The Delta independent., 1888-08-14
The Experimental Farm.
A. r. HOWARD,
Secretary,

During the last session of the General As.
sembly of the State of Colorado, it was enact
ed to establish four experimental stations in
different; portions Of the state, viz: In El Paso
county, Bent county, Delta county and the
san Luis valley. The object and where these
lands were 80 be selected will be seen by the
following Section Of the Session Laws of 1ss7:
SECTION 4. The objects of this agricultu-
ral experimental station shall be to deter
mine She adaptab lity Of crops of grain, root
crops grasses and all other growths which
NAV graw in this latitude; also the most econ
oInical method Of producing the best results
in growing such crops without irrigation.
And in aid of these objects the Board of Az
rieultnre may select land mot To exceed 200
lcresi in the San Luis Valley ou; Of the State
lands there found for that purpose, and shall
appoint three local trustees for the manage
ment Of the same. And in aid of thes, objects
the Board Of Agriculture may select iani mot
tn exceed 600 acres in the Arkansas Valley,
ia the county of Bent out of the State lands
there f1und FOR that purpose, and shall Hp-
point three local trustees Tor the management
Of the ssmr. And in further aid Of these OBJ
iccts the Board Of Agriculture may select
land tn the extent Of two hundred acres in
township No. ~. south OF range 81 or p2, west
o: the sixth principal meredian, in Delta
county, for the purpose Of an experimental
ar-'rnltu--l sta'irn erl. shall anp0int a Su-
rerint.naent spd n~c-4s7ry -mployes to con-
duct said experimental station.
/ As viii he readily seen by the foregoing
section, two of the stations could be located
anywhere within their respective counties,
bu; in Delta county i was 50 fixed as to be
necessary to locate IN township No. IA. south
ofrangc ai or %, wet .f the 9TH principal
mereiiau. which is. as near as we can learn,
in the immediate vicinity of our representa-
tive, Sam Wade farm.
Last Tuesday the State Board of Agricul-
turc, consisting OF McsSrs. y. s. I.aGrange,
W. T. wa,rous, John ]. Ryan, Robert c.
Nisbi,, Fraak !. Annis. Chas II. Small and
Il. \. Southworth, arrived in our city, and at
once proceeded on their TRIP to Paonia, to
look at thst section with a view OF establish
ing sail station. on Thursday evening they
returned from their tour Of inspection, very
favorably impressed with that part oi our
county, hat said, owing to the limited amount
Of agricultural land, it w.,s imPoss BILE to To-
cate n station there. Friday some of our citi-
rens conveyed them over portion of the
country Surrounding De'ta, visiting among
others G. Il. McGranahan's Fruit Farm,
which they pronounced the best ranch in the
State. Antrr short stay there, they were
driven over on the California Mesa. They
expressed themselves as well pleased with
this country, and the probability is, that az
ter uhdoing the wrosg done through thought-
lcssueSs, the station will be located somewhere
on California Mesa.
We have good grounds 70 say more on this
subject, hut willpreserve it for some future
occasion.
Mr Wade ccr,aialy did wrong in maxi
ing the Board of Agriculture believe that
township u. was the oaig fit place in which
to locate the farm, aud the gentlemen conf
prising the Board expressed themselves to
tina; effect.