The Delta independent., 1896-06-24
From The North Fork Valley
The Favored Fruit Growing Region Of
Delta County.
A RAILROAD Is BADLY NEEDED.
facts and Figures to Show That it Would
Be I Good Invsstment-Prgject for
the Cold Storage Of fruits-A Big
Profit on Keeping Apples-A
Country Where the Ten
deres. Fruits Reach
Perfection With
out Frost or
Blight.

DELTA. Colo. juno THE section
lying in the eastern portion Of Delta
county. generally known ~ the North
Fork fruit country, embraces an arable
area equal in extent 10 the famed Grand
valley and it has no superior in adspta-
bility to fruit growing. 1t enjoys the
distinction Of having taken. in compsti-
tion with the whole United States, three
first prisss for stone fruits. apples and
pears. = fourth being captured by Delta
orcahrdist. There are at present ap-
proximatsly 5000 acres planted in fruit.
OF this area fully oos fourth 10 in bear
ing and each year witnesses substanti-
d addition to the product. The fs-t
that . failure in fruit from any Gauss has
bsen unknown during the ten years since
the drst orchard came into bsaring.
places the North Fork eountry easily
near the head Of the fruit growing ssc-
tions in Colorado. Apricots. peaches,
grapes and all OF the tsnderer fruits seer,
to flourish uninterrupted by frost or in
sect enemies Of any kind, producing
abundant crops year after year Of remark
ably delicious fruit. Apples, also. are
grown OF superior size, favor and keep
ing qualities.
COLD STORAGE SUCCESSES.
Experiments already made demons
trats that the cold storage can be
economically and conveniently used in
caring for the surplus crop which after
few months 10 again put on the market
at . handsome advance over figures
obtainable when the main crop was being
gathered. Mr.. w. S. Coburn. one OF the
pioneer orchardists above Hotchkies.
stored few thousand boxes last fall in
Denver at an expense af 16-1-2 cents q
box and is nov selling them there at an
advance OF from so to 20 cents box over
what could have been obtained then
He 10 now building a cold storage ware
house on his farm with capacity OF
1900 bushels. A feature Of the con-
struction worthy OF note is that no ice
whatever is used, cold air alone being
utilized. Other storage plants of small
The crying need OF the hour il rail
road. as the increasing yield Of the
orchards makes wagon transportation
much too expensive, besides being alto
gethcr inadequate TO existing demands.
Tho rumor that the Rio Grande will
probably build up from Delta during the
next 12 months has already stimulated
the plan ting OF many new orchards and
projects for the reclamation of other
lands. not yet available, is the building
Of new canals.
NEW CANAL PROJECTS.
Among these may be named the Duke
Broe., the Stewart and the Delta county
canal. The first named will be when
completed about 25 miles long. and 10 in
tended TO water Red lands and Rogers
mcsas. Tho Stewart will be about Is
miles long. and is expected to irrigate
about 5000 acres. The Delta County
Canal Co. will put under cultivation
Grand View mesa. magnificent body OF
land containing 1000 acres, with the
favorite north slops 20 desirable for fruit
growing. This canal will BE- trifis short
Of IA miles, and will take water from the
Smiths Fork Of the Gunnisou. The
water shed, from which the stream 10 fed.
is exceptionally good, a. may be inferred
from the fact that snow three feet deep
10 yet found in the heavy timber with
which Mount Gunnison and neighboring
peaks are clothed.