Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-01-25
FARMING IN COLORADO.
NATURAL ADVANTAGES OF THE FAR
WEST IN GROWING CROPS.

NATURAL ADVANTAGES OF THE FAR
WEST IN GROWING CROPS.
Immense Yield of Wheat Last Year-Pro-
life Growth OF Potatoes and Kindred
Vegctables-The Corn Crop Abundant
A Grand Country.
(sPECIAL coRRlsPoND1NCl1
DENVER. Col. Dec. Is. 1888.
Uhree days ago l got back to my cosy
hotel here from an extended trip over the
State of Colorado. The genial editor Of the
Field and Farm a short time ago extended
to me an invitation to accompany him in a
jaunt through the State. It was his usual
yearly trip at the close OF the harvest season
to gather up items regarding agriculture
and its kindred belongings. The gentleman.
Captain Cutler. is ono of the best posted
men IN the Rocky Mountain region. and in
Possessing the personal acquaintance Of
nearly every ranchman in the State, with q
phenomenal tact in getting information.
pad my doubts last spring as to the
cessful crops. This is dry climate.
the rainfall being very small, and to
one accustomed to regard abundant rains
as essential to crops. 1t did seem to me that
the land was hopelessly barren, want to
had visible proof. and to say that am
thoroughly convinced that the most invft-
ing and profitable farming sections Of the
United States lie within the boundary lines
Of Colorado. 1t seems strange to talk Of
adapted to farming. yet such is the actual
fact. The Colorado farmer does not cares
so Tar as his crops are concerned, whether
or not the entire year passes without d
shower. An ever-compensating nature pro-
ing SHOWS Of the mountains. that flows
down during the warm. dry summer
months: needing only the simple skin
OF the farmer to store the water and dis,
tribute 1t over his fields at the time when II
time there are over 5000 miles Of main line
irrigating bitches completed, and more
than 600 miles in process Of con-
struction. to be finished by next spring.
The n soils s the plains, apparently so steT;
Astounding in potash and alkalies. th4
richest chemical materials for the growth
Of nearly all crops. They only need the
water to make them more productive tha1
the best soils in the Eastern States. which
have long required the application Of those
mineral fertilizers so profusely abundant
here. In one place. near San Isabel. where
last spring the plain looked to me like a
worn ont door-mat. uninviting and steriles
saw this month an immense potato field
from which the yield of the meals tuberS
amounted to TWO HUNDRED BUSHELS PEE
ACRE. and in some instances exceeding this
The water brought by small irrigating
ditch from one of the numerous branches
Of the San Luis River was the magic elixtf
suits: In other places over the state1
found it to be no uncommon thing!
in fact. the usual thing. for the
potato crop to range from 15e
to has don o re%s1fa5v R per erd whs
tain Cutler. had been busy gathering sta
tistics. I give you some Of his figures.
The Captain is inclined to be conservative.
and told him so. His reply was. with q
shrewd twinkle of the eye: well. I've
erty. expect to live some years to Gomez
If only tell half of what the land will do.
and let the buyer find out the value Of his
ranch. why. then. am making every fellow
figures are thoroughly reliable. They show
the wheat crop of 1888 to be not less than
three million bushels, averaging from
twenty-five to thirty bushels per acre. The
crop of winter wheat was an experiment.
heretofore the spring variety being sown.
The crop Of winter wheat has. however.
exceeded the yield of the spring grain by
about six bushels to the acre.
1t used to be thought that corn would
never succeed as crop in Colorado: East
too great. and your nights are too cold.
Let me say, that during the trip from which
1have just returned have seen thousands
of acres Of splendid corn. from every acre
of (which twenty five bushels have been gath
cred. do not mean to say that have not
seen poor crops. I have; but they were
the result. not Of any unfitness of the
soil. but of the improvident, shiftless stu
pidity Of the fellow who calls himself q
farmer. The man who floods his fields
yvifh for in 1v 10
frosts have left the ground. and then ne
elects the needs Of his crop during the ball
ance of the season. preferring to loaf around
O whisky mill in town; such chap couldn't
acre on the choicest spot in the Garden Of
Eden. The alfalfa hay is one Of the great
staple crops OF Colorado. 1t is a planted
crop. and. though not requiring what might
be called cultivation. does require some at
tention in irrigation. It yields. with fair
five tons per acre. worth in the stack from
Sc to $40 per ton. Three cuttings are made
yearly. and in many instances four. There
is no better hay for all kinds of stock. Pigs
eat it greedily and fatten rapidly upon it.
The oat crop has been an abundant one.
averaging over 40 bushels per acre, and
weighing as high as IS pounds per bushel.
The dry climate. the strong mineral soil.
and the timely application of the water to the
growing crop. combine to make all grain
heavier and OF better quality. On the farm Of
Mr.. Charles Fassctt. near Monte VISTA in
the great San Luis Park. saw an oat field
that had yielded ninety bushels to the acre.
The crop of barley has been good. The
quality Of the Grain is pronounced to be
superior to the pest German barley. and is
eagerly sought for by Eastern brewers.
Vegetables have kept pace with the grains
in making a record for prolific growth.
Onions. beets. parsnips. turnips, are simply
enormous. The cabbage crop alone will
this year net round million Of dollars, a
large proportion of the crop finding its way
over the new railroad line from Denver to
the Gulf, to Old Mexico.
Iexpect you will say that it requires a
good many acres to be farmed to produce
such quantities. Well. the returns from the
various county officers. made in obedience
to law. to be presented to the State Legisla-
ture which meets the second day of Janu-
airy. show that there are now in Colorado
twenty thousand farms averaging 100 acres
each, an increase of over fifty per cent.
since the report of 1867. The farmer in
Colorado has one advantage not possessed
| by his agricultural brother of the East The
roads in Colorado are without any
question the finest natural roads in the
world.
Now. expect that you will ask what is
land worth in Colorado. and what does it
cost to farm it? Well. land can be bought
L,-k