The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1901-08-09
San Juan a Sanitarium
The HealthrSiVina climate Of this
County as Great a Resource az
Its Fruit and Water.

The quarto centennial number Of the
Colorado Springs Gazette contained an
accurate write.up Of San Juan county.
from which We make the following ex-
tracts:
This fertile and resourceful county
is situated in the extreme northwest
corner Of the territory Of New Mexico,
cornering at the great four corners of
Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mex
leo. Although a large part OF this coun-
ty is covered by the Navajo Indian res
ervation there remains free to thesettle.
ment OF the white man about s.IS5
square miles-a body Of land equal TO
the combined area OF the states ofRhode
island and Delaware. One does not real.
ize the vast extent a western county
covers until it is compared with some
known area in the east.
The mean altitude Of this vast county
is about 5,lO0 teet, and the climate is up
to the high standard Of the New Mex
leo climate. The winters are mild and
open, with but little snow, and the ther.
mOmeter rarely reaches zero. The sum-
mers are coolland breezy with delight
fully pleasant nights tempered with re.
freehing winds from the snow-clad
mountains Of Colorado, which are not
over 40 or 80 miles away.
No malaria, ague, chills or fever are
ever found here. To those troubled
with rheumatism, catarrh, throat and
lung troubles the climate has been
found to be very beneficial This is one
Of natur's sanitariums and those who
come TO it.in the early stages of cons
umption in many cases become COM
pletely cured, There are not more than
70 or 30 cloudy days in the whole year,
and of these a day when the sun was
wholly unseen would be regarded as
remarkable, The Animas and La Plata
rivers forming a junction with the San
Juan river flow through a large part of
the county aLd give it an ever lasting
supply of pure water for all the north.
ern half, Along these rivers are broad
valleys Of the finest farming lands Of
the west The uplands aud mesas be.
tween the rivers comprise hundreds OF
thousands of acres, subject to irrigation
by the inexhaustible supply Of water
Irrigation canals have been only con.
structed to water the lands Of the i'm.
mediate lower valley and only about
CAAe NAAAAA VI AAAD AAAAk4Au4 AMuuh hIb III
cultivation; the vast remainder lies idle
waiting for energetic men to cultivate
them.
The products Of the loose, sandy loan
soil are many and varied. Everything
common to a semi-tropical climate car
be raised and in the production Of fruits
there is no district Of the whole wesi
that can surpass it.
The cereals, corn, wheat, oats, rye
barley, are raised; while timothy, clover
cane, broomcorn, alfalfa and every va
riety Of vegetable in enormous quanti
ties and Of excellent quality are grown.
Land properly irrigated and titled will
produce 80 to 40 bushels Of wheat per
acre and,a larger yiald OF oats, rye and
barley. The raising Of alfalfa is a fea,
ture Of the county. In the La Plata
valley there are over 1000 acres planted
Welding from four to six tons to the
acre and three crops are harvested dur.
ing a season. The yield of potatoes and
onions is very large,
The couEty is becoming known as one
of the great fruit sections Of the south.
west. The fruits grown here have a fine
and rich flavor and their shipping and
keeping qualities are unexcelled.