The silver star., 1898-01-13
COLORADO A RICH STATE.
SHE HAS MARVELLOUS RESOURCES.
The Past Year Prosperous One for the Farmer Fruit
Grower and Stock Raiser Agricultural and Horticultural
Products Valued at Over H5OOOOOO.

RADIO is now annually sending $2,OOO,-
600 to other places for sugar.
The fruit crop for 1897 is worth So
10000. The great development OF
fruit culture has taken place within
the last ten years, and in over twenty
different counties ON both the Atlantic
and Pacific slopes. Careful estimates
from the records in the state engineers
office show that, apart from agricul-
tural lands, there are In Colorado over
100000 acres under ditch"-that Is
capable OF irrigation from existing ca
nails, especially suitable for fruit cult
ure. Every year sees Il considerable
portion OF this available area planted,
inasmuch as the experience of the past
dozen years has demonstrated that
Colorado land. between the attitudes
Of 5000 feet and 1000 feet, cultivated
by means of artificial irrigation and
with the immense advantage of the ex-
ceptionally sunny climate, produces
not merely large crops, but fruit of
very superior quality as to size, color,
flavor and-as to apples-keeping quail
tiles. During 1897 Colorado apples In
carload lots were shipped to California,
Utah, Nebraska, Iowa. Illinois, Michi-
gan, New York. Pennsylvania and Del
aware. The annually increasing i'm
portance of the horticultural crop is
causing the railroads to grant more
favorable freight rates, not merely
within the state. but from the Colorado
fruit districts TO other and distant
states. One consignment of 5000 boxes
went to London. England. via Chicago.
At present the state has 1,25OOOO
bearing standard fruit trees, which by
1900, by means of the large acreage of
young trees already planted and those
which will be planted. will reach n
total of 100000 trees. Taking them
on the California basis of valuation. at
50 per annum per tree. with an ordin
arily good season. the standard fruit
crop of Colorado for 1900 may reach
S45 5,0O0.OOO. and will certainly reach
S25.OOO.O0O, to say nothing of small
bush fruits. These facts guarantee the
early establishment of cunning, pre-
serving and evaporating factories in
the fruit growing districts.
The nursery business is well estab-
lished and fruit growers and other tree
planters can get their young stock from
local firms. amounting in the aggre-
gate to n large annual sum.
Large quantities of coal are shipped
to Nebra ska. Kansas and Texas, and
HidHpaHcse ore 10 LIMOS. WIN tne
same reasonable freight rates the steel
works of Illinois could be supplied
with Colorado fire brick and the Wis
consin paper mills with Colorado kao-
lin. Colorado building and paving
stone has for years been extensively
used in the cities of the Mississippi val
ley. The Colorado petroleum industry
shows well for 1897. The reports Of
iron and steel making show an in
crease of 81 200, 900 over 1896.
The total production of absolutely
new wealth in Colorado in all lines
during 1897 considerably exceeded
S10o.000.0OO. or over 5000 of new
wealth per capita for every man,
woman and child within the borders
of the state. This is wholly irrespec-
tive Of the large aggregate sum Of al
ready existing local wealth and capital.
To this may justly be added the very
large aggregate sum OF outside capital
invested in Colorado during 1897,
which went into local circulation, to
say nothing of the further large sum
annually spent in Colorado by tourists
from other states.
No other state In the American Union
is able to begin to make such show
ing per capita. Better still, all the
above figures. encouraging ms they are.
will be very substantially Increased
during 1898.