Rocky Ford enterprise., 1902-02-14

'aiaintenane. refers to the cost of car.
inK for ih- acre for one year. IN. aver
age acre yicids 80 crates OF rtrawbrrri~s
or less year. IL takes one year to get
a strawberry plant TO bearing and two or
three years with raHpb-rrient
Doubtless II II Ind been known ihSt
this table would attract 50 much Mt
tcntion and publicity II might have
been "a trific more accurate but II is so
nearly so that criticism IL needless. IL
may seen inconscpucntinl but In the
light OF the fact that onc-third OF the
families OF Colorado derive their sup
port from ngrarian pursuits. ana that
mnny OF these families grow small
fruits for profit. the complexion OF the
matter changes. II means that small
fruits with us are rs often grown at
loss ns ut profit. and IL seems To
he n wcii-scttlcd principle that when
the farmer suffers the whole people
suffer. Heretofore II has been the pur-
pose OF the newspapers and others to
boom the country districts with view
to getting them better settled. Now
that they are settled and now that the
limit OF irrigation has been reached.
except by the slower processes OF state
and government aid, therefore the cx-
tension or expansion of the fruit area
of Colorado Is practically mt nm end, or
II not at an end Will necessarily he so
restricted and slow that II Will he far
more profitable to the general welfare
and prosperity to drop the booming
business and shed more light on pre-
vailing conditions with u view to I'M
proving them. The sooner the fact is
faced that pretty much every fruit
ranch I'm this state IL for sale. the
sooner will conditions be so improved
that our young men will stay with us.
Many OF our strongest fruit men are
moving to California and other states.
and assign rs the reason that the in-
dtistry in Colorado no longer pays.
Colorado ought and will yet be one OF
the most celebrated fruit sections OF
the world. All the natural conditions
are favorable. That some men are
making large money at the business.
even under present conditions. proves
what can be done when the marketing
ns we'll rs natural conditions shall
'.lso be favorable. .
G. Il. RICHARDSON.
An Irrigation Convention.
Some time ago the Sterling Chamber
of Commerce officials conceived the
idea of holding rousing irrigation
convention mt Sterling. Accordingly.
plans were carefully formulated. and
the governors OF Nebraska. Wyoming
and Colorado were asked to send dele
gates to the convention, with n view
/ to take such action as the irrigation
interests of this part of the West de
mand. Favorable replies from Gov
ernor Savage of Nebraska and Gov
ernor Ormnn Of Colorado have been
received, the former naming fifty
delegates of the states most repre-
sentative men. and the latter naming
/ thirty delegates selected from our
states most progressive citizens.
The list of delegates from Wyoming Is
expected soon. The dates of the con-
yention have been designated as We'd
nesday and Thursday, February 10Th
and 21th.
Owners of fat sheep and lambs are
advised to hold back their stock for
thirty or sixty days, during which time
| Il is expected that the market Will
! have an opportunity TO get up In line
| with the quotations for cattle and
hogs. The number of sheep and lambs
on feed is so greatly reduced that II
sheep feeders will only act carefully
/, 1t is believed that the outcome Will b
most satisfactory.