Rocky Ford enterprise., 1896-04-02

SUGAR BEETS
| ALL IMPORTANT.
A Profitable Industry Which Is Prae-
tically Devoid Of Competition.
To tho Editoy Of the Enterprise:
feel very much interested In the out
come Of the sugar beet movement in this
valley, and am fearful that the farmers Of
this vicinity are going to let their golden
opportunity slip away without even CIV
ing the experimental part OF the enter
prise fair consideration.
It is q recognized fact that the farmer
is, to q large extent, the financial factor
Of the world. When he proepers most
Of the other industries prosper with him.
II be suffers, they suffer as well. Now,
with q climate almost perfect, and with
the advantage OF irrigation, Iwant to
ssk, What is the outlook for the grain
raiser OF Colorado today and probably
for the futuse7
There is no ground for argument on
the question of cheapness Of production,
a. between Colorado and Kansas or Ne
braska. With the price OF grain forced
down to point below the cost Of pro-
duction here, by the through freight
rates from the east, and with no reasopa-
BILE probability OF prices being again
raised to the old standard, only in excep.
tional cases, ask, What is tho outlook?
To BE- prosperous the farmer must have
something marketable 70 "buy" money
with, and that commodity should buy
somethinQ more than tho bare cost OF
Be kind enough to tell me- what he
has had in the way Of grain during tho
past year that would "buy" him much
Alfalfa il "king" and We would not
have him dethroned, but please tell me
how rich he has made his subjects dur
| ing the past twelve months and what can
he promise for the future? He 10 indis-
pensable in the country, but what can
you .buy" with him now and probably
In the future? Sometime in the uncer-
tain time TO come We may have railroad
rnte TINT will admit him and his SUBJECTS
to the mnrts Of trade in the east. But
that is not the kind Of future We are
something that will not be everlastingly
hampered by that demon, competition.
II IL only the few who can raise alfalfa
with profit at present.
Tho hog industry oeems TO b the
nearest approach TINT the ordinary farm.
or hero has TO rely upon 10 furnish the
something to buy money. with. Here
again We have The old problem. We can
not compete with our eastern friends In
raising the corn necessary 70 fit them for
market. This ever-present question Of
competition meets Us Ut every point, and
we, q farmers, fail to get much proteo-
tion, no matter how loudly ve call for Il.
Some how the man aDufacturer, under . "a
vorable administration, II generally able
to call loud enough TO get relief. II
may be be j. nlyer-tongred, or what IN
the east is better still, has . golden pal
ato. At all events he asets there" But
tho farmer never. There seems 10 be no
hope for us In the future along that line.
Every new industry We take mp Il soon
crowded TO the Improbable point by
competition. We are continually tread
ing on our neighbour toes In our effort
10 mako an honest living.
Now let us see how the sugar beet bus
iness will fit IL. For once We have found
an exception that We can follow for the
next half century without injuring our
neighbors' prospects. This industry Il
no experiment here. It has been demon
strnted time and again that We have q
soil aud climate especially adapted TO
the growth OF the beet, and thnt with
along that line. And, mind you, wc arc
not taking the bread from our neighbors'
mouths while We are 30 doing. Il Is q
money -getter besides. Though the oil
matic conditions for the last years crop
in Nebraska were unfavornble, they are
making grand fight for moro factories.
Again Il IL Just In line with irrigation.
We don't have 10 spread ourselves all
over creation to raise . crop that will
keep our families in comfort. This 10 a
vital point The future farmer Of Colo.
rado will be successful only O. he ocu.
centrates and works smaller acreage
and forces nature TO yield bountifuify
under thorough and systematic cultiva-
tion on land we'll fed.
Not alone is raising sugar beets for sp-
gar purposes to bo encouraged. It will
be one OF the most, II not the most, prof.
table crop tho farmer cnn raise for stock
feeding purposes. With plenty Of beets
stored away for winter use, the Colorado
farmer. can defy the eastern farmer 10
hurt him with his cheap corn. His stock
can con be almost fitted for market on
them, and they con be made to produce
30 bountifully that only small number
OF acres need bc raised for this purpose.
Now, in view Of the great possibilities
OF this industry, ought We not 10 give the
beet warm welcome and fair trial,
and by careful experimentation prove
what can be done with it2 With iacto-
ry located here We will, In the near fu.
ture, see this valley ablossom as the
rose and capital will flow into the coun-
try seeking Investment, and those farms,
which have made an uncertain living for
the laborer, will become the stepping
stones 10 affluence.
This season will largely decide wha,
the future Of this valley will be, and Il Il
IN our power to turn the scale in our own
favor. Yours for the sugar beet
8. l.. LESTER.
George Warner has bought his
brothers interest in the Manzanola
| Fen In ,,,J ....f1 l.