Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1903-12-24
coLoRAno AeRlouLTuRE.
Enormous Profits Made by Farming
finder Irrigation.

INK few weeks ago. and looked over
The earnings OF the year, they were
surprised to find how great pro-
norton OF the profits arose from an
Agricultural rather than q mining
source. The showing was the more
remarkable as this railroad does not
penetrate the old farming regions
along the South Platte and Arkansas,
rivers. II is a mountain road. reach
ing nearly all the best mining camps
of the state, and traversing only the
valleys and parks of the western por-
ton. The showing thus emphasizes
the tremendous advance which has,
been made in irrigation farming With
in the last few years.
The older farming sections OF the
state, especially the country around
Fort Collins and Greeley, IN the north,
and adjacent to Rocky Ford in the
south, probably contains the most
prosperous and contented agricultural
population in the UnitiN Statess the
erons renorted this year from these
sections almost stagger belief, yet are
vouohed for by unimpeachable Wit
nesses. For instance, Mr.. II. Living
stone. whose farm is located about
nine miles from Greeley (postofice,
Enton), makes the following state
ment: 81 had this year eighty acres
in potatoes, sixty-five acres in wheat,
twenty-five acres in oats, and ten
acres in onions. The Bixty-five acres
in wheat brought $500; the twenty
Eve acres in oats, $1,000; the eighty
acres in potatoes, producing 11,OOO
sacks. at least $4,000; and the ten
acres in onions, yielding 400 sacks per
acre. an aggregate of from $4,000 to-
$4,000; giving a total gross return
for the 100 acres in cultivation Of at
least s26 900 or a minimum of $f45 per
acre. My total farm expenses for the
year will not exceed $4,000 and there
fore my 100 acres of Colorado and
Weld county land will net me this.
year at least $21 600 or about S117per.
acre. This lands selling price, in gen
eral Weld county open market would
not exceed $40 per acre, with inclu-'
sive water rights and, therefore, the
cash return of this seasons harvest is.
more than equal to the full market
value of the entire farm itseBg%
The potato crop Of the Greeley dis
trict will be between 5000 and 10000
car loads. ]. A. Hicks had the largest
yield per acre, fifteen acres growing
300 sacks per acre Many farmers have
raised from 230 to $50 sacks per acre
and the average crop per acre easily
reaches 100 sacks. The potato harvest
in this district will bring to the farm
ers $2,000,000 Fifteen hundred to D.
900 car loads have already been
shipped to Iowa Nebraska, Missouri.
Texas, Indian Territory, Oklahoma
and scattering markets.
In this same section there are now
six enormous beet sugar factories,
costing from 100000 to s$1,500,000
each, three Of them having been built
this year. Farmers are finding sugar
beets almost as profitable to raise as
potatoes. The increase in the price OF
land and the growth OF the towns in
this region has been remarkable in
the past few years.
What has already been done in
northern and eastern Colorado is now
being done in the valleys and parks of
the western half of the state. In some
lines of agriculture-fruit growing. for
instance-the western slope already
beats all other portions of the state
It is safe TO say that the three western
slope counties of Mesa, Delta and
Montrose will market this season an
aggregate Of 100000 worth of fruit,
net money, and that next year this
These sales can be bulkiiy summar-
iZed as follows:
Mesa county, through the Grand
Junction Fruit Growers Association,
GOO car loads OF summer fruits, inclu-
siVe OF peaches, pears, plums and
prunes, net cash value, $4,000; other
summer sales of lesser fruit bearing,
counting apricots, nectarines, straw
berries, raspberries, currants, etc, six
ty car loads net returns, 10000; q
grape growth aggregatipg 100000 and
q conseryatively estimated final apple
shipment OF 200 cars at $3.50 per car,
or $4,000 OF cash apple auditing,
thua giving Mesa county through the
Grand Junction Fruit Growers Asso-
citation alone net fruit sale OF SS45,--
900, to which is TO be added tho ship.
ments of the Whitewater Fruit Grow.
ers' Association and a long hist of In.
dividual and independent orchard
marketing, with grand total OF Mesa.
county fruit money for 1908 reaching.
beyond $1,O0O,0O0.
Delta county fruit shipments this
year include the teeming orchards OF
the famous North Fork valley of the
Gunnison and large marketing from
Delta, the county seat peaches.
pears, prunes, plums, apples and ber--
ries being all represented with total
net fruit return this year for the coun-
" approximating 100000. Especially
prosperous are the new towns OF
Hotchkiss and Paonia, and it is.
claimed there never has been q fail
ure Of crops there since the country
was first settled
From the town of MontrOBe S75, 600
If
shipped with about the same figures
IN final apple sale
While lands are held at a very high
figure In northern and eastern Colo
RADIO, they can sim be bought at q.
low price and on very easy tsrms IN
the western portion. It Is IN tho San
Luis valley, and along the San Juan,
Grand and Uneompahgre rivers where
the greatest developments are now
under way Hundreds Of families
have gone into those districts thfs