, 1874-05-13
COLORADO.

Tho Agricultural Resources and
CnpnCltzetr OF Tint Territory.
6s4etaI Correspondence Of 1he Chicago Ir,btsns.
CANON Cry, uol. May I, 1874.
AA was to bc anticipated, my formor co,nmuni-
cation respecting tho agricultural rouor1rcos and
capaotsiea OF Colorado. more particularly tho
southern portion, has ralsod n howl Of wrath
aud vltaferntlon from the real oatato agents,
tho oolony-prosidonts, tho i,nmigratlon-swin-
dlera, tho laud.spaoulators, the contractors OF
trrgatlon~aitchos,-tho entire brigade Of lazy,
aott-flngorod. Anticipated go-botwoens whose
broad. bread and bnttor depends upon population
organs Of tho Torrtorial press, whoao propriotors
havo deseitad ranches on the banks Of the
Fountain and Arkansas for sale. It ia Il aiguih-
cant fact, however. tbnt not farmer In th!a
Or pon to gansaY the fairness or truthfulneus OF
that obnoxious communication. Iha opposition
haB heen oonhnod aolely to men who wonld bs
puzzlod to distinguish d corn-stalk from n Cana-
foro, there is 8omo land In tho northern part Of
tho Territory, on tho Caoho 10 foulro,'
aud in the vicinity Of Evans. Loug1nont,
aan 1Sb b. sIs n Tniss gson od sa At 'faSs e.
samo time, taking tho original cost Of
aitohes and repairs Into consideration, / question
whether those worry same farmers could not make
Aulo HoAot htbth-fA6iuU Of All1ll1ks &Uu lIl.
port their, whcat, ,oatn, corn, aud yegetables,
from tue States. When speaking OF faruling in
Southern Colorado, I only speak OF wliat las
fallen undor my personal experience mud obser-
vation. hnve travelled up and down the Val-
aidee, tho St. CHARLES. the Apislnpa, and tho
Hardacrabble,~-a region Of country rightly,
named for tho farmers, as they are compelled to
scrabblo mighty fast to mako living. have
met hpd copvarsed with all the most Intelligent
fn1nHkrinftH t{IlarA n tim mil In ftn9n pn1~
1eys, and, with but vory few exceptions, aff
OF them deoarad that farming in Colorado was
= very poor-paylng peco OF bnelnoss, mud that
the tmtn!gration-agont or cotony-epeoulator who
that they could make thoir everlasting fortunes
tifling the SOIL waa liar Of tho first magnitude,
and should be treated to a coat Of tar and
foathere. Farming land 10 Colorado Is valuable,
owing to its scnroi!y. There. are only q fow
ploooB Of lanl, scattered up and down tho princi-
pal streams, that will produce cropa with lrrigh>
tion; The remainder Of tho country Is q high,
rolling tabIo.laud. covered with sage-bruBh,
CACTUS, and pinon. mud absolutely incapable OF
being cultivated. The FARMS, or ranchoa al thoy
arc called here, arc scattered from Is to 10
miles apart; and oven when tho far1nor, through
patlont toll and much swearing, does succeed
in getting n crop under hendwny. tho ehancea
fields and deyour bis substance. Agail. erratio
az !"ss ss the middle Of 51ay, bringing des.rue-
tou to tho corn and fruit.trooH:, It is
| boliavo: thus fruit esnnot 10 raieea
here; and the sano holds tcue With
regard to corn and potatoes. Under these dis>
couragoments, md after repeated trials, farming
desosted, aud tho tssvelor can ride hundreds Of
miles without seeing aH much, in the WY Of
cropa as Ia produced in a aiugle township Ia
Lows or 1llinosH. IT you stop With d farmers