Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-08-19

among the most recent being a partN
of gentlemen representing Farson &
Company OF Chicago.
The new system is expected to sup
ply $4,000 acres of land. At present
there are only $4,000 acres under cul
tivation, and this has struggled alone
with a very inadequate supply of wa
ter under the old system. Large tracts
OF new lands are being cleared every
day. Traction engines and stump pull
ers are used in clearing the cedar and
pinon lands. The cost of clearing with
the traction engine is about $3.50 al
acre, and to clear and plow sage
brush lands costs about $500 per acre
Under the new system every acre oi
land, whether cultivated or not, must
bear its share of taxation. This will
invite the homeseeker rather than
| the speculator. II will promote exten.
sive cultivation, and finally, division
of the land into smaller tracts. which
will require concentrated effort, and
will result more satisfactorily than
under the old plan of large acre
age. where farmers efforts have
necessarily spread out very thin.
The outlook FOR the wheat crop this
year is excellent. Many fields will
thresh fifty bushels pc" acre, and
some as high as sixty bushels. The
other grain crops are good. Alfalfa
will be cut three times, with but lit
tie damage by rain. But fruit cul-
ture Is what the Montezumean empha-
sises. The soil is of that deep, red,
sandy quality, so well adapted to fruit.
not unlike the citrus fruit soil of Cuba.
From this soil comes the qualities of
flavor and texture, and from the heat
of the day and the cool nights comes
the rare coloring. which has made the
fame of Montezuma fruit world wide.
Pests that annoy fruit growers in
other districts are not present here.
The production of an acre of Colo
RADIO fruit land will be interesting to
prospective fruit growers: On an acre
of land may be planted fifty apple
trees. These trees begin bearing about
the fourth year, and the sixth year
will bear a paying crop. At ten
years old they yield ten boxes to each
tree, or FIVE hundred boxes per acre,
which of the right varieties will net
s1,OO per box. The same orchard at
eighteen years old will bear from
25 to 40 boxes to the tree.
In Florida, Colorado apples sell at
10 cents each, in Chicago at 5 cents
each; and we ship apples to all parts
of the world. Eight million dollars
worth of fruits were marketed from
Colorado orchards in 1906, which was
an increase of s1,000,0OO over the pre-
vious year. These figures will give
the reader something of an idea of
the value of Montezuma fruit lands.
when it is further stated that out of
l04 premiums awarded at the late fair
Montezuma fruit took 81 firsts, three
seconds and no thirds. The fruits
that carried off these prizes were from
the orchards of Gollaway Bros, which
are the most extensive and the oldest
in the valley. They comprise fifty
five acres, and are mostly of apples of
winter varieties. The trees are eigh-
teen years old. From some of these
trees as high as forty boxes have been
gathered. These orchards were re.
Gently purchased by Messrs. Bozman
& &Blatchford of Cortez and three other
nonresident gentlemen, at handsome
figure.
The planting Of trees this spring
has been much in excess of any pre-
vious year, and large orders have been
placed with the nurserymen for fall
and spring delivery. The tree plant
ing is largely done by newcomers,
though some of the old timers seem
to have taken on new life and hope
with the present promise of ample
water for irrigation. But alas, many
OF these have grown old and feeble
| waiting on the promises of twenty
| one years ago. and are selling theiI
lands much lower than they should
considering the fact that orchards In
other parts of Colorado are bringing as
high as one and two thousand dollars
per acre.
| The largest apple in the world was
raised in Montezuma valley. 1t was
of the Wolfe River variety and weigh
ed 321s ounces. 1t took the golt
medal at the st. Louis exposition
With this kind of record for fruit
the finest climate on earth and a pic
turesqueness that defies comparison
1t is easy and safe to prophesy tina
twenty years hence will see a magnifi
cent city where now patient little Cor
tez rears her hopeful head, and th
ID. & X. G. Southern will have to in
crease its rolling stock to carry Monte
zuma's fruit. The d. e. II. G. South
ern is at present replacing all 30-poun
rails on its line to Dolores with s.
pound rails and improving the roac
he'd This will Inaf until n tirna mn