Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1889-01-17
'EcIAL conRxsPoNDxNcE.l

OENNEh, OOl.s Dec. 20. 1906.
Three days ago 1 got back to my cosy
hotel here from an extended trip over the
State OF Colorado. The genial editor OF the
Field and Farm 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 one OF the best posted
men In the Rocky Mountain region, and. In
addition, splendid travelling companion.
Possessing the personal acquaintance of
nearly every ranchman In the State, with
rhassS sHonai tact III Bv0ttus iEIf0I nIutiUI.
l had my doubts last spring as to the
ability Of Colorado farmers to raise sue
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
correct that impression. now that / have
had visible proof, and to say that / am
thoroughly convinced that the most invit-
Ing and profitable farming sections OF the
United States lie within the boundary lines
OF Colorado. 1t seems strange to talk of
Colorado and adjacent States as especially
adapted to farming, yet such Is the actual
fact. The Colorado farmer does not care.
SO far as his crops are concerned. whether
or not the entire year passes without
vides an abundance OF water In the melt
ing SHOWS OF the mountains, that flows
down during the warm. dry summer
months. needing only the simple skill
OF the farmer to store the water and dis
tribute 1t over his fields at the time when it
is most needed. learn that at the present
time there are over 5000 miles OF main line
irrigating bitches completed. and more
than GOO miles In process OF con-
struction. to be finished by next spring.
a.lNI1 ~ lna.x
lie. are the worn down debris Of rocks
abounding in potash and alkalios. the
richest chemical materials for the grow<h
OF nearly all crops. They only need the
water to make them more productive than
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 q
worn-out door-mat. uninviting and sterile.
/ saw this month an immense potato field
from which the yield OF the meals tubers
amounted to TWO HUNDRED BUSHELS PER
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 elixir
that had brought about such marvellous re-
suits. In other places over the State 1
found 1t to be no uncommon thing.
In fact, the usual thing. for the
potato crop to range from $50
to 200 bushels per acre. Wheat
has done remarkably we'll. My friend, Cap
tain Cutler. had been busy gathering sta
tistics. l give you some OF his figures.
The Captain is inclined to be conservative.
and told him so. His reply was, with
shrewd twinkle OF the eye: We'll. I've
lived here many years, and have some prop
erty. l expect to live some years to come.
Ind Eny g l tel hSlt RI XhSf Sdt tth nna nTnaus ell Ss
ranch. why. then. 1 am making every fellow
aAN ~ yhaf IaFk
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 tho acre.
1t used to be thought that corn would
never succeed as a crop In Colorado. East
ern corn growers said: Your altitude is
too great, and your nights are too cold"
Let me say, that during the trip from which
Ihavc Just returned have seen thousands
OF acres OF splendid corn. from every acre
ofwhich twenty-five bushels have been gath
cred. do not mean to say that have not
seen poor crops. l have; but they were
the result not of any unntness OF the
soil. but of the improvident, shiftless stu
pidity Of the fellow who calls himself a
farmer. The man who floods his helds
with WAJcr In carly spring Ilnle, DSlOTO bnO
irosts have left the ground, and then ne
elects the needs OF his crop during the bal
ance OF the season, preferring to loaf around
a whisky mill In town; such a chap couldn't
raise half bushel OF sweet potatoes to the
acre on the choicest spot in the Garden OF
Eden. The alfalfa hay is one OF the great
staple crops OF Colorado. 1t is planted
crop. and. though not requiring what might
be called cultivation. does require some at
tention In irrigation. 1t yields, with fair
treatment, an absolutely reliable crop OF
five tons per acre, worth in the stack from
So 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 IL.
The oat crop has been an abundant one:
averaging over 40 bushels per acre. and
weighing as high as 55 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. 1 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 best German barley. and Is
eagerly sought for by Eastern brewers.
Vegetables have kept pace with the grains
in making 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 It's way
over the new railroad line from Denver to
the Gulf. to Old Mexico.
Iexpect you will say that 1t 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-
ary, show that there are now In Colorado
twenty thousand farms averaging l6O 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 e
land worth in Colorado, and what does II
cost to farm it2 Well. land can be bought
in some OF the best agricultural districts az
ten dollars per acre, including perpetual
right to the use Of abundant water for irri-
CATION. Under ordinary circumstan ces the
follows; Flowing. 81 80; seed. Si.40to 81. &c
per 100 pounds; sowing or drilling, 70 cents;
irrigating (spread!ng water over the ground
by means OF ditch furrows), $2.60; harvest
ing. 81; thIeshin9. 81; total. 70. The crop
at lowest average, being twenty hve BUSH
| els per acre OF sixty pounds to the bushel
selling at &i25 per hundred. will bring
S1875. almost paying the cost OF both land
and culture the first year. Very many crops
| do more than this. The cost OF culture
given above applies also to oats and barley
while the profits per acre are for oats 8,
| and barley t12 per acre. i am giving yor
| fair figures. not fancy ones. The cost o
| farm labor is about the same as In the Md
| dls States. the cost OF living no higher.
Should any OF fmy readers desire more de-
| tailed facts. would advise them to address
| letter 10 the Bureau OF Information, DEN
YER. Col. p. o. Box 2sl6 have had occa,