Gunnison news-champion., 1905-09-29
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Gunns-sa eoanty and Ia the art.cie
used tins sentence. There vet re-
maIa aiJaceHt T. the tne ranges
many thousand acres of ranch land
10 be taken up under suitable irri-
CATION sys,ems Discussing the
article with one Of cur most pro
gressIve merchants. he said. lis
that fact, sure Ne don't want TO
clam anything that isn' I So We
assured hIm thai II was true, and
nov, after travelling three or four
hundred miles over still other sec
tons OF the county. with many To-
caiaties lef; to visit, We believe,
further. that Gunnison county is
only at the beginning of ,ts asri-
cultural and stock raising possi-
bilIties. We doubt whet her one
third of the available land is under
cultivation or even taken up. Where
does ii lie, yoa ask in surprise? 1t
lies in mesa lands around the rim Of
cultivated bottoms Ii lies IN benches
and gently sloplng foothills of the
Gunnison and its tributaries. where
large bitches will sometime carry
the main stream or which will be
watered from reservoirs. 1t lies in
immense level tracts like the Black
and Blue mesas where the Camp
bell system of dry farming is avail
able without bitches. 1t lies in high
level valleys such as Taylor and
Union parks that have hardly been
touched, because erroneously thought
too high for hay 1t lies in suppos-
edly dry gulches, which reservoirs
will turn into gardens or where cul-
tlvation at the time of spring floods
will hold enough moisture to last the
SEASON through.
Lest your reporter be accused Of
rainbow chasing, We here instance
dry Rulch" which is undergoing
this very process of reclamation
Willow creek is a winding gulch
perhaps Is miles long, running
north between Vulcan and Spencer
and opening to the Gunnison valley
at A. W Mergelman' place. A
good sized crack in the hills with
here and there live springs and
clustering willows A few years
ago some venturesome prospectors
undertook to raise "A few vegetables
for their own use and to sell at min
ing camps. The crops were imme-
diately successful. Potatoes did
very well without irrigation. Other
vegetables almost as well Others
tried their luck and it is found that
the more there are to turn out water
IN the spring the more water appears
in the creek bed during July. In
other words, the well irrigated soil
of mountain ranches is itself reese
voir to sections lower down. In
August at high attitudes rains begin
so that irrigation is not so necessary
then.
The Smith ranch located at the
junction of Camp creek with Willow
has been already described in these
columns. Mr. Smith raises fine
quality of potatoes without irriga-
ton.
At Midway, where the Vulcan
Spencer road crosses. j. w. Proffitt
is in charge of a ranch owned bv his
brother, j. \. Profit of Gunnison.
Part Of this is patented land belong
ing to the Ute Trail group. There
is a small tract Of land under cult
vation, which takes its water from
Willow creek. Potatoes, oats, bar
ley and timothy are the chief pro
ducts, and an unusually good yield
is expected this year
Riding up the creek we pass the
Dale mill and reach f. q. Burnetts
place The soil is black and rich
and proves a garden spot. On this
ranch there are probably 80 or 60
acres of plow land and considerable
pasture, although he has barely
as vet started improvements. Last
wear Capt. Burnett raised four tons
Of potatoes without irrigation. He
is also working on mining claims.
the principal one being the Belle Of
0urav, which IS believed to be on
the same ledge as the Old Lot and
Gold Coin lodes.
Tom kelso was an early settler
on the creek. but only recently took
up his 40 acre homestead, and is
devoting more attention to ranchinr.
One hundred acres Is estimated to
be excellent hay or grain land.
This year he cuts ~ to 80 tons Of
hay besides a garden. The land is
rolling grassy hills, with good feed
on the range surrounding \ mile
farther up his nephew. c. Z. Kelso