The Delta independent., 1909-04-30
PRONOUNCED a Rare Country
With Vast Resources
and Extraordinary
Productiveness.
What the Golden Jubilee Edition
Of the Rocky Mountain News
Has to Say Of This Sec
ton of Colorado.

The Western Slope, as that fabulous
ly rich horticultural district lying west
of the continental divide in Colorado is
known, enters less into the early his
tory of the state than any other sec
ton. Its development, except for
that of a small portion of Gunnison
county that at first embraced all of
the territory known as the western
slope, dates from the early SOS. Not
withstanding the fact that much of the
rest of the state had twenty years
start on the western part it has pro-
gressed SO rapidly that few sections
are ahead of it and many have been
, outstripped in the race for recogni-
ton
Fruit is responsible for the develop
ment, for in no place in the known
world do they grow such fruit as on the
Western Slope. Apples, peaches, pears,
apricots, prunes, plums, grapes and
melons thrive alike and reach the high
est state of perfection known to ex-
perts who come from near and far to
bid for the crop that will not begin to
supply the demand. England, France.
Austral and Japan vie with each
other to secure the product and there
is no point in the world where the peo-
pie can afford the best that does not
know Western Slope fruit
Land in this unusually fortunate sec
ton of the state, planted with bearing
orchards, frequently sells for the fabu-
lous price of 81, 600 an acre, the highest
prices known for agricultural or horti-
cultural land in the world Two thous-
and dollars an acre is the usual price,
and so prolific is the growth of the
trees and so nourishing the soil that
the land. despite the high price. pays
for itself in two or three years, and
ten acres, properly cared for, insures
a competence to the owner in ten
years.
The Western Slope, extending from
Routt county on the north to the south
ern line of the state, Is made up of
series of great valleys, each watered
by great river and each divided from
the other by high plateau or table
land.
The ideal fruit land occurs in the
valleys and on the slopes rising to the
plateaus. The ridges furnish shelter
from the winds and frosts and thus
sheltered valleys have mild climate
with long seasons, warm summers and
open winters.
The rivers in eroding the deep valleys
have left on the terraces rising from
the present water courses what is
probably the richest soil in the world.
All through the valleys the soil is
rich blend of disintegrated granite,
gypsum, limestone and volcanic ashes,
ground and reground into a perfect
combination of the fertilizing elements
which makes trees grow rapidly and
produces grains, fruits and tubers of
the highest qualities.
The valleys usually are named after
the rivers that traverse them. The
largest is the valley of the Grand The
Bear, White, Gunnison, Uncompangre,
San Juan, Las Animas and Dolores,
though smaller water courses, water
lands that are equally rich and equally
prominent in the part they have played
in making the development of the
country possible.
Gunnison, Delta, Mesa, Montrose,
San Miguel, Montezuma and part of
Ouray counties make up the political
divisions of the slope and the area COW
cred by them is greater than the area
of the entire New England states. with
New York. Compared with this thick
ly populated Eastern country the west
ern slope, so far as population is con-
cerned, is still wilderness, though
thriving cities and towns abound every
where and the comforts and luxuries
that make life worth living are found
in greater profusion than in the older
Eastern country.
Where oil lamps furnish the lighting
for the rural districts of New York
and New England and the old-fashioned
horse-drawn vehicle the mode of trans
portation, every town on the western
slope and much of the countryside is
lighted by electricity and electric rail-