Rocky Ford enterprise., 1902-12-05

i IOlyphant. Pa. IN which he asks number
OF questions about the Rocky Ford eoun-
try. We answer him in this open letter:
Query What is the elevation Of
Rocky Ford?
Answer-Four thousand. two hundred
and sixty feet
Query 2.-Haye you good drinking
water?
Answer.-in Rocky Ford and for rad
ius Of four or five miles artesian water is
used. This is supplied by number Of
wells and is the best and puresi OF water.
purposes as Il comes from the wells. bu,
when placed in eis;erns and cooled no
finer water is to be found.
Query 5.-Priee Of fruit land near town
with water right?
Answer.-Land within ono and one
half miles Of Rocky Ford can be bought
at from SIS To $3.50 per acre. perpetual
water rights included. This is wiihou,
improvements. More distant from town
Just rs good land can DO had at from $50
To SIS por aero. tho higher priced land
with some improvements.
Tho prices Of our land may seem high
70 Mr.. Hull. considering that this is COM
para,iveiy now country. But the value Of
land Is accurately measured by tho
amount and value Of produce |; will turn
of. Estimated by this fair standard. and
In Wow OF tho fact that We arc JUS, ba-
ginning TO realize tho scope Of our agri-
cultural resources. Rocky Ford real estate
Is not too high. Hero arc some figures
showing what many Of our farmers have
dono In sugar boots:
Tho year 1900 was tho first OF sugar
beet culture in tho Arkansas valley. and
was consequently now to our farmers.
Nevertheless. l2 growers raised crops for
which tho American Beet Sugar Co. paid
thom from Sloi.64 to Sl2e.69 por acre
To show that highly profitable crops were
not tho exception wc will mention tina, 8
growers received over $50 per aero; 81
ovor $50: IS over $40: SIS over $50; 81
over $50 and 80 over $40 por acre.
Tho following year tho results .iero
more profitable. In tho Enterprise Of
Feb. z. 1902. was published the names Of
2l growers whose crops Of sugar bocts
brought cash returns Of from Sloo.o5 To
Sl46.64 per acre. That season eleven
growers got checks for over $50 por
aero: IS over $50: z2 over $40: Ill
over $50: i46 over $50 and 22z over
$40 per acre.
During tho season Of eol number of
our beet growers entered into a contest
for prizes offered by the Orange Judd
Farmer Co. Of Chicago. Tho Enterprise
Of Jan. /. 1902. gave tho results Of this
friendly and very profitable contest.
There were twenty-five crops entered for
the contest and great caro- was taken in
measurements and in weighing the beets
harvested. The lowest Of the twenty-five
growers received sz6.25 per acre and the
highest, D. v. Burrell. got check from
the sugar company for Sl6o.oz for the
beets from one acre.
The crops Of cantaloupes which our
lands produce is one cause Of their high
value. j. j. Guthrie this season from
acres Of cantaloupes sold Of this delicious
melon S5,o44.zl worth. For the crop
from five acres j. w. Deweese received
Sl.lz5.e4. For u acres of watermel-
ons he received S5ze.e5. but this was an
unusual year for watermelon profits ow-
ing to the small crop raised. S. S.'Baiiey
from 4 Y acres Of cantaloupes received
Szls. These figures show what can be
done with our soil.
E. W. Newberry this year raised six
acres of eantaloupes for which he re-
ceived S2l2.65 per acre. He rented four
acres Of his land to another grower and
received as rent $50 per acre.
Land which by intelligent cultivation
will produce such cash crops is not to be
nut on the bargain counter
Query 4.-Name the churches in town?
Answer.-Presbyteri Methodist, Ger
man Baptists, Baptists and Catholic. all
of which have houses Of worship; also the
Christian church which has fourishing
congregation and will soon have a house
of worship. Recently the Episcopal church
assigned resident rector to Rocky Ford
and the erection of church building is
contemplated. The Christian Scientists
have small organization but no building
In this variety we hope Mr.. Hull can be
suited.
Query 5.-How cold in winter?
Answer is scarcely fair to answer
this question by giving the figures shown
by the thermometer. as the dryness of our
climate makes a great difference in the
apparent temperature. A low degree of
temperature is not felt here as a similar
extent of cold is in the air of the eastern
states, laden with moisture, which makes
the cold pierce to the very marrow. Sun
shine and almost total absence of rain or
snow characterize our winters. Cloudy
days are very few. Take the winter
months through and very mild weather
prevails, which accompanied by almost
constant sunshine makes our winters a
wonderful improvement on those any
where east of the Rocky Mountain region.
Some winters the mercury will be around
zero for week or two, occasionally going
several degrees below, but the dryness of
the atmosphere relieves this degree of
cold from the terror which such arctic air
brings to dwelers in the Mississippi valley
and the eastern states. If Mr.. Hull will
. spend one winter in Rocky Ford he will
90 back to Pennsylvania only for visit,
and then will be anxious to return to a
land of almost perpetual sunshine.