30 



along the mountain-slopes indicated plainly enough that we had reached 

 the limit of the ^^ growing-season" there. 



Reports reached us of fertile valleys with abundant pasturage west of 

 Twin Lakes. 



The first fairly good farm we saw after leaving Denver was that of 



Mr. Lenhardi, on the Arkansas, twelve miles below Granite, August 



27. We found that Mr. Lenhardi had just finished his harvest. He had 



a good crop of oats, barley, and potatoes. He admitted, however, that his 



success was earned by continuous irrigation through several months. 



Below him were several other ranches eciually good. So narrow was the 



belt of fertile land that the ranches were often over a mile long, and 



hence, to include the legal one hundred and sixty acres, could not have 

 been wide at any point. 



Following down this valley, we saw the first flouring-mill at Chalk 

 Creek. It was probably the best indication that we were not far from 

 the northern limit of successful cultivation of the ordinary cereals. 



Leaving the Arkansas Valley at McPherson's ranch, we crossed the 

 Saguache Mountains via the Poncho Pass, which is reported as 8,000 

 feet high. It is probably somewhat over this estiinate, though still far 

 below timber-line. South of us lay San Luis Valley, concerning the 

 agricultural value of which there are so many contradictory reports. 

 Slttlers in the valley are loud in its praise; others are, as a rule, loudest 

 in their disparagement of it. It may l)e premised that snow seldom 

 falls to any depth or lies long on the ground. These conflicting reports 

 probably find their solution in the fact that the most important roads 

 over which by far the largest share of the travel passes are located in 

 the most barren portion of the valley; hence those simply passing 

 through it receive a most unfavorable impression as to its resources. 



To make this statement more clear, we will make the following 

 divisions of the valley : 



First, that portion bordering the water-courses, where the soil is con- 

 fessedly fertile and irrigation is possible. The land lying along the 

 banks of the Saguache is the best illustration of this. The soil there is 

 the product (on the surface) of the immense crops of rank sedges and 

 grasses that have for centuries grown, died, and decayed there. To say 

 that it is as fertile as land can be, is not in the least overstating the 

 truth. "Breaking it up" is simply preparing a vast compost pile for 

 "seeding.^ 



The following facts were obtained from Mr. Frank Brown, one of the 

 most reliable men in the valley: Oats per acre produces 40 to 50 bush- 

 els, weighing 40 pounds per bushel ; barley per acre produces 50 bushels, 

 weighing 55 pounds per bushel; "bald barley" per acre produces 50 

 . bushels, weighing 75 pounds per bushel ; wheat per acre produces 30 

 bushels, weighing 65 to 68 pounds per bushel ; potatoes per acre produce 

 300 bushels, of course an unusual yield ; turnips, onions, beets, radishes, 

 and cabbages yield well and grow to an immense size. I can personally 

 vouch for the truthfulness of most of these facts. (I find, on look- 

 ingover a letter received from Mr. L. A. Phillips, of the '^Colorado 

 Farmer," that the estimate of the crops for Colorado is, on the 

 average, per acre, wheat, 28 bushels; oats, 40 bushels; potatoes, 

 150 bushels; corn, 25 bushels; and barley, 35 bushels. This estimate is 

 by no means a fair showing for the corn of certain portions of the Ter- 

 ritory, Fall-grains Jiave not yet been extensively enough tried to test 

 the relative merits of fall and spring crops.) 



Along the Oarnero, Logarita, and Eio Grande, the soil is not so pro- 

 ductive of large crops as the Saguache region ; but, to offset this, it is 



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