Rocky Ford enterprise., 1896-01-16
THE VALLEYS ATTRACTIONS,

THE VALLEYS .Alih<AsAA""''
| Rocky Ford, Orilway and the ho'-
brook Country Us Seen by the
Chieftsiu.
Va mike the following extracts from
the Pueblo Chieftain's holiday edition
vrite-up OF Otero county:
ROCKY FORD.
One of the most familiar names In the
plains region is that o. Rocky Ford
vigorous little city surrounded by mar-
yeIous agricultural district which ships
melons, fruit, grain, garden truck, pork
and beef to points hundreds OF miles IN
every direction. It even sends it's Pc
culiarly fine melons as far as Chicago 70
the east and hns sent them sometimes 70
California on the west. All these valua-
BILE and salable products are grown BY IT.
riRstion, at a point in the rich Arkansas
valley to which the freshets from the
higher slopes in three directions seem to
have washed down the beei Of the soil
and given it peculiar qualities. Certain
ly all kinds Of agricultural products
seem TO grow here rapidly, earlier aud IN
GREATER perfection than in any other spot
In the country. 1t il the Norfolk OF the
west. A. D,,
Ford region would not have given to it's
melons and fruit the valuable brand they
hear had IL not been for the enterprise
and skill Of the people who have settled
here and who make 1O-acre garden or
O-ncre farm produce much more t9an is
usually grown on ten times as much land
in the east. It is Rocky Ford which col
ebrates "Melon Day" every September
with feast Of 10000 tat melons, and u Is
Rocky Ford whose remarkable agrcui.
tural fair is visited each autumn by sew.
sral thousand people from every part OF
Colorado, coming on excursion trans
| from points hundreds OF miles away.
AS near as can be estimated there were
so 900 bushels Of oats grown here in
1895; 25,OOO bushsls Of wheat; loo, ,OO0 OF
corn; 10000 tons Of baled and stacked
alfalfa hay, and 10000 bushels Of alfalfa
seed. TIE fruit yield was large, IN fact
so per cent larger than the previous year.
This ia an ideal fruit country and will be
in the lead III fsw more years
There were los carloads Of watermel-
ons shipped from hero in 1885. Now lots
| u AAsSe~>sS
weighs "a 900 pounds, SO there were
2,54l, 600 pounds OF the juicy article sold
elsewhere, An average melon will weigh
25 pounds and il figures don't lie there
were 101, ,760 melons shipped away.
OF cantaloupes there were estimated TO
have been 10000 pounds shipped by ex.
prees, and about 100000 pounds OF tonaa-
toes, beans and other vegetables.
About 80 new buildings OF various
kinds have been added to the the town in
the past year. .o
Our population has increased about so
per cent, and it Is estimated now to be
about 1,1OO.
Business in railroad affairs has in
creased 80 per cent in the last year md
other business in nearly like proportion.
oRDwAy.
| Ordway Is town having certainty Of
good future. It is the headquarters Of
the Colorado Land and Water company
the projectors of the Bob Creek ditch.
This is one OF the finest irrigating canals
in the Arkansas valley and very large
one. It Issues from the river on the
north side, seventeen miles east OF Pue-
bio at point Where the river turns at
right angle, and thus the ditch, it's mas
sive heaigate located in the point OF the
angle, catches the full force OF the cur
rent. The water is thus conducted TO
points many miles away from the river
and supplies thousands OF acres OF the
finest kind Of land.
The company has worked ahead leis-
urely and carefully, being particular to
ACQUIRE the best class OF settlers on its
lands rather than to sell out at profit
and quit. 1t has in view various addi-
tional improvements, including an arte-
sian we'll, and has already constructed
several large reservoirs to hold water in
store against time of need and make
provision against accidents to the ditch.
The country is being improved in the
most substantial manner and many fruit
trees are being planted. Corn grows
finely and the farmers there are pioneers
in the art Of growing potatoes in the Ar
kansas valley. In the past two years
they have made their land produce pota-
toes in astonishing quantities and fine
quality. Ordway is SIS miles east Of
Pueblo.
THE HoLBRoOK COUNTRY.
The map OF the Holbrook canal given
in the Chieitain today is fair specimen
OF the many extensive irrigation enter
prises undertaken in the Arkansas val
ley in the last few years. The Lag,ina
Nake) canal company has spent more
money in it's construction than it would
have cost to grade railroad for the same
dissance..25 miles. the present length Of
the canal, besides the original cost Of the
and. The ditch now runs to Horse
creek without tlume. 1t is likely to be
fumed across the stream this year.
There is a large settlement OF farmers
along the ditch, who have some OF the
best land in the valley and the ditch as
sessments are low. 1t is fine canal,
maintained at minimum OF expense.
It comes ont OF the Arkansas River at
Manzanola, and the headquarters OF the
ditch are at Rocky Ford.