Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1872-11-13

ORoPs-wHAT CAN BE RAIsED-NEw NARROW
GAUGE RAILRoADa.
Correspondence Of the Commercial
GREELEY. COL, October 1s.
Twenty-eight bushels is about .the average
yield per acre Of the wheat crop In Union Colony
and the Territory of Colorado, for the year 1872
Poor fields, those not irrigated, turned off Is
bushels /; and the best cultivated and irrigated
as high as so bushels to the acre Nineteen
acres cultivated and partially irrigated by your
correspondent, returned $40 bushels Of thrashed
grain, an average Of precisely 80 bushels, the
extremes being l8 and so bushels to the acre.
All but about 80 bushels OF this crop, is plump
prime grain and will readily bring $3.50 bush
el at the railroad depoi, one mile from the bins
where it is stored. Hal there been no loss from
harvesting aud handling the crop, the return
must have exceeded think, 600 bushels. Ten
per cent. is allowedto be light estimate for loss
in harvesting ripe grain in this dry climate.
Wheat is by far, the best and most profitable
crop raised here this year. and hay the next best.
Oats that escaped the ravages OF the army worm
that attacked them in the milk, did we'll. But
the crop was damaged, and 10 below an average.
Potatoes, everywhere, for some unexplained
cause are almost entire failure. chance
field-probably one in hundred-never did bet
Ter while the remainder aro not worth the dig
ging. Experiments In the Colony, this year
with corn, demonstrate the fact that our alti-
tude is not too great for raising this cereal, az
pery attended to as much as 40 bushels to the
acre were obtained.O Our vegetable crop was
simply magnificent, and drug on our hands
more being raised than we could possibly con-
sumo or sell.
The problem of fruit-tree culture seems to be,
at last, settled for this place. A few trees,
peach, plum, pear and apple, at Denver, on the
Thompson and the Boulder creeks, bore their
first fruit this year, Late, autumn irrigation,
proper manuring and culture, with wind-brakes
N HlAlfar hlOAaOm a
needed to secure bountiful crops Of first-class
fruit Grapes one can have almost without eff
fort
Two pounds of Usage orange seed drilled
across my garden, and not watered, show what
can be accomplished in the way of raising hedges
in country where fencing material is scarce
and dear.
Immigration which had diminished in volume,
during spring, and summer. is again reviving.
Old and New England being largely represented
by the present new comers. But we need and
ought soon to establish manufactures, for which
we are admirably situated, in order to furnish
employment to thousands who would gladly be
of our number. One first class grist and flour
ing mill one steam saw-mill in running order,
and another building, are all the power mills we
yet have There is room, and would be plenty
Of business for half dozen woollen mills in
Greedy. We need them.to work up our splendid
home-raised wool and make market for our
surplus farm products.
Az an index OF the enterprise and thrift of our
town. might mention that the prospectus for
another newspaper. the Colorado Weekly sun,
Republican in politics, to be issued the 24th Of
this month, is successfully bidding for the pa
tronaS OF our people. Mr.. Meeker's paper, the
GTeety Tribune, as party organ, seems to meet
only the wants and wishes of portion of our
people. ~ VA
Work on another public improvement of
great Importance ito the development of the
resources of this Country, has been commenced.
l alude to the new, narrow gauge railrord, to
run from Julesburg on the U. p. II. X. via the
Platte valley and Greeley to Golden City. To
build this road, Wild county voted aid in the
shape Of bonds to the extent Of 1900, ,000., pay
able in 90 years. The road is 10 be finished
and in operation, think, by the first day Of
May, 1873. The probabilities that another road
will soon be built from Greeley up the Poudre
valley to Fort Collins and La Porte and the
mountains, grow stronger every day With this
road and tho one approaching US on the East
from Atchison, Missouri, and those we already
have. Greeley will be great railroad center,
Time, passes, and must close, reserving what
1 would say for another letter.
Respectfully, W. f.