Semi-weekly herald., 1914-01-01
OUTLOOK OF THE San
JUAN BASIN IS BRIGHT
This Country is Now Only in its Infancy, Stock
Raising, Agriculture, Mining, and Other Resources
Will Place the San Juan Basin Among the Best
Durango is all right.
La Plata county is all right.
The San Juan basin is all ripht.

The San Juan basin is all right.
The outlook for Durango, La Plata
county and the San Juan basin is
brighter than ever Some may say:
This is the regular first of the year
prediction, but there are reasons for
our belief at this time. In the first
place we are enjoying the fruits of
the hest year both as to aggregate
of crops and prices; the same is true
regarding the mining and smelling in
dustry.
This southwest section is still in a
formative period, period Of growth
and development. In agriculture no
more than fraction of its tillabie
fields are included in the productive
area from which the magnificent
crops of the past year have been
garnered. The limits of the profit
able use of water properly applied
are still remote. What this section
needs is more farmers. We need the
small farmer. We have long been an
advocate of small holdings-40 to 80
acres, unless the family is unusually
large. In most water districts one
has to pay for water on all land to
which it can be applied whether used
or not. Taxes also have to be paid
on unimproved land the same as i'm
proved land General fixed charges
are about so much, hence one should
count on cultivating every available
acre, thus making each unit do its
share towards keeping up expenses
and profits of the year. 1t is better
to cultivate one acre well than three
poorly-the results from the one acre
will be far greater than from the
three indifferently cared for. There
fore we say to all prospective set
tiers, do not figure on buying more
land than you can cultivate. Many
hold that ten acres will make a
splendid living for small family,
having an acre or so to large fruit,
another acre to small fruits, an acre
for garden products, an acre for build
ings and the rest to alfalfa, enough
being raised to care for couple Of
cows, horse and some pigs. To the
man who wants to locate on farm of
40 to 80 acres no place in the world
offers better inducements and an IN
dependent living is assured. We have
been a resident of this section up
wards of thirty years and we havs
never known of crop failure. With
proper cOnSeTVdtlC1i VIC nave S"Ai'
cient water to irrigate ever acre oil
land in the San Juan basin. In fact,
nine years out of ten there is an ex-
cess of water as this is the best wat
cred section of the United States
where irrigation prevails.
Our soil cannot be excelled any
where. 1t grows everything. All
kinds of small grain, such as wheat
oats, barley, rye, ETC., do well, the
yield being far above the average
from 25 to 100 bushels per acre. AL
though we don't claim this to be
corn country it does very well in the
southern portion of La Plata county.
In fact, we have seen as fine corn as
one desired raised in the upper Ami
mas valley. In the Aztec Pennington
districts corn does as well as in the
east and there is good money in its
culture. Potatoes do exceedingly well
and the d. & r. G. gives COMMODITY
rate that lands them in Kansas City
at 40 cents per hundred, 10 cents
more than the Greeley rate. Every
thing in the garden line does we'll
all kinds of roots for the table and
stock, while from two to three cut
tings of alfalfa is the rule, never les
than two and in most cases three. IL
is not n matter of luck that bumper
crops are grown in this country, but
an established fact by every one VINO
is willing to work. No fear when
crops are planted of drouth or ex-
cessive rains.
The finest apples and pears are
grown in La Plata county, being
firm and delicious flavor. Owing to
the high altitude apples do not ma
ture and become soft in the fall ike
thew do in a lower altitude, hence
command the best prices. Cherries
plums, apricots do well and occas-
ionally peaches, but no claim is made
for the latter. In small fruits straw
berries always yield well, also, rasp-
berries, currants, etc.
The settler who is able to put up
necessary buildings and devote HIM
self to agriculture on 20, 40 or ~
acre tract of land is assured OIL
Comfortable living with surplus for
rainy days. ;, ...;
farmers TO oul midst. With equally
as good land and better supply Oh
water land values are less tnan nan
what they are in some parts OF tne
state simply because no effort mas
ever been made to colonize or locate
settlers. The finest improved lands
with guaranteed water rights sell
from $50 to $125 an acre with unim-
proved lands from $25 to $75 an acre
less than the cost of water in many
places.