Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-08-17
FARMING MATTERS.
(From Field and Farml

strong cash demand for sheep there is
no Necessity in putting them out OH
shares.
The market Is steady and ~trong on
hos stock theSe days-a condition
largely due Ia the high tax OH beef
over the block. Denver Il paying as
high as $3.50 for live pork and the
supply is not at all over sufficient 10
ueet the demand.
J. II. Manly of Trinidad. Colorado.
calculates that 100000 cattle are now
on the ranges Of Colorado. i.0sD.000 in
Arizona and between I.UcS.ODo and
soD0.uSo in Texas. Their condition il
excellent and the prospects for niAt
winter unusually good.
The potato trade has gradually been
undergoing u state Of evolution which
now means w-ii.nish perfection. There
has bscn an improvement Ia quality
within . few years. ns III. market Is
mainly supplied by tho~. who have
had experience and know how TO pro-
duce tn. besi. II WAS once supposed
that only the small yield.rs among po-
Giioc~ We're bs>t for the table. The
large. coarse varieties wcr. rcckon-L
ns unpaiainblc. iit only for stock feed.
Ing. Hut some OF the new large po-
tntoc~ M grown In Colorado. especially
the seedlings OF the Rose. arr not only
cnorinoGs yicldcrs, but nv white and
mcaly when cooked ns were the old
fashioned Mercer or the newer Snow
FAKE. II Ii "a fact that most OF the
very great yicldcrs have proportion.
nt.ly large tops. AMI to the mainicn.
nncr OF due proportion between tsr
top and the root this good quality OF
The tuicrs Il mainly due.
One OF the Scrious problems ioomin.
up before the l-ct growers of Grand
valley IL the one relating 60 the cart.
nr. OF the sugar beet crop from the
fields To the Grand Junction factory
or To n railroad station. Sixty thous.
ani tons OF bccIs 10 In transported In
n limited time j. nm undertaking for
which the growers nrc not Mt NIL pr'.
pared. Many farmers deemed the
growing OF bccis rs more or less
Interesting experiment. hut now Ind
themselves possessed OF crop for
the marketing OF which they have
made no preparations. and IL viii IN.
necessary To obtain teams and wagons
from elsewhere. Local makers arr
busy constructing large wagon boxes.
but there will bc u demand for ore
wagons or vehicles such rs arc used
In the potato fields. At any rate the
teams and vehicles now mt hand are
wholly inadequate To the demands
shortly TO bc made by this new crop.
An auction pool has been established
In Denver again and We nrc hopeful
the scheme .inay this time succeed. for
prices OF NIL fruits soid here cvcntu.
nliy may bc regulated by the comblna-
fion. The Denver Fruit and Produce
Auction Company Is the style OF the
fruit exchange. TIE object OF the
combination is to cpualizc prices and
to prevent cutting. The stock Is taken
by the lcndln. commission houses Oh
Market and Blake streets. Each day
members OF the company will meet.
when the carloads Of melons nnd other
fruit consigned viii he sold by auc.
iion. rs IL done In eastern cities. Prices
for the goods Will then bc adjusted ac-
cording TO the market conditions.
Watcrmelons and cnntaloupc-, which
are coming N the height OF their sea
son. are to he handled first. Here
after. members OF the exchange Will
OF by the piece. Cantaloupcs Will
probably he sold In the same way.
For years the Field and Farm has
argued against the barn door brands
which are plastcrcd all over cattle
we seem to be In the minority and the
scorlfying goes on as ruthlcssly ns
ever. There IL no reason for n brand
TO exceed four inches square. and the
range man using u larger one IL simply
burning the money that should go into
his pocket. Many branding marks are
more than double this size. and are
often applied to those parts of the
hide which are choicest and Of most
value rs tanned leather. 40 It can be
readily seen that great financial loss
and damage Is sure to result. II
large brand IL SO destructive to values.
n smaller one is proportionatcly so. and
in the best interests of those concerned
1t IN OF vital Importance that some
plan be devised by which the branding
iron may be dispensed with altogether.
To the inventive genius who will intro
duce n method of identification reach
ing that end. that will bc effective and
satisfactory. there is n fortune await
Ing. which will be accompanied by the
thanks of the range men all over west
ern grazing grounds.
The Rocky Ford melon growers are
very busy these days saving wood
and marketing the cantaloupes. of
which there Is n large crop, although
n trifle late in ripenine. During the
season scores Of carloads of melons
will be consumed here In Denver be-
sides the trainloads OF fruit that go
east and to the mountain towns. Ear
ly shipments were too small for car
load lots and came by express. Usually
weeks before the Rock Ford fruit ar
rives melons from Texas and New
Mexico are sold under that name. and
such has been the case this year, es-
pecinlly in the eastern markets. Tex
ns melons brought fair prices. except
when bruised or otherwise inferior.
In some cases 50 n crate was realized
on fine goods. The Arkansas Valley
fruit. however, brings from one half to
two thirds more than any other. so
that excellent prices are expected MS
long ms the market is not overloaded,
nut still some reform In picking mel
ons Is necessary. Hundreds of men
lrn raiSinlr al