16 A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE 
.1,000 apple trees, 300 of which began bearing this 
season, producing 20 barrels. 
000 pear trees, 40 of which bore this season. 
300 plum trees, with 60 in bearing. 
100 cherry trees, half of them in bearing. 
100 apricots, 25 in bearing. 
900 peach trees, 150 of which began bearing this 
season, producing 50 boxes. 
Judge Bell’s orchard is situated on mesa land, at an 
elevation af 6,700. feet. It covers sixty-five acres, was 
planted in 1889, and contains 3,000 apple trees, 3,000 
peach trees, besides 500 pear trees, 75 cherry trees, 50 
apricot, 50 plum and a few miscellaneous trees. 
Bell Brothers’ orchard, at the same elevation, contains 
forty acres set with 2,500 trees, mostly apples and peaches. 
In writing of this orchard, Judge Bell says: “ Many 
four-year-old peach trees bore sixty-five pounds each of 
marketable peaches, which sold at an average of 7 cents a 
pound ; apricots, 5 cents; grapes, 6 cents. All varieties 
have done splendidly. I have also pears, quinces, nec¬ 
tarines, etc. I have a tree loaded with Champion quince, 
now ripe, and as fine as I ever saw.” 
The fruit shipment by express from Montrose this sea¬ 
son, aggregated 31,225 pounds. 
The planting of fruit trees in Delta County, which was 
inaugurated by Messrs. Coburn, Wade and Hotchkiss, in 
1882, has gone steadily on. Th^ North Fork orchards 
have multiplied in number and have largely increased in 
size. Orchards have been planted about Delta, and the 
County now has an area of 600 acres in orchards. 
W. S. Coburn’s orchard on the North Fork, at an ele¬ 
vation of 5,500 feet, covers forty-five acres, and contains 
3,260 trees, divided as follows: 
Apple—1,600 trees, 350 in bearing; yield this season, 
500 bushels. 
