The Yale expositor., 1903-12-25
coLoRAoo AcRlcULTUo-.
Enormous Profits Made by Farming
Under irrigation.

the earnings OF the year they were
gurprised TO ind how great n pro-
portion OF the profits arose from an
agricultural rather than mining
source. Tho showing was tho 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
toe tremendous advance which has
been made In irrigation farming win
ia the last few years.
The older farming sections Of tho
s,ate. especially the country around
Fort Collins aud Greeley. In The north.
and adjacent 60 Rocky Ford 10 tho
south. probably contains the most
PROSPEROUS and contented agricultural
population In the United SJa'o5 The
crops reported this year from these
sections almost stargor belief set are
youthcd for by unlmpcachahle Wit
nesses. For instance. Mr. III. Living
stone. whoGc farm Ia located about
nine miles from Greeley tpO7tohice,
Eaton), makes the following state
ment: 81 had this year eighty acres
IN potatoes. siXty-1ye acres In wheat
twenty-five acres In oats and ten
acres in onions. The sixty-hve acres
I'm wneat brought $4,000, the twenty
five acres In oats. Sl.2O0; the oishy
acres I'm potatoes. producing ll'oVu
sacks. at least 10000; and the ten
acres In onions. yielding 400 sacks per
acre. an aggregate of from $4,000 10
| Sl2 600; giving total gross return
| FOR the 100 acres In cultivation OF at
least 5000 or a minimum OF $lf5 per
acre. My total farm expenses for the
/ vcar w. -, ~"i exceed $4,000 and there
fore my 100 acres OF Colorauo a. 49,,
/ Weld county land will net me this
year az least s2l 900. or about Silt per
acre. This lands selling price. In gem
| eral Weld county open market would
not exceed Sll0 per acre. with inclu-
| sive water rights and. therefore. the
cash return OF this seasons harvest rs
/ more than equal 90 the full market
/ value OF the entire farm ITSELF
| The potato crop OF the Greeley dis
! trict will be between 5000 and 10000
car loads. j. A. Hicks had tho largest
| Weld per acre, fifteen acres growing
] 800 sacks per acre Many farmers have
raised from 23O 90 go sacks per aero
and tho average crop per acre easily
| reaches 100 sacks. The potato harvest
| I'm this district will bring To the farm.
ers $2000.0 900. Fifteen hundred 90 3
900 car loads have already been
shipped 90 Iowa. Nebraska. Missouri.
| Texas, Indian Territory. Oklahoma
and scattering markota.
In this same section there arc now
six enormous beet sugar factories,
costing from 100000 10 S1.500.000
each. three OF them having been built
| this year. Farmers are finding sugar
boets almost "a profitable 90 raise as
| potatoes. Tho increase in tho price or
! 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 10 now
being done In the valleys and parks OF
the western half OF the state. In some
! lines OF agriculture growing. for
instance--tho western slope already
beats all other portions OF the state.
| II ls safe 90 say that the three western
slope counties OF Mesa. Delta and
Montrosc will market this season an
aggregate OF S2.0O0,000 worth q; fruit,
| net money. and that next year this
amount will reach 100000
These salCs can be bulkily gummar-
tied as follows:
Mesa county. through the Grand
| Junction Fruit Growers Association.
coo car loads OF summer fruits. inclu-
siyc OF peaches. pears, plums and
/ prunes. net cash value, $3.50 600: other
summer sales Of lesser fruit bearing.
counting apricots, nectariucs. straw
! berries. raspbcrrics. currants. ctc.. six.
! " car loads net returns. $4,000: a
| grape growth aEgregatlng 500 900 and
I a conservatively estimated final apple
shipment OK 200 cars at $3.50 per car
o. s315,0J0 OF cash apple auditing.
| thus giving Mesa county through tho
| Grand Junction Fruit Growers Asso.
| citation alone a net fruit sale OF SSi5.-
| 600. 10 which Is 90 be added the ship.
meut8 OF the Whitewater Fruit Grow
1 ers' Association and long list OF In
diydurl and independent orchard
marketing. with grand total OF Mesa
county fruit money for 1903 reaching
beyond SiO0O0O
Delta county fruit shipments this
year include the tComirg orchards OF
the famous North Fork valley oil tho
I Gunnison and largo marketing from
: Delta, the county seat peaches.
pears, prunes. plums. apples and ber-
rles being all represented with total
net fruit return this year for tho coun-
! ~ approximating 100000 Especially
prosperous are the now towns of
Hotchkiss and Paonla. and II "a
claimed there never has been n fail.
ure Of crops there since tho country
was first settled.
From tho town OF Montrose $500
worth OF summer fruits have been
shipped with about tho same figures
IN final apple sale
While lands are held OF a very high
flgure In northern and eastern Colo.
RADIO, they can still be bought at a
low price and on very easy terms I'M
the western portion. IL Is In the San
Luis valley. and along tho San Juan.
Grand and UncomDahgre rivers where
the greatest developments arc now,
under Way. Hundreds OF lamilie9l
have Ncno into those districts this
year ana Il II SAFE 90 say that lhou.
,sauga more viii follow hem in 1901.
Full particulars of different localities.
togc .4er with maps aud other valuai
Bile information can be had by ad-,
=. ~.