The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1900-07-13

Marvellous Resources of san lnan
gounty Depleted BY q Rsiiroad
Authority.

Marvellous Resources ot san AuaR
County Depleted by o Hsiiroad
authority.
The passeDgor department oi the Den
yer 6 Rio Grande rairoad company has
iasued booklet entitled. "Aertle Lands
Of Colorado. and descriptive d The sec.
tion tributary to that raihoao. ln it is
also an accurate and readable write-up
Of San Juan county. New Mexico. which
we reproduce below
The country south Of Durango, across
lhe line of New Mexico. Is cc.tain 60 al
tract a large immigration dgring the
next few years. The district iss2melimea
known ss the Pennington ree0ta, pa ac-
count OF the largest settlemalt. The
region is principally Waisreaf by f0ur
riYers-the San Iuan the C'ine. the
AnimHa aud the La Plata. fnase rivers
are all 10 San Juan county anp furnish
an abundance Of water for irrigation az
all seasons Of fhe year. Tie valleys
along these rivers vary in fioth from
two TO five uiles, containing lhe Finest,
richest and mcst fertile lanoI,frfigatior
canals and bitches have been costructed
Z 10 NNNiAnNN MNNAAI NA tAN ANHAa Ah AAAN
immediate valleys OF these four riyers.
Only about cne.third Of he lands
under this system Of irrigati,s is now 10
actual cultivation. The remaining two
thirds Is lying idle OF being ised only
for pasture These lands W produce
almost any kind Of crops ooisinOn to a
semi tropical climate. Ceruals Of all
kinds, grains, grasses, fruitEraDd vege
tables grow aud flourish ia this soil
under a system or irrigation which is
both easy and complete.
With an unsurpassed climete, millions
Of acres of rich. productive ec,i for either
! grains. grasses. fruits or vege abes, with
a supply Of the purest wate-a to fully
/ irriQate an these labde, with rood schools
/ aud churches, and a sturdy rot OF enter
prising American citizens ana plenty Of
/ room for more Of same kind here ie no
good reaeon why San Juan county, New
| Mexico will not in the near future be-
come one Of the foremost and most
/ prosperous regions in all the great West.
To the pOor man with limued means
this country offers cheap homes with
every advantage in favor Of IN easy and
independent livelihood. To The well to
do man with capital to avest this
country offers more safe ttAds for in
vestment, mora advantagesland better
Inducements than any other locality IN
this or adjoining states and erritories.
The soil Of these valleys nay be de-
scribed ia general as a sandy loan. 1t is
Of great depth, is very rich laDd fertile
and very easily worked, Some portions
Of the soil are OF the varietP known iu
California red soil than which there is
no better in the world for thl production
Of fine fruit. Then there Isl dark, rich
sandy loan which, with irrigation, pro
duces almost any crop Of tsreal fruit
grain, grass or vegetables common to q
semi-tropical climate The foil Of these
valleys is highly impreg hated &itt
mineral properties which 81 es it grea
productive qualities, lt III very easily
brought into a fair state OF cultivation
An average pair Of mules Of lrgo horses
as. sl1tis..i 49,, ,sr-s - ~, af'
sufficient TO do the first taJAking, ani
when the soil is once brokenit becQme
loose, mellow and easy to cultivate i
does not become poor, exhausted d
worn out with use. IL is rich and strong
and retains its strength and Decome
better with age and use.
The agricultural products are vnrieC
anc extensive Corn wheat, oats, rye
barley, buckwheat, alfalfa, millet, tim
othy, clover, sorghum, al grow and
flourish here IN large qualities and o
the finest qualities. The following d
/ about the average production per acre
Corn, thirty TO SIXTY bushels; oats, fort.
to ninety bushelsj wheat. twenty TO fort.
bushels; rye, fifteen to thirty bushels
barley thirty to sixty bushelsj alfalfa
under fair irrigation, yields three crop
per year,
The farmers ana ranchmen Of tn
valleys can put out all their stock eAcep
that which is maintained tor actual do
nestle use, and have il kept on the grea
free ranges at the nominal cost OF herdinl
Cattle and sheep fatten ready for ia
market on the native grasses on tn
ranges, Grown and produced at sucl
slight expense. beef and mutton raisinl
is very profitable. Wool is one Of th
staple products Of the country. 1t is on
Of the great sources Of revenue hoy
are a very profitable feature. Iney cal
be raised on alfalfa, ready for the mar
ket, with no grain at all except q iitl
corn just before marketing, which !
Thought advisable for hardening tn
dosh. Horses will live we'll an do al
ordinary amount Of work with no othe
feed than alfalfa. AS q rnle, regular worl
animals are fed grain, but many use onl
alfalfa, Of which from four to six tons ar
produced per acre in one year. Kounl
stock Of an kinds live almost entirei.
J upon the range, with now and then
little alfalfa Ia the coldest days Of Winle
in times Of snow, Of which there are bu
very few days in this climate.