Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-05-18


tablished at Grand Junction new
farm paper called Western Colorado.
In the first issue Mr.. Pabor discourses
upon the subject of small farms, under
the heading of Ten Acres Enough"
He says:
France Is famed for the multitude
of its small land holdings, mainly de-
voted to the culture of the vine. Chi.
M, with its overburdened population,
is noted for its diminutive gardens md
intensive soil culture, from which the
patient toilers wrench from Nature n
livelihood. America is so large, and
its agricultural area so vast that 1t
may be century or more before an
increasing population necessitates n
system of small holdings: hnt the time
will surely come when the title we
have given this article will be the mot
to of the gardener, the vineyardist and
the pomologlst.
In Colorado, especially, where tilln-
BILE land is limited to the irrigatng sup
ply, this necessity for its closer, more
economic cultivation Is more apparent
than elsewhere. Let what will be said
as to increased areas by reason of res
ervoirs and other artificial methods to
retain water and prevent 1t from flow
ing away during the season Of Its
greatest abundance, there Is an ele-
ment of uncertainty as well as one of
danger from this source. In Eastern
Colorado, there is seldom season
when ample water supply Is to be had
by all who have paid hard-earned mon.
ey for it and are unquestionably de.
frauded by not receiving 1t. In West
ern Colorado, there is but one valley
that of the Grand-where the supply Is
practically inexhaustible; as yet only
10000 acres are under an irrigatinS
canal, while land to Mt least ten times
that amount is capable Of being
changed from the condition Of n desert
to that of cultivated fields and gardens,
when capital to the tune of million
dollars shall have covered It with n net
work of canals.
1T is this valley. opened up to civil
iZation and white settlement, when the
Ute Indians We're removed years ago
and the keen insight of the intrepid
builders of the Denver & Rio Grande
railway brought Its productions with
In the easy reach of the markets of the
mining regions. that the writer has
watched with interest the growth of
fruit culture and the evolution of an
idea into fact. the idea being that
the lands of Grand valley were TO be n
second Vineland or Riverside, and thar
instead of farms where 100 acres
would barely support one family, the
same amount of land. subdivided Into
ten-acre tracts, would support at least
sixteen in greater comfort. with less
labor and more independence.
"Can living be made from ten
acres OF land set to trees, In Colorado.
while the owner is waiting for the
trees to be old enough to bear fruit!
The question Is row being asked by
correspondents US it has been asked In
the past. And the answer can always
be made in the affirmative. Not In
Grand valley alone Cfor the writer
claims no exceptional advantages FOR
this section over other equally fair
and fertile valleys elsewhere in Cole.
rado. except 1t may be in the line of
peach and apricot culture. and these
find their home anywhere In the foot.
hills and sheltered parks and valleys
In Montrose, Delta. Garfield and Mesa
countless, but In every part of the state
there are scores OF happy prosperous
families to whom the products OF ten
acres bring n competency: indeed. as
n matter of fact, we have KNOWN mar
ket gardeners to take from tt/ac acres
in celery and in early vegetables S..
900 worth Of truck
Surely. then, from the space between
the trees set on n ten-acre tract there
is ample room for the growing OF such
vegetables as may be suited to the
markets within reach. The first year,
of course, will be the expensive year;
the outlay of preparation of ground.
trees. bushes and vines and their prop
er planting. irrigating channels. the
building of the home, however hum
BILE; these are expenses more in the ma
ture of permanent Investment than
m expense outlay for which no return
could be expected. The interest on this
amount only Is chargcable to the ex-
pense account. Living expenses would
have to be met in any event.
Early potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage,
sweet corn. sugar bcets, early vegeta-
bles of all kinds whatsoever. always
bring good prices in Colorado markets.
There has never been n surplus grown
In the state, except OF wheat. As popu-
lntion in mining centers increases, II
adds to the already very large class of
consumers that are not producers of
food supplies. 1t Is safe to assume
that 1t will be long while before sup
ply even equals the demand, as far as
fresh fruits in Colorado are concerned.
And nfterward? Then there will he
pvnpornting and canning establish
mcnts.
The cultivation Of the ground be-
tween young trees is far better for
their healthy growth than allowing n
strip of soil to remain hard and dry.
Irrigation imparts an even moisture all
through the tract: cultivation mcllows
the soil: the growing crops shade It;
sunlight and air can penetrate It, aid
ing In releasing the plant food that has
lain for untold ages under the hard,
forbidding looking surface. relieved on
ly by sage brush. grcasc wood or cac-
tus. The first years reliance for n liv-
ing can now be upon sugar hccts
grown between these rows OF trees:
while caring FOR this crop the condition
of these trees. bushes and vines can
Ln nhsnrrnl 10 SOC tint thnH got nm