Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-04-20
A FERTILE SECTION
San Juan County, New Mexico,
Where Four State Boundary
Lines Come Together.
UNFAlLING WATER SUPPLY

tioulture Are the Main Industries
Colonies Of Farmers From the East
Are Continually Arriving.
During the past few weeks represent
atives Of the New Mexican have eager
ly embraced opportunities to talk will
Charles V. Stafford, clerk of San Jual
county.aad secretary of the count!
board'0f immigration; A. w. Shidler
a prosperous and intelligent ranch own
er, residing near Pennington; L. c
Grove, editor Of the San Juan Count!
Index, and several others, touching th'
natural resources, rapid development
and present and prospective prosperity
Of the northwest corner county Of New
Mexico. The information gathered from
these various sources is all interesting
and instructive, and this journal takes
pleasure in epitomizing 1t for the ben.
eft of the public.
THE WATER SUPPLY.
San Juan county is so located that Its
northwest corner is the government
monument marking the northwest cor.
ner of New Mexico. the northeast cor.
ner Of Arizona, the southeast corner OF
Utah, and the southwest corner of Colo.
RADIO. and 1t is possible at that particu-
tar point SO to place the four fingers OF
the right hand that one will be in each
Of the states and territories enumerat.
ed. This Is the only place in the United
States where such feat is possible
The county is about square, and COM
prises 3,542, 900 acres. All of this land is
valuable for cultivation or grazing pur-
poses. The water supply is abundant
and never failing. The county is trav-
ersed by three large rivers which head
in the snow-capped mountains of south
western Colorado. These rivers are:
The San Juan, about $50 feet wide, with
an average fall Of II feet to the mile,
and with mean flow of $500 cubic feet
per second; the Animas, $50 feet wide,
with an average fall of 81 feet to the
mile, and mean flow Of 1000 cubic
feet per minute; and the La Plata,
about 30 feet wide, with an average fall
of 40 feet to the mile, and mean flow
of $50 cubic feet per second. 1t will
thus be perceived that no other section
in the world is better adapted to the
construction and operation of extensive
irrigation systems than this favored
county.
THE CLIMATE
The climate Is mild, equable and
healthful, peculiarly well suited to per-
sons afflicted with weaknesses of the
lungs or throat; while every acre of
land susceptible of irrigation is fertile
and easily worked. The reader will
hence not be surprised to learn that the
population of the county has increased
from few hundred persons, chiefly en-
gagged in herding cattle and sheep, in
1881, to about 5000 in this year of grace,
and that as the facts are spread east
many new families are constantly com.
ing in from Missouri. Iowa, Nebraska
Kansas and Oklahoma. There are about
sixty canals or irrigating bitches now
in use in the county, ranging in length
from five to twenty miles. and only one
corporation canal that charges water
rents. The farmers own all the others
themselves, and so perpetual water
rights are transferred with the lands in
the deeds. It is estimated that not one.
twentieth of the available tillable lands
are yet under irrigation, and that not
more than one-fifth Of the lands under
water have so far been cultivated
Thousands of acres of rich lands, with
perpetual water rights as already not
ed, ready for immediate use, can be
bought as raw lands at from $40 to $2(
per acre, while improved lands can be
bought at from $40 to $50 per acre, &C.
cording to the value Of the improve.
ments. Thousands of fertile acres lying
on the level mesas above the valleys
yet vacant and subject to entry under
the public lands laws, can be irrigated
and made fruitful by means Of longer
and larger canals to carry the water
Owing to the great volume and rapid
flow of the rivers mentioned the water
is readily carried long distances, and 1.
always easily controlled and regulated
and the supply is many fold greater
than the demands of the future cat
ever make upon 1t.
AGRICULTURE.
The soil and climate are adapted t.
the production In the greatest profusioi
of all the grains, fruits and vegetables
known to the temperate zone. Wheat
oats, barley, rye. corn, potatoes ant
sugar beets yield as well as in the mos
favored regions. Last year Count!
Commissioner Gilmore raised fifty-si,
bushels Of wheat, 10S bushels Of barley
eighty-four bushels Of oats and sixty
four bushels Of corn to the acre. Al
high as eighty bushels Of corn are some
times raised to the acre. Fields of al
falfa yield from three to four crops pc
year, and then furnish pasturag
throughout the winter for stock
Grapes and all kinds Of small fruits d
well, while the orchard fruits, such a
apples, peaches, pears, apricots, necta
rines, plums, prunes and sweet cherries
grow to perfection in size, color an
flavor, and in quantities only limited b.
the number Of trees. Almond and Eng
lish walnut trees bear we'll. Watermel
ons and cantaloupes of superlativ
quality and huge proportions grow al
most spontaneously. Bees do well, an
much honey IL produced. Train loads {