The Elbert County tribune., 1902-09-04
THE "DTVIDE" CROPS
Big Shipments Of Grain, Potatoes and
Stock in Sight-facts Regarding
the Growing Dairy Industry.


George r. Caldwell in Rocky Noun
tain News: For the last thirty-five con-
secutive years the great "Divide" nom
irrigating country lying between Denver
and Colorado Springs has not had an
actual crop failure, and now, in this year
of general drouth and decimated har-
vests, the Ebert region comes smilingly
to the front with two-thirds offering Of
its usual farm yield.
From Elbert station will be shipped
this year sixty srs Of grain-oats, wheat
and corn; 100 cars OF potatoes, and
seventy five cars of cattle; while the hog
shipment will probably count a score of
cars.
The potato marketing will be-owing
to an increased acreage-treble that of
yielding two tons to the acre, and being
exceptionally smooth sellers.
The Durham dairy and beef cattle of
the region form happy market combi-
nation, an incidental illustration being
found in the home pens and pastures of
Taylor Green. Mr.. Green is now milk
ing three -year-old heifer with daily
return of nearly four gallons of milk; n
matured milk COW with yield OF six
gallons per day; has Durham yearling
weighing 800 pounds; dry COW turning
the scales Mt l 500 pounds, and has Just
sold 1,50o pound three-y -year-old steer
for $50.
The Elbert hog industry is rapidly
growing, being fostered alike by the sue
cessful culture of alfalfa and corn and
the milk refuse from the dairy pens. AL
falfa yields two tons per acre from the
first upland planting, with return
thereafter of four tons. The Australian,
yellow Dent and Swaddlcy corn varieties
are OF unfailing annual harvest; while
the rapidly increasing dairy herds are
ever adding to the milk feeding supply
OF the fattening hog troughs.
In this connection it is Of especial note
that the "Divide" raised corn far exceeds
in oil-or the nutritive quality-that of
the great eastern corn belts.
The Ebert hogs include the Poland
China, the Chester White and the Berk-
shire breeds, and, as an earnest of the
already important status Of the "Divide"
hog industry, it can be stated that the
Elbert Mercantile company has sold
since the first of January, this year, in
the Denver market, over 5000 worth of
hogs-one particular carload OF sixty
head of these prime Elbert porkers
weighing out an average Of 3i1 pounds,
and bringing net return OF 81 ,3l5.
The Elbert cheese factory, owned and
operated by j. G. Eversman Of Denver,
will have production this year of l0O,-
600 pounds, the product being consumed
in Denver, Pueblo, Colorado Springs and
mountain towns. The factory has at
tached to it complete butter plant
which has been idle for some years, but
which will be resurrected this fall-an
ice plant being put in for the benefit of
the butter manufacture. The Elbert
cheese factory has about fifty patrons,
with dairy herds running from fifteen to
twenty-five cows, the monthly checks
from the factory to these dairymen run
ming from 81 600 to 81 500. The resump-
tion OF butter making by the factory will
add largely to the dairy herds and the
plants local money distribution.
Last year saw full '.Divide" harvest,
and in illustration of what the region
can do under ordinarily favorable crop
page conditions, the Elbert Mercantile
company alone shipped 200 cars OF gen
eral produce.
The Russell Gates Mercantile com
pany has just established itself in the
town of Elbert, with c. J. Schrader as
manager, purchasing five business lots
anG buildings, comprising the former j.
B. King holdings, and, besides, thirteen
acres of suburban land for future build
ing and investment purposes. The com
pany has just commenced the erection OF
an immense corrugated iron warehouse,
one extremity of which will be used as a
lumber yard, the center for a big stock
OF farming implements, vehicles, etc,