Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-09-20
SAN JUAN FRUIT BELT
A County That Produces Millions Of
Pounds Of Apples That Are
Worthless.
OTHER ORCHARD PRODUCTS
Many Varieties of Farm Produce Grown
and the Stock Industry Of the County
Is Also Of Very Considerable
Importance.

of the southwest is San Juan county,
New Mexico, lying next to the Colorado
line, nineteen miles distant from Du-
roads. While San Juan county Is known
as the fruit belt by reason of her
wonderful production of millions Of
pounds of worthless apples, she pro-
duces almost everything which the soil
Of America can porduce. The demand
for hay for stock feeding has made this
section one of the largest producers of
hay to be found in the west. Until dur
ing the past two years the people of San
Juan have made little effort to raise
wheat, as they had no Touring mill un-
til little more than a year ago, and for
merly they preferred to haul flour one
way from Durango, rather than to haul
wheat nearly fifty miles up grade and
return over the same distance with
-four.
Oats and corn make abundant crops
in this section, and the New Mexico
onion cannot be excelled for the tonnage
of its production per acre or it's supe-
rior quality. This is truly a land Of
milk and honey, as the people milk the
best cows money will buy and produce
in their own apiaries the richest flavor
of honey. The poultry business of this
section, though yet in its infancy, has
grown to considerable ma"nitude. Stock
growers here are beginning to get into
position for turning out to the market
annually high-grade cattle, horses,
mules, sheep and hogs. San Juan coun-
ty is specially favored with the waters
of the two greatest rivers in the coun-
try, and will always have more water
than it can use. Combined with its riv-
ers San Juan county possesses a vast
coal territory, and one of the finest CHI
mates in the world, the advantages Of
which, taken together, promise a splen-
did future for manufacturing. The al
titude of this section is generally about
5000 feet, and the winters are very mild,
compared with other sections of similar
attitudes.
The sheep industry of San Juan coun-
ty, like that of its n~eighboring counties
in New Mexico, is in close competition
with the other industries for suprem-
acy, and will continue to grow, and ad-
vance in the volume of production, as
well as in the improvement of grades.
With it's multiplicity Of natural advan-
tages, 1t is doubtful that any other in
dustry will yer lead that of fruit grow
ing in this sunny climate. This industry
is a new one there, and it has progressed
under adverse conditions, situated as it
is, fifty miles from a railroad. The
cuonty has experienced exceptional sea-
sons which have not been favorable to
the growth Of some Of the fruit prod
ucts, but the aggregate success of the
fruit grower has been satisfactory. All
of the fruit growers of this section en-
gage in the growing of a variety Of
farm products.
While the apple crop leads all other
fruit crops and earns the bulk of the
money, peaches, pears, apricots, necta-
rines, plums and grapes are grown here
as successfully as anywhere in Califor-
mia. All kinds of grapes thrive here, but
the Concord has been favored most, and
is a leader in volume of production. CAL
ifornia does not excel any Of the fruits
grown here, but on the contrary Is ex-
celled by both the New Mexico apple
and peach. 1t Is estimated that the an
nual production Of fruit In this county
during the past three years has amount
ed to $4,000 per year.
Northern New Mexico is strewn with
the ruined walls of the homes of the
Aztec people. At the town Of Aztec,
thirty eight miles south Of Durango,
there is the best preserved building
which exploration has so far discovered.
It has above and under ground, alto
gether, five stories. It Is reasonable to
presume that at some time all Of these
stories were above ground. Natures
elements are all the time building the
soil higher or deeper where the noun
tains roll, slide and slough what they
have to spare from their canons, gulches
and slopes. At Canon Chaco, in San
Juan county, just south of the San Juan
river, the ruins are so extensive as to
lead to the reasonable presumption that
the population of this city, whatever the
Aztecs called 1t, was not less than go, 900
people.