Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-09-06
THE SAN JUAN COUNTRY.
Orchards In Splendid Condition and
the Fruit Crop EnOrmous-Rail-
read building the Talk OF
the Hour.

Santa Fe, Sept. 4, 97.--I have beel
asked FOR short article on my tril
through the San Juan country, and in tn
midst of thousand pressing duties
hasten to give few lines.
The immediate object of my visit t.
that county, which will be reported else
where, took up so much of my time that
had only few hours to look into the re
sources of that wonderful valley.
Oh the journey itself I will only say
that the magnificance and grandeur of its
scenery is not surpassed anywhere from
the Atlantic to the Pacific and no tourist
in the "midd,e west re gion" should miss
it.
After leaving Durango and travelling by
stage some 20 miles across the Indian
reservation, which, by the way, should at
once be thrown open for settlement, is
reached the fruit belt of which I had
heard SO much, and from that point to
Pennington distance of 40 miles and
was told for 20 miles beyond this belt ex-
tends, and the immense quantities of
fruit, together with its quality is destined
to attract the attention of thousands far
beyond our bonds.
AS you know l have lately returned
from California, but nowhere in the state
of the Golden Gate did / see such apples,
pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots and
plums, either as to quantity or quality rs
IN that fertile valley of the San Juan.
had only time to visit one large or
cherd with its $4,000 trees. It belongs to
Mr.. Woodward of Pennington, who, by
the way, is with advantage following the
example of the California fruit growers,
In that he keeps his orchard in the finest
state of cultivation, not a weed nor a
blade of grass can be seen among his
trees. The trees are literally one mass of
fruit of the finest quality have ever seen.
Not spotted nor wormy apple can be
found.
The pears in this orchard were as great
a surprise to me as the apples, there were
scores of trees loaded to the ground.
But it is necessary to see and taste in
order to have any idea of the quantity
and quality of the fruit of San Juan.
Last week Representative of the Porter
Brothers company of Chicago came down
upon the valley and it is stated on the
best of authority that he purchased in the
orchards of Farmlngton over 100000
worth of fruit.
This company sends in its own packers
and takes the fruit from the orchards
paying the producers so cents per 100
pounds. And the very fact that this com
pany has chosen this valley as the seat of
operations indicates the value of the fruit
there grown.
But this valley is not confined to the
growth of fruit. The alfalfa, with the
wheat, oats and other cereals, together
with potatoes and other vegetables are
produced in large quantities.
/ have always been led to believe that
leo, but am free to say that the potatoes
l saw and tasted in Aztec, grown right
there, have no superior anywhere, and if
the Santa Fe merchants could only handle
them | for one would use no other. The
only thing that prevented me from bring
ing home sample WAS the largeness OF
the potato and the smallness of my valise.
OF this wonderful valley not one seventh
of the arabic land Is under cultivation,
whilst the irrigation advantages are all
that could be desired. The San Juan,
Animas and La Plata rivers furnish an
abundant supply of water, not at all con-
taminated by any artificial reservoir.
l was disappointed in not seeing more
cattle in the valley, but was told that the
owners had taken them at the present
time to the mountains, but the abundance
of alfalfa in the valley is sufficient for
keeping and feeding right there tens of
thousands of the best cattle in America.
With all its magnifcence this valley has,
at present, it's drawbacks. Bridges are
needed over the rivers, but what is spec
tally required to develop this country Is
the building at once Of a railroad so that
the people there can compete with the
outside world. l found considerable agi.
tation over the building of the Durango
& Albuquerque railroad and know of no
better argument in favor of such an un-
dertaking than the present condition of
the fruit growers and farmers Of the San
Juan valley.
did what l could to induce some of
the people to send fruit to the horticul
tural exhibit to be held in this city next
week, but / fear that even with the reduced
rates and the free transportation of the
exhibits so generously granted by the d.
g. R. G. very little will find its way to
Santa Fe, on account of the expense and
the altogether too early date at which the
fair is held.
have already written more than you
asked for, but with the hope that you will
send your travelling correspondent to the
Pennington fair to write up this country,
and with great hopes for the future OF
San Juan county, am yours, ETC.,
R. M. @.