CORRESPONDENCE. 1 2Q 



FROM HON. S. A. WADE, OF DELTA COUNTY. 

 Under date of August 14, and October 31, 1887. 



As you are aware the Ute Indians were not dispossessed of this 

 country until September 1st, 1881. Therefore all our progress in the 

 development of the fruit interest in this country cannot date back earlier 

 than the spring of 1882. 



The list of native or wild fruits is short, consisting of the following: 

 Buffalo berries, two varieties, red and yellow. These fruits grow very 

 luxuriantly upon our river and creek bottom lands at an altitude of 4,000 

 to 6,000 feet. The fruit resembling the currant, growing on scrubby trees 

 from eight to twelve feet in hight. Very prolific and a sure bearer. Are 

 improved by cultivation. Ripen about August 15th. 



The service, or Juneberry, grows on the hills at an altitude of 4,000 

 to 8,000 feet ; fruits best when protected from the wind and sun ; is 

 dwarf, six to ten feet ; fruit large and fine. 



The wild cherry is dwarf; frequently plants two feet high are full of 

 fruit ; grow best from 6,000 to 7,000 feet altitude, where they are quite 

 prolific. 



The red raspberry of the mountains is found upon the Grand Mesa 

 at an altitude of 7,000 to 9,000 feet, where the snow falls three to six feet 

 in winter; are very prolific in their mountain home, but do no good in 

 the valleys with the best of care. They must have their snowy covering. 



The black currant found on some of the streams in abundance; bush 

 six leet high ; prolific; fruit large and good. 



Strawberries grow 7,000 to 9,000 feet quite plentiful ; some of these 

 wild varieties are fair size. 



Of our cultivated fruits this is but our sixth year, so we can but 

 report the progress after close, careful watching this growing interest. 

 Myself being one of the pioneers of the fruit interest in this part of the 

 State, I will say, that in the spring of 1882 I brought here from Illinois 

 and Missouri quite a collection of fruits of different kinds, all one year 

 old ; put them out first year in nursery and re-transplanted them in the 

 spring of 1883 into orchard, and now I have peach and apricot trees 

 measuring eighteen inches in circumference around the trunks or bodies; 

 cherry trees fifteen to sixteen and one-half inches; apple trees twelve to 

 thirteen inches, with large, fine heads as ever grew, I think. 



I have thirty-one varieties in orchard ; over fifty varieties of apples 

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