Delta chief., 1883-07-25
Delta, and the Denver & Rio Grande railway
company, stockholders of the company.


THE COUNTY.
The boundary lines of Delta county are as
follows: Beginning at a point two miles
south of the third correction line extended
west to point of intersection with the
l07o 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 a sou:hwesterly direction
to point on the extreme southwestern cx-
Of the Grand Mesa; thence in n southwest
erly direction TO the mouth of the Rio
Dominguez; thence due south TO 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 at least four distinct
characteristics. The first, running in mar
row belt along the bank of the river, is
dark, rich, sandy loan, largely covered with
cottonwocds, willows and underbrush. The
sagc-brush lands come next in order, in APP
pcarauce resembling the fertile lands of Utah
and California, carrying bnt small quantity
Of sand, are also very productive and desir-
able. The grcasewood lands, being the mos,
extensive Of the valley lands, do not appear
to contain particle OF sand. They are light
and dusty when dry, and sticky and slippery
when wet"
The valleys propcr--of both the Gunniscn
and Uncompahgrc from two to FIVE
miles wide, back of which rises the first mesa
to a height of from thirty to fifty feet. This
mesa is an extensive bench Of good land
which will in time be irrigated and covered
with farms This mesa exists on both sides
Of the rivers and extends back to the foot Of
the pla,cans, or rs they are generally called,
the grand mesaS The rivers run through the
central part OF the valleys, SO that -ood farms
are located either side. An abundant
growth of cottonwoods extends along the
banks Of the streams, and it is from these
trees that the settlers have for the most part
built their cottages, and for u new country,
il mus, 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 Uncompahgre and Gun.
nison TO Utah, which is from fifty TO sixty
miles long, and from FIVE TO twenty miles
wide. 1t is fifteen miles west Of Delta, and
can be reached by wagon road. 1t affords n
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.
LAND.
The lands since July rs, 1884, are open to
prc-cmption, TO town.site entry, and to entry
under the mineral statutes, but not to home.
stead or scrip entries. or timber culture. A
government survey has been ordered, but the
prc.cmptor will have about three years to
pay for his land.
WHAT WILL. GROW HERE?
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,
parsnips, cabbage, onions. tomatoes, beans,
squash, peas, cucumbcrs, lettuce, musk and
waterrnclons, and radishes. The domestic
grasses all grow by rrigoton-tmc,hy, blue
top, clover, Hungarian, millet, etc. Potatoes
weighing six and a 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 80 to 20 bushels, and
potatoes from 200 to 400 bushels. II can be
safely asserted that all the cereals and vcgc-
tables suited to temperate zone may be
raised. 1t 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 he here.
Young apple trees set out last spring grew
from fifteen To thirty.six inches during the
season.
| STOCK.
! The platcaus, or grand mcsss, a they are