Delta chief., 1883-06-13
Delta, and the Denver & Rio Grandc railway
company, stockholders Of the company.
THE COUNT,

company, stockholders of the company.
THE COUNTY.
The boundary lines of Delta county are as
follows: Beginning at point two miles
south of the third correction line extended
ives, to point of intersection with the
i07o 3o' west longitude; thence due north
along said degree of longitude to the divide
between the headwaters OF the Grand and
North Fork of the Gunnison rivers; thence
along said divide in southwesterly direction
to point the extreme southwestern ex-
of the Grand Mesa; thence in southwest
crly direction to the mouth of the Rio
Domingucz; thence due south to a point
two miles south of an extension of the
third correction line; thence due east par
allel with said extension of the third cor
rection line to the place of beginning. The
county seat is Delta.
THE VALLEYS.
A recent writer has said Of the soil of the
valleys that il Shows ut least four dis;inc,
characteristics. The first, running in mar
row bel, along the bank of the river, is
dark. rich, sandy loan, largely covered with
cotionwoois, willows and underbrush. The
sase-brush lands come next in order, in ap-
pearance resembling the fertile lands of Utah
and California, carrying but small quantity
Of sand, are also very productive and desir-
able. The greasewccd lands, being the mos,
extensive of the valley lands, do not appear
to contain d particle Of sand. They are light
and dusty when dry, and sticky and slippery
when wet
Tl., Ill Ill, 81.
and Uncompahgre are from two to five
miles wide, back of which rises the frs; mesa
to height of from thirty to fifty feet. This
mesa is an extensive bench of good land
which will in time b. irrigated and covered
with farms. This mesa exists on both sides
of the rivers and extends back TO the foot Of
the plateaus, or rs they are generally called,
the grand mesas. The rivers run through the
central par, of the valleys, so that good farms
are located on either side. An abundant
growth Of cottonwcods extends along the
banks of Ihc streams, and il is from these
trees that the settlers have for the mos, par;
built their cottages, and for a new country,
II must be said, these places are very pretty.
Yellow pine of the best quality covers the
mountain ranges. There is belt beginning
near ouray and running parallel with and on
the west side of the uncompahgrc and Gun
nison to Utah. which is from fifty TO sixty
miles long, and from FIVE 10 twenty miles
wide. /, is fifteen miles west of Delta, and
can be reached by wagon road. II affords a
good opening for saw mills. The lumber
made from this timber is as good, If not bet
ter than the best Chicago or Milwaukee lum-
Der.
The lands since July IS, 1889, are open to
presumption, to town-sitc entry, and to entry
under the mineral statutes, but not to home
stead OF scrip entries, or timber culture. A
government survey has been ordered, but the
prc-emptor will have about three years to
pay for his land.
WHAT WILL GROW HEREg
To this question there is but one answer to
make. Almost anything in the agricultural
line and in the way of fruits, possibility
that all kinds can be successfully grown.
The first assertion has been practically
demonstrated. On one ranch was raised
corn, alfalfa, potatoes, turnips, bcets, carrots,
parsnlps, cabbage, onions. tomatoes, beans,
squash, peas, cucumbers, lettuce, musk and
watermelons, and radishes. The domestic
grasses NIL grow by rrigation-timothy blue
top, clover, Hungarian, millet, etc. Potatoes
weighing six and half pounds were raised
on the North Fork, and green corn and mel.
ons were furnished to the Gunnison market.
Last year Odessa wheat yielded over so BUSH
els to the acre, oats from so to 40 bushels, and
potatoes from 200 to 400 bushels. 1t can be
safely asserted that all the cereals and vcge-
tables suited to a temperate zone may be
raised. II may be that here, as in the valleys
on the eastern slope Of the Rocky Mountains,
that the intense winter warmth followed by
sudden extremes of cold may be fatal to fruit
culture; but soil and climate matching that
soil and climate where the peach and apricot
flourish TO perfection are thought to be here.
Young apple trees vet out last spring grew
from fiftcen TO thirty.six inches during the
season.
STOCK.
Tae platesus, or grand mesas, as they are