Pueblo chieftain. (Pueblo, Colo.) 1889-current, 1921-08-01
SKETCHES Up ARKANSASRIVER
milne OF FARM and GARDEN
Brief GHmpses From Train Window Show Much
Green Scenery and Little Agriculture and
Both Are Objects Of Interest

/ the finest corn. tall and rapidly matur-
ing. standing in rows as straight as
a string. not as big as the stalks in
the Wabah and Missouri bottoms but
| still first class and handsome speci-
men of some twenty acres and probably
| the finest field of corn ever grown
/ at the altitude of 8 900 feet.
At many points along the road we
SEE little piles OF yellow dead alfalfa,
the lost and ruined first cutting, caught
| in one of those sudden June rains.
These worthless piles ought to be re-
moved promptly. Their owners are SO
! embittered by the disappointment that
. they refuse to touch the spoiled hay
But the second crop. just being cut.
is plentiful in quantity and of the An
est quality. one stack in particular
was noticed. as big az a six-room
house. compact and shapely. AS far
up as Salida, where there are only
| two crops year. could be seen in
tho distance an alfalfa stack even
| larger than that
| VACATION YEAR FOR THE TREES
We ran along for a mile between
the far-spreadng orchards this side
Of Canon City and did not see an apple
| on one of them. The owners must not
| only lose income from the trees this
season. because OF late April frosts but
must do n certain amount of spray
ing. So-called small fruits must yield
the only horticultural product for
| 1921, Cherries are doing pretty well
and there is some supply of raspber-
| ries.
But between the trees we get glimps-
| es of the possibilities in Intensive farm
| inC-long close-set rows of vegetables
OF different kinds. looking thrifty and
bright IN that excellent Canon City
soil whila tho south etiTs
may be suro South Canon has turncd
in its usual big picking OF strawbcr-
ries. For the most elegant soil deep
and easily worked, model in texture,
responding readily to every stroke.
South Canon can hardly be excolled In
| any part OF the United States.
Above the gorge there is practically
| nothing for thirty miles, till we find a
very few small but excellent gardens
| opposite CotopsNi Four miles further
UP a narrow valley opens and grad
ually widens to the space OF mile at
coaldale- Here is a long and beauti-
\ ful series of finc farms, well watered
and valuable. Lands along here sell
dom change hands. Owners have no
desire to sell. Families live hero in
independent contentment for a full
generation. Tho widest part OF the
valley is at Howard. where Il makes
| the turn toward tho north But the
srai mile, passing weisvil,e. where
IL the noted spring OF hot water.
THE BEAUTIFUL UPPER VALLEY
Now We approach Salida. where the
| upper Arkanaas valley proper begins
| and Il extends to and above Buena
| Vista, preventing alluvial and fairly
level spaces for maximum OF two
miles wide between high and majestic
mountain ranges. in a superb climate
| and with abundance of water. The low
lander. who iahors under tho dclusion
that nothing grows up in tho Rockies
| except scrubby pine trees and tough
bunch grass finds one surprise after
| another lilo Is astonished at the var
iety and mNurisncas Of garden vecc-
/ tables grown from year TO year, and
| tho number Of kinds OF trees. and tho
excellence OF farm crops. Just out
side the north suburbs OF Salids Is
/ today a i0-acre field of the biggest and
/ rankcst oats We have ever seen. stand
4 Ing as high a. mans shoulder. while
/ Just across tho road is a Held Of the
/ best wheat. Turnout tho city OF SAL
| ida, a clean. thrifty. prosperous, pretty
town Of nearly 5000 people, the visl-
tors eve catches frequent flashes Of
tho most brilliant flowers including
the vivid scarlet OF enormous peoples.
but there are also pink climbing roses
and red hollyhocks.
There arc n faw specimens OF that
perfect and lovely tree the Mountain
Ash. also a number OF clean and
thrifty apple trees probably the
! Wealthy and Yellow Transparent
Near tho n. & r. G hospital rise tall
old Lombsrdy poplars standing up like
towering mhstE. slim straight tren
which can not grow in Pueblo because
tho worms cut IL TO pieces
A very little sweet roasting ear" corn
Is grown IN there, no field corn. but
bald barley is thrifty. and many vac
ant lots arc completely out OF sight
under rank growth OF potatoes
But tho prominent feature Of the
limited extent or farm experience up
there Ia tho uniform excellence Of the
soil. which works M like corn meal"
Tho high altitude farmer escapes the
perpetual fght with stubborn weeds
the daily struggle down hero In the
adobe ground. Some Of tho most
troublesome weeds and vicious Insects
of Kansas are entirely unknown hc' /.
at Pueblo but some Of the wire grass
and other trescherous enemies Of pueb-
10 county are never seen in Chaffec.
II We had gone farther up the vaS
ley We would have come. to the new
head lettuce region II was stated that
one man who has n f-id OF seven acre,
of growing head lettuce was offered
1900 for tho crop but declined tho