Cañon City record., 1911-05-04

was taken Dy EA-AIueTmdn VI y u9
Weaber on a trip of inspection
through the fruit growing districts
on Orchard and Garden parks and
Park Center; a territory of which the
writer knew but little, and, much of
which, is incognita to many of the
readers of this paper. The visit was
q revelation of beauty and industrial
activity, and, might to advantage, be
initiated by people unfamiliar with
that section who have a little spare
time upon their hands. The ranches
never look so pretty as they do at
this season of the year and half
day spent in driving among the or
chards will be its own reward and
will afford the visitor an excellent
idea of suburban horticulture and of
the splendid prospect for a bumper
crop of all kinds this year.
Comparatively few people know
what a pretty little village Orchard
park really is, or what is being done
by the ranchers there in the matter
VI
growing resources. improvements are
visible on every side, either in the
matter of new buildings, repairs to
old ones or in the extension of the
eultivatable area. Trim appearing.
well kept cottages. productive gard
ems, grassy lawns and blossoming
trees are everywhere in evidence;
proclaiming that thrift and content
ment that lies back of material pros
perity and domestic happiness. The
abundance OF water available for ir-
rigation to those whose property is
located under the Park Center Land
& Water company's ditch has given
an impetus to ranching of all kinds.
and, as a result, new ranches are be-
ing opened up, and, old and abandon
ed ones, reclaimed. On many of them
cottages will he erected next season
and newcomers will purchase proper
~ and share in the general veal. In
tensiye farming is becoming more and
more popular among the ranchers of
the Canon City district and berry and
small fruit growing is developing at
a remarkable rate in the Orchard
park and Park Center territory. With
the increased supply of water afford
ed by the great storage dam on the
Fawkner ranch on Upper Four Mile
creek the orchard and vegetable pro-
ducts of the territory contiguous to
the bitches of the Park Center Land
& Water company will become as ia
nous, and no less prolific than those
of Lincoln park and Fruitmere
Some marvelously fine young fruit
ranches are coming on in Orchard
park. and, one Of these days. will as
tonish the public with the splendid
character of their product. 1t is no
disparagement TO other localities to
say that the View from the upper por-
tion OF Orchard park IS the most
beautiful and inspiring in this section
of the Arkansas valley Some two
or three hundred feet above Canon
City the scene which stretches away
in every direction is of the most in
spring character; the panorama
which unfolds itself upon the vision
being one that no artist, however
skillful with the brush. can reproduce
in its true magnificence. Among the
young orchards in the Orchard park
territory that promise much to their
owners may be mentioned those of
Cyrus Weaber, Geo. F. Rockafellow,
G. II. Lindenberger and Guy U. Hardy.
They own fifteen acres each and four
finer fruit growing tracts, with more
thrifty trees, it would be difficult to
find anywhere in Colorado, or else
where, for that matter.
ID. +. Gibson is opening up ranch
a mile or more north of the group of
properties just mentioned that pos
sesses great portentialities as a fruit
producer. A noteworthy thing in con-
nection with the Orchard park and
Park Center districts is the rock lined
bitches that are being put in by the
company to conserve the water by
preventing loss from seepage. There
are sevAral miles OF such bitches and
they are being extended as rapidly as
circumstances will permit They are
constructed in workman-like manner
and will last indefinitely. In addi-
ton to saving the water from loss by
soaking away into the ground where
1t would do no good they prevent the
soil from washing, which. in some To-
calities would be serious matter. 1t
will be interesting to know that the
Park Center Land & Water company