The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-08-24
Cool Colorado.

My first stop was Trinidad. situated on the Colorado Southern, in the south part fthe state. two hundred miles out from Denver. This section is rich in coal, Trim idad being the center of one of the great est coal belts in the world. Passing on north from Trinidad my next stop was Pueblo. a city of 10000 population and an elevation of 4672 feet This city lies on both sides of the Arkansas river and Is surrounded on three sides by ranges of mountains Pueblo is to the west what Birmingham is to the south-the Pltts- burg of the west-and the conditions here are very similar to those in the Birming- ham district Every material used In the manufacture of iron in many forms IS found. Three large smelting works located here produce great quantities Of lead ana silver bullion. refined lead, silver, gold and copper. Here are located the large steel works of the Colorado Fuel and Iron com pany, where the visitor may see in course of construction pig iron. Bessemer steel rails, steel and iron nails. castings and merchant bar iron. all from Colorado ores. The visitor should not fail to visit the smelting plants, where there is so much of interest to be seen.
 Rocky Ford.
 But as my main object was looking after the crops. after a short stay at Pueblo turned south and east, over the Santa Fe' distance of sixty miles down the Arkan- sas to Rocky Ford, the great cantaloupe and sugar beet country. The main crops grown in this valley are sugar heets, can taloupes and alfalfa. These crops are all grown by irrigation. The Arkansas val ley is rich here, made so by fertilization and irrigation. The valley varies greatly in width. At Pueblo the mountains pinch in close, but as we travel south the valley spreads out until we see beautiful broad expanse of fertile fields.
 friend of mine, who Is one of the largest growers of seed cantaloupes in this section, kindly escorted me through the valley, showing me much of interest con- corning the crops. Here at Rocky Ford they have a sugar refinery for making su- gar from the beets Twelve thousand acres have been planted to beets for this fac tory alone. The crop was in fine condi- tion when I was there, and was practically made.
 As they do not have to depend on rain, but irrigate the whole crop, they can tell pretty we'll what it will be. can not take the time here to explain all the methods for planting. cultiyating and harvesting the crop. The yield is an average of fff- teen tons, though many growers grow from twenty to twenty-five tons per acre. The price paid per ton is &.75, which amounts to $71.25 per acre. The average cost per acre. including water, is $l5. Then tn cost of harvesting Is S1 per ton or, where only 15 tons are produced per acre $l5. This makes-$9O taken from the $7l.25 "a net balance of $4l.25.
 Make Good Profits.
 However many growers clear as much as $75 per acre. The average of saccharine matter for the beets grown here is r per cent. The tops of the beets are worth $2 per acre and the Iulr worth S1 per acre. This three dollars is to be added to the profits of the crop. The crop is one of much interest and a nice sight to see growing. Some of the troubles of the bus mess has been in securing labor. Now many Japanese are employed and they give good service. The harvesting of the crop this year will commence in Septem- Der. Harvesting and cleaning the beets requires some labor. but machinery Is used in all the work of handling the crop. The next crop in importance Is that of the alfalfa. This also has to be grown un- der irrigation. and forms the main feed crop. Three cuttings are made eac.. year and the average yield Is four tons per acre. The average price per ton is $6, or s24 per acre. Here there is not so much claimed for alfalfa as in sections where it has not been grown. Here the hay is considered fine for all stock, yet it cannot be relied upon to make pork without some grain to finish up. The business of ship ping alfalfa hay is carried on largely here.
 CantaIoupes.
 The next crop of importance and the one that always brings in a large revenue is the cantaloupe, and the Rocky Ford can taloupe has gained a national reputation. This season the crop in this district amounts to 5000 acres. The industry of shipping cantaloupes has grown in the last few years from a few crates up to carloads and from car lots to train loads, whole trains now being shipped to all the great eastern markets. The first Thurs day of each September Is their melon feast day at Rocky Ford. when all visitors are treated to all the melons they can eat The railroads make a special rate for this occasion and thousands come to this feast
 This season the crop is late and ship ments will not commence before August 20 The average yield per acre is about 100 crates, though some growers grow as high as 250 crates per acre. The average net price for standard crates of forty-five melons per crate is 90 cents.
 The crop commences to move however, at much higher figure. When the ship ping season is over all the melons left over and all that get too ripe to ship are seeded and the seed sold at a good price as Rocky
 
 when the sugar beet and cantaoupe indus try started in this valley land could be bought at $2 per acre. Today the same lands are worth $175 per acre.
 In addition to the crops mentioned, oth- CT crops, such many vine crops and on- ions are being grown for seed. Then there is being grown quite line of fruits ber- ries, entrants. cherries, peaches and ap- ples. The cherries were ripe when l was there, and the trees with their loads of fine fruit were a pretty sight. The friut trees. like all other crops, have to be grown under irrigation. The friut Is not so good to me. It does not have the fine flavor that we find in our fruit in the growing sections. and from Rocky Ford my next visit was at Grand Junction, across the Rockies Here the apples and peaches were fine in appearance, but poor in quality, not having that fine rich flavor so much needed in fruit I also paid visits to the valleys where wheat, rye and oats were being grown. The wheat was generally fine and ready for harvest when I was there. I also visited the great potato growing sections, and this is another crop which is shipped all over the country and has gained a na- tional reputation. The soil, climate and ir- rigation all seem to suit the potato. The Greedy district is perhaps the greatest in the production of the potato, yet there are other sections where they are being sue cessfully grown.
 It would require pages to go into the
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