6 BULLETIN 500, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



of the fruit, however, is on level mesa areas, varying in size from 

 several thousand acres to a few hundred. (See PL II.) The fruit 

 of Montrose County is also on mesa lands easy to irrigate. 



SOILS. 1 



Most of the orchards of Grand Valley are located on the Billings 

 fine sandy loam. This is a light-gray to brown soil, easily cultivated 

 when moist, but when dry tending to bake and hard to restore to 

 good tilth. This is the principal soil on which fruit and other crops 

 are grown from Palisades to Fruita. In general its drainage is good, 

 but owing to the use of an excess of water, seepage has occurred in 

 many places. 



In the immediate vicinitv of Fruit vale Station and in rather large 

 areas near the lower levels above the river soils is found the Billings 

 silt loam type, a heavy, sticky, and plastic soil underlain by clay or 

 clay loam. Much of this type has gone to seep and is no longer under 

 cultivation. It is not well adapted to fruit. 



The Billings clay loam, a plastic, compact loam, varying from light 

 gray to dark brown in color and very difficult to cultivate when dry, 

 occurs principally in a few areas between Grand Junction and Fruita. 

 Much of it has been affected with alkali. It seems particularly 

 adapted to alfalfa. 



The Mesa fine sandy loam, a light and easily cultivated soil requir- 

 ing considerable water for irrigation, makes up a large part of the 

 soil of the valley, especially that reached by the recently opened 

 Highline Canal. On account of its general high-lying position and 

 its leaching qualities it is well drained. It is adapted to fruit and 

 other crops. 



The Mesa clay loam, a reddish to chocolate-brown loam rather 

 difficult of cultivation, is a productive soil adapted to fruit lying 

 principally along the south side of the Grand River. This is the soil 

 of the large.mesa known as Orchard Mesa. 



The Fruita fine sandy loam is a good fruit soil, but has very poor 

 drainage, so that many of the orchards about Fruita have died from 

 the effect of excessive alkali. 



Generally speaking, the soils on which most of the thrifty apple 

 orchards of Grand Valley are located are the Billings and Mesa fine 

 sandy loams. The Mesa clay loam on Orchard Mesa is one of the 

 best of fruit soils. 



Nearly' all the orchard lands of Delta and Montrose counties 

 are located on Mesa clay loam. In most cases there is enough 

 slope to prevent danger from the rise of alkali. This type of soil is 

 well adapted to alfalfa, wheat, oats, sugar beets, and fruit. No soil 



1 Soil surrey of Grand Junction area, J. G. Holmes and T. D. Rice; soil survey of The Uncompahgre 

 Valley area, J. W. Xelson and L. A. Kolbe. 



