Rocky Ford enterprise., 1895-03-14
Address Of WeIeome-
BI HON. A. L. KELJoG6.

Ii IL p4rtacQizriy pleasing 70 me SO-Q1y
to stand here - the representative Of
tkne community, and our hooored mayor,
snd bid you welcome to the frss Farm-
and to the bospitalities Of our beautiful
little city. And 1 can assure you it Is
not done IN . perfuDc4ory manner but
With the vhole-hhartedness of . generous
intelligent people who feel that a. aRri-
culturists they have done their share we'll
IN the construction Of this great common
wealth and In bringing its great sgn-
cultural resources up TO q point that TO-
day it Is worth to the state over e25, co.,
60 more than its mining industries.
As the Development goes on our ideas
are brosdensd and we are the more and
more impressed with the importance and
dignity Of the work so ably told by Mr..
Allerton, chairman Of the agricultural
congress, held at the Worlds Fair Last
year:
interest to the whole world, because the
farmer rs the source Of supplies and To him
al mankind must look for subeistenee. More
one occupation In which 1t may BE- truly said
that the people Of the whole world have . d.
cess Of farm culture nnsliy depends all com
rnercial. financial and Industrial interests; In
deed the .sif.re Of ,ts the mhols SSdy Polite
The public press has long been filed with ac-
counts Of unhappiness snd discontent OF the
have been led TO believe that almost any posi-
fion in life IN preferable to that Of the aSri-
other % general raj occupation s that asord. 50 great
substantial independence as that Of the farm
er: no other occupation that AFFORDS such IA
ciiities for the development Of morality and
the social virtues.
And what better means, next 10 our
agricultural college for disseminating tho
requisite information to bring the farmer
Of Colorado up 10 this higher plain, than
this we are inaugllrating here to-day.
And as soon as he is brought to realize the
importance OF his mission, Just 80 soon
will he make himself felt in our legisla-
tive halls, and Colorado will take its
in Just and equitable irrigation laws, in
stead Of being behind nearly all others in
this line as was shown at the late 1rriga-
ton congress in Denver. And we would
not zee millions OF money buried in q
Capitol building that far outstips in
grandeur that OF many Of our older and
wealthier states, while the value and ef-
fciency Of our agricultural college and
other educational institutions are serious
ly crippled for the want OF q paltry sp-
preparation. What is it that induces the
legislature Of Wisconsin to appropriate
1900 annually for Farmers' Institutes
alone, and Kansas 5000 and Vermont
5000 for the same purpose, while our
appeals Of our State Board Of Agricul-
ture and the Colorado farmer must con-
tent himself With the be2garly pittance Of
only goo for institutes. My farmer
friends, who is responsible for such q con-
dition OF things? LIS it the lawyer or
lsborer? The banker or broker? The
merchant or mechanic? No! But the
farmer himself It is but just to the leg
islators from this part OF the state to say
that they are in touch with, and alive to
the wants Of this interest. They came
here as pioneers upon the plains, without
knowledge or experience in our system Of
agriculture, and in little more than a
decade, by their diligence, perseverance
Transformed the range into regal homes,
and brought the prices OF lands from
S125 up to an average of $500 an acre,
and advanced Otero to the point that it
is the peer Of any county in the state. It
needs no prophetic eye TO forsee the fu-
ture. Better days are dswninR and this
Institute is q bright omen. Believing as
do that agriculture is the heart Of our
country, and the purer and richer the
blood that flows from this heart tho
stronger and better will be the nation,
and those engaged in honest effort to
build upon better foundation have the
Divine approval, l can the more sin
cerely and heartily welcome you here
to-day.
R W. Patterson Of La Junta filed the
place on the program originally allotted