Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-01-06

Poultry and rg.s , .,mu,,hD
Swine o5N,OU1
Horses l.25D,O00
Dairy products .......... I.NHIOuo
Bees and honey . JOO.OOO
io'hi ..'..'..'.. T'''S"'''"'
Concerning the reliability Of these
figures Field and Farm says:
These figures are CLEANED from sew
cral reliable sources in each instance.
and the totals are proven by II system
of comparison IN which three factorS
are employed number of farms in tile
state. population and shipping receipts.
so that the computation * malr to
prove oui In each particular before 1t
Is accepted. We have allowed also for
the depreciation IN money values as
well us the increase In acreage. and
can vouch for the close approximation
of the figures ~ complete and ire
prOachablc. ON the whole we believe
that our readers will agree with us
that as nothing hut II minln. state
rs Colorado Is often miscnllrd. we are
doing very well IN an agricultural way.
The Rocky Mountain News of Den
yer. In its New Years edition. gives the
following Interesting l.ia. sliowin.
Colorndo's encouraging prospect for the
future:
By some persons at II distance. Colo
RADIO Is regarded as mainly dcpcndin.
on mining In general aud silver mining
IN particular. AS II unitcr of fact The
annual produces Of the pastoral. agrl-
cultural and horticultural industries of
Colorado equal the value OF the annual
product of all the gold. silver. copper.
lead. coal and iron mines in the state
One-llalf the population of Colorado
lives in cities and towns of The plains.
more than One-fourth In mining dis
tricts. furnishing II good home market
Tor the less than Onc-fourth living In
the rural districts.
y dozen or fifteen years ago vast
herds of cattle. mostly inferior. long
horned. slab-si1ed Texans. roame,l Oeer
an unfenced country. with no adequate
provision for their food and protection
during winter storms. Since That time
hundreds of thousands of dollars have
been expended In the purchase and i'm
porting of pedigrccd stock. The form.
er open ranges have been largely sub
divided and fenced: the area of alfalfa
ana other forage crops has extended I:
winter feeding and protection IL the
rule: and-to-tlay Colorado has far more
cattle than ever. bur of much higher
quality and value. Denver Is rapidly
becoming the meeting point between
the breeding grounds of Texas, New
Mexico and Arizona and the feeding
grounds of Colorado. Wyoming, Ne.
braskn and Kansas.
So recently as 1892 nearly $1,000. 900
per annum went out of Colorado to 9th.
er states for dairy products. The cs-
nDlishment Of new crcamcrics and
cheese factories and the Increased ca
pacity of those already existing. have
materially reduced this annual drain.
There Is need of the advent of suitable
parties with practical experience to es-
tabliSh II condensed milk factory, for
which there Is IN exceptionally good
opening. as Colorado sends consider
ably over S100,OO0 annually to other
states for this article
\ dozen years ago tlocks were largely
composed Of Mexican sheep. yielding
the minimum of coarse wool and in
ferior mutton. Large sums have been
expended in the importation of pcdi-
greed Merinos. Cotswolils. Shropshirrs.
etc. The special feeding and fa,tcuinp
of sheep and lambs is one of the most
important industries.
As to hogs. the packing houses Of
Denver formerly got most of their s,,p-
ply from Kansas and Nebraska. Farm
ers now devo;e attention to the rnisipr
and fattening of hogs. From the rails
ing of horses and mules: the poultry
and allied industries and in the Droduc-
ton of honey. large profits are derived.
So recently as 1880 Colorado had but
600 miles of irrigating canals and i'm
ported large quantities of agricultural
produce. Over 11.OOO miles of jrripot
ing canals and an additional II 900 of
laterals have been constructed at n cost
of over S12.OOO,O00. redeeming ]. 900. .OOO
acres of the most fertile soil, blessed
with an exceptionally fine climate. and
capable of irrigation. Great crops of
wheat Ohis. potatoes. corn. native hay.
red clover. timothy. rye and II great VA
riety of roots and vegetables nre
raised. The wheat crop In 1897 WAS
over 5.OOO,O0O bushels.
Colorado has become II considerable
exporter of farm products. The pota-
toes of Greeley and other districts in
northern Colorado have been ShiDped IN
New Orleans. Chicago and oilIer distant
points. Hundreds of cars of melons
and cnntaloupcs from Rocky Ford and
other places in the Arkansas valley are
shipped us far as the Atlantic coast.
and extensively to 81. Louis. Pittsburr
and other points in the middle states
Celery and other vegetables are
shipped. not merely in carond lots. but
III train lois. 10 Texas and o;hcr points.
BY 1900 there will be mt least $4,000
BOO Invested in the beet sugar industry,
including Il large refinery near Denver.
with branch establishments NJ various
points IN the farming districts. Colo
rhdo IS now annually sending $1,000
)OO 10 other places for sugar.
Ihe fruit crop for 1897 is worth So
lOOOOO. The great DEVELOPMENT of
fruit culture has taken place within
me last ten years. and in over twenty
llffercnt counties on both the Atlantic
ana Pacific slopes. Careful estimates
from the records in the state engineers
office show that. apart from agricul-
tural lands. there are in Colorado over
lOo.oOD ncreS under ditch"-that IL.