New Mexico

Flora and Fauna.

The physiographical conditions of New Mexico determine, in a measure, the distribution of plants and animals. Six life zones are represented in the State, due to vari ation in altitude which is a striking characteristic of mountainous areas. The Lower Sonoran is the zone of mesquite, occupying the valleys of the southern part of the State. For agricultural pur poses it is the most important of the zones, due to the long grow ing period and the high temperatures. The woody plants of this region include the creosote bush, the Spanish bayonet, the screw bean, the desert willow, and valley cottonwood. Cactuses in a variety of species are a part of the flora of this zone.

Among the mammals there are a number of species of rats, mice, squirrels, rabbits, skunks and bats. There are also the jaguar, the New Mexico desert fox, the Mearns coyote, the Mexi can badger and the New Mexico weasel. The birds are numerous.

The Upper Sonoran, the largest of the zones, ranks first in economic wealth. It embraces the grazing lands that include about three-fourths of the State, or 92,000 square miles. The grasses that give this zone its value are the grama, the galleta, buffalo and porcupine. Several species of deer, coyotes, antelopes, wolves, prairie dogs and mountain sheep are common to the area.

The Transition zone, covering about 10,000 sq.m., is the section of the State important for timber. Very little agriculture is car ried on, but there is good range for stock. The Merriam elk, Rocky mountain lion, Mexican mountain lion, the mountain bob cat, mountain coyote, Mexican wolf, black bear, grizzly bear, otter and mink are found in this zone.

The Canadian zone is about one-fifth the size of the Transition. Its importance lies in the water-supply that it stores for the regions of lower altitude. Its lowest parts on the cold slopes are at an altitude of 8,500 feet. The trees found are the Bristol cone pine, the western white pine, Douglas spruce and the balsam.

The Hudsonian is a very narrow zone along the timber line on the upper slopes of the high mountains with an area of 30o square miles. The trees and shrubs include the Siberian juniper, Engle mann's fir, Parry's fir, several species of currants and sedges. The mammals are few, being mountain sheep, Rocky Mountain woodchuck, the grey and dusky rock cony.

The Arctic-Alpine is the smallest of the life zone represented in New Mexico. The area is above the timber line, at about 12,500 feet. Among the plants are the Colorado poppy, several species of saxifrages, sedges and rushes, the dwarfed closed gentian, alpine larkspur, alpine sagebrush. Few mammals enter the region.

Population.

The Indians of New Mexico constitute an inter esting part of the population. They consist of two types : the nomadic Indians who have been settled on reservations by the U.S. Government; and the Pueblo Indians, who live a communal life which was well established long before the Spanish came to the New World. There are 18 subdivisions of the latter group living mainly in the Rio Grande valley. The social system is based upon the family as the main unit, dominated by the mother who is the owner of the home. The total Indian population of the State in 1920 was 19,512 and in 1930, 28,941. The Navajo number about 9,000; the Apache, 1,000; and the Pueblos, 9,000. The largest Pueblo community is Zuni which had a population of 1,667 in 1910. The census of 1910 gave two others a population of over 1,000; Laguna, 5,472 and Isleta, i,000. The total popu lation of the State has increased from 160,282 in 1890 to 360,350 in 1920. In 1930 it was 423,317, an increase for the decade of 62,967 or 17.5%. The State was the 44th in order according to population of the States of the Union. The average number of the inhabitants per square mile in the State was 3.5 in 193o, as compared with 2.9 in 1920. There were only seven cities in New Mexico in 1930 with a population of over 5,000, namely : Albu querque, the largest, with 26,57o inhabitants; Santa Fe, the cap ital, with 11,176; Roswell with 11,173, Clovis with 8,027, Raton with 6,090, Gallup with 5,992 and Las Cruces with 5,811. The decade from 1900 to 1910 witnessed the greatest increase in population, from 195,310 to 327,301 or 67.3%. A total of 36,738 in 1930 were foreign-born or of foreign parentage. Of this number 28,941 were Mexicans, the majority of whom belonged to the lower or "peon" class ; a mixture of Indian and Spanish blood.

The negroes have decreased from in in 1920 to 2,85o in 1930. A sprinkling of Japanese and Chinese constitute the other non white element in the State. The State Constitution provides that laws shall be published in both English and Spanish, and no citizen can be deprived of the right to sit on juries or to hold office because he cannot speak English. The dual language situa tion has presented a difficult problem for the schools, but every pupil is required to learn English by which it is hoped to solve it for the future.