Semi-weekly herald., 1916-02-14
COUNTY AGRICULTURfST
ON SAN JUAN BASIN
BY E. D. Smith
County Agriculturist

seven rivers threading their cir.
cuitous courses southwark and drain
ing the southern slopes of the San
Juan mountains of southwestern Colo
rado, empty their life-giving waters
INTO the San Juan river which, flow
INV westward at almost right angles.
completes a nework Of natural lrri-
CATION channels covering u territory
of more than 10000 square miles and
overlapping into four different states
namely Colorado, New Mexico, Utah
and Arizona This territory is known
as the San Juan Basin.
The wide variation in altitude and
The broken topography of the sur
face Of this section afford multi
plicity of resources seldom found in
50 limited an area.
The snow-capped peaks that crest
the northern rim OF this basin are
at once the inspiration of the fruit
lul hillsides and fertile valleys be-
Low to produce aboundant yields OF
grains and grasses and luscious fruits,
as their melting SHOWS filter through
he soils under the intelligent direc-
lion Of the industrious irrigator.
The foothills, carpeted with a lux
urious growth of nutritious grasses,
provide the farmer and stockman
with the most succulent summer feed
for his live stock, conveniently adj
Jacent to his homestead, while the
stately pines, pinons and cedars that
adorn the grass-covered hillsides sup
ply the building material and fuel
Tor the home, and shade for the stock.
Underneath this wealth of vegeta-
tion lies even richer stratifications
of mineralized rock, and veins of
splendid coal awaiting the coming Of
pick and shovel.
The mesas and valleys are covered
with residual and alluvial soils. to
depths ranging from five to fifty
feet, rich in decomposed organic and
inorganic accumulations of past ages
which, under wise farm management,
produce bountiful yields Of wheat, al
falfa and timothy. During the past
season yields of sixty bushels Of
wheat, eighty of oats, two hundred
and fifty sacks of potatoes, twelve
tons of corn siIage, and five tons of
alfalfa and timothy per acre have
been produced by the better farmers.
The opportunities for producing
large and certain yields of grain and
hay, combined with cheap grazing
facilities Of the highest quality, where
injurious insect ypests are unknown,
where destructive storms never come,
where drouth is controlled at the
headgate, where live stock is praoti-
cally immune from the ravages of
disease; all these at once appeal to
the farmer and stockman as being
ideal conditions under which farm
ing and stock raising can be follow
ed, with the probabilities of return
ing satisfactory results.
This conclusion is true, as is evil
denced by the fact that cattle ship
ped from our ranges direct to the
Eastern markets frequently command
the highest prices; and sheep recent
ly marketed in Kansas City, direct
from the ranges, sold for the high
est price ever recorded there. Hogs
pastured on alfalfa and finished in
the pea and barley fields yield hand
some returns per acre to the grow
err. Dairy products, poultry and eggs
find ready and constant market
at remmerative prices in the near
by mountain towns.
The Denver g. Rio Grande Rail-
road traverses this basin, and THEN
ability to handle the freight ship
ments is frequently taxed to the linn
it. Shipments from this section dur
ing the past year indicate material
! development that speaks well for the