The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-02-17


been directed toward western lands,
and especially to southern Colorado,
that the following descriptive letter
will be Of general interest. 1t was
written by Mr. Fl. r. w. Smith, of this
city. who not long since made gem
eral tour of observation through the
beautiful San Luis valley. Mr. Smith
is not a real estate boomer" having
no interest in the valley. but writes
this letter at our suggestion, merely
to give the facts as they appeared to
him.l
IBY H. r.. w. SMITH,
The San Luis valley is one of the
most beautiful in all the west. 1t is
situated in Costello, Conejos and Rio
Grande counties. extending into New
Mexico. It's general direction is from
the northwest TO the southeast, about
125 miles in length by twenty five to
forty miles in width-a vast stretch of
level plain with a gentle slope to the
east and south. Through it flows the
Rio Grande river, the San Luis and
Conejos creeks, and various other
small streams which afford abundant
water for the irrigation of the entire
valley. On the west and south is the
San Juan range of the Rocky noun
tains, and on the north and east the
Sangre di Cristo mountains, included in
which is the famous Sierra Blanco,
claimed by the enthusiastic citizens to
be the highest peak in Colorado. Taken
as a whole the valley strongly re-
minds one of the Santa Clara valley
in California Altogether the outlook
is beautiful, and every man one meets
is a booster"
The soil generally is gravelly-
sandy Jones, easily worked and very
productive Much of it is overgrown
with a rank growth of sage, with way,
is considered a good indication of a
strong, productive soil. The land can
be easily cleared by dragging over it
a heavy bar of railroad iron, which
pulls the brush up by the roots, when
it is piled and burned. Contractors
clear and break the land for $3.50 per
acre, and seed it for a small additional
/ per cent.
The particular branch of agricult-
ural industry upon which the people
here most pride themselves, and for
| the discovery and development OF
which they pat themselves upon the
/ back, is pea farming. And I must
confess it looks pretty good to me
both from the east and cheapness with
which it is conducted and from the
/ financial results obtained. The ground
requires but little preparation, stubble
being not even employed. The seed costs
/ $1.25 per 100 pounds, and twenty
, pounds will seed one acre. In plant
| ing the hoe drill is used, each alter
nate pipe being removed, thus placing
the rows some sixteen inches apart
The plants are not cultivated, and re
quire but little watering-once Of
twice during the season. The water
is applied by sub -irrigation-mer
| turning it into the bitches. Their
when the peas are ripened the sheer
and hogs are turned in, and they do tn.
| rest. The fattened animals are fol
| lowed by stoekers to clean up" and
when these finish the vines are rakeC
and burned. And that is all there /!
to pea-farming in the San Luis valley
The value of these peas as stool
food cannot be over-estimated. TIL,
animals are put upon this food abou
Oct. 1st, and feed upon it exclusive
ly till ready for market. If turned il
before the peas are ripe both sheer
and hogs will bloat. Mr.. Frank SyI
vester, ono of the largest lamb-fe
ers in the valley, says that ten fifty
pound lambs may be kept upon on
acre of peas for one hundred days, an,
in that time the average gain per laml
will be from twenty to twenty fiv
pounds. Hogs thrive upon the pea
fully as well as sheep, and It is claim
ed that the meat of pea-fed hog
brings a better price on the marke
than that of corn-fed animals 1t +
said to be nrmer, redder, 1uicier, an,
runs less to fatty tissue. At any rate
I know that 1 never ate finer lam
and sausage than in the San Lui
valley.
AS to comparative cost: 1t is esti
mated that to raise and harvest a Gro
of corn costs $40 per acre. An acre 0
peas costs $3.50, and it is claimed tina
| an acre of peas viii make more an
, better meat than an acre of corn, an
, bring higher price on the marke
| After the peas are all fed the shee
are heTded on the forest reserve in tn
mountains for six months at 4 tota
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