148 SURVEY OF COLORADO AND NEW MEXICO. 



and the valley of Cherry Creek, ou the north side of the Divide; also, 

 some in the valley of the Upper Arkansas. The chief trouble in the 

 northern portion appears to be that the young trees are winter-killed. 

 But, doubtless, this may be prevented by mulching, which does not ap- 

 pear to have been properly attended to. On the Arkansas, a short dis- 

 tance below Canon City, I saw a j'oung orchard, on the farm of Mr. J. 

 T. Smith, where the trees were growing finely. Among them I saw 

 some peach trees which have commenced bearing this season, the fourth 

 from the seed. The apple trees are growing finely, and so far, have had 

 no protection during the winter. There are quite a number of varie- 

 ties, all appearing to be doing equally wx41. The pear trees, also, are 

 in excellent condition, but the dwarfs appear to be growing the same as 

 the standards. 



Here I also saw watermelons, citrons, &c., growing to a good size. 



I was informed by Mr. Smith that he had transplanted to his garden 

 from the mountains the native currants, gooseberries, and raspberries, 

 but that the experiment proved a failure, the bushes not growing well 

 and bearing no fruit. These native varieties appear to be adapted only 

 to the mountains. It is highly probable that if they were taken east 

 and planted in the mountains the experiment would prove a success. 



The wild strawberries found in the mountains of this Territory, though 

 small, have the most delicious flavor of any that I ever tasted ; they ripen 

 about the latter part of Juty. 



Timber for building, fencing and other purposes is a great desider- 

 atum in many i)ortions of the countr3^ Yet considerable quantities of 

 pine are found on the hills which occasionally traverse the plains, and 

 on the foot-hills which flank the mountains. 



Further up in tlie mountains an abundance of this timber of a very 

 good size and quality can be obtained to supply the present need. And 

 as in these situations water-power is always close at hand, it can readily 

 be converted into lumber by saw-mills at a comparatively moderate 

 cost. Although there are some scrubby species of oak found in the 

 limits of the Territory, yet in the eastern part there is none of sufficient 

 size to be of use for domestic purposes. In our journey southward the 

 first oak I observed was during our ascent of the northern slope of the 

 Divide. Along the larger creeks moderate quantities of cottonwood of 

 medium size are found. Sometimes this is seen as much as two feet 

 through, but as a general thing it is of rather small size. 



While Colorado possesses all the iron ore and coal necessary for the 

 purposes for which these may be used, and sufficient soft timber to sup- 

 ply the mountain districts and sections under consideration, yet there 

 is an entire lack of the harder wood necessary in the manufacture of 

 agricultural and other implements. This, unless it can be grown, must 

 always be supplied from other sections. 



One advantage this Territory possesse sover many other i)ortions of 

 the Union is the facility with which the most excellent roads can be 

 made. The natural soil in the streets of Denver forms a better pave- 

 ment to-day than any of the artificial pavements of the cities of the 

 Eastern States. Being a coarse silicious sand or fine gravel it forms a 

 road equal to the best macadamized. In some of the finer sandy bottoms 

 in the creeks in the extreme southern section sometimes the roads 

 become heavy. Even in the mountain districts I have been astonished 

 at the easj" ascent of the passes, through the most rngged-looking ridges. 

 Along the Union Pacific railroad as far up as Cheyenne there are but 

 very few cuts and none of any considerable depth. And on the road 

 from Denver back in the mountains to Georgetown there is but one 



