almost perfect quadrangle, b. N. by Colorado, E. and S.E. by Texas, S.W.by Mexico, and W. by Arizona, and presents a length of abt. 360 m., with a width of 400 m. Area, 121,201 sq. m., or 79,648,000 acres. The greater part of the surface of N. M. is occupied by elevated plateaux checkered by lofty mountain ranges (between which are broad and fertile valleys), and here and there isolated peaks. The chief alpine system is that of the Sierra Madre, intersecting irregularly the W. section of the ter., in a direction N. to S., and throwing the Datil Mts., and other spurs to the W. Other groups are those of the Soledad, Sacramento, San Blanco, Guadalupe, and Jumanes Mts.,occupying positions trending S. from the centre of the territory. The pp. streams are the Rio Grande del Norte, and Rio Pecos, with the head-waters of the Canadian River. W. of the Sierra Madre lies the watershed of the Gila, Rio Puerco, and San Juan, all tributaries of the Colorado of the West. The S.E. angle of the ter. forms the W. margin of the Llano Estacado as tony and waterle desert. None of these rivers are navigable for larger craft than canoes and scows. The greater part of the land is better adapted to pasturage than crops; an exception must, however, be made in favor of the riverine tracts, these being admirably fitted to the raising of the cereals, fruits, . As yet, N. M. is in its infancy as regards agricultural development. In 1871, the lands laid down in farms numbered 833,549 acres, the value of the same under cultivation being $2,260,139, exclusive of $121,114 worth of implements and machinery; total value of farm produce,$1,905,060; of orchard and garden-stuffs, $77,741; of live-stock on farms, $2,389,157; total no. of farms in the ter. 4,480a decrease of 606 since the last decennial returns. Value of home manu fs. $19,593. N. M. is understood to po e rich mineral deposits, though comparatively little has yet been done to develop them. Veins of the precious metals have been found in various localities, and a company has been organized to work the Ralston silver-mines, which are believed to be very rich. Copper, coal, zinc, and antimony are also largely met with, and are receiving due attention. This ter., politically divided into 14 cos., has its cap. located at Santa Fé, after which the chief towns are Taos, Albuquerque, and Mesilla. Spanish is the prevailing language, though English also obtains in all political and legal proceedings. Education is in a ratio with the progre ive character of the pop.; the latter being of a mixed character: viz., 90,393 white; 172 colored; 20,738 Indian (including Apaches, Navajoes, Utahs, and Cheyennes). N. M., first colonized by the Spaniards, constituted a Mexican prov. till 1848, when it was transferred to the U. States by ce ion, and constituted a Territory of the same in 1850. In 1860 a large portion of it was detached in order to form the new Ter. of Arizona. In 1870, N. M. sought, but without succe , to enter the Union as a State. Pop. 111,303. [s. 642]