Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-11-24

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The big asparagus bed covers 30
acres and contains three quarters Of a
million plants. Its entire product is
packed in cans, also by machinery
before being sen, to market
The currant patch covers 81 acres
and has $4,000 bushes. Each bush
will produce an average OF gallon
of currants every year. and some Of
them as many as ten gallons. When
the fruit ripens an army of $50 per
sons. mostly women and children, is
turned in to pick them
| While Colorado cannot compare
with Minnesota and Dakota In the vol
llme of wheat produced. its average
per acre is much higher. Under irri-
CATION 80 bushels an acre is a fair,
crop. which AT present prices will
bring big return II the bonanza
farms of Dakota could be irrigated.
| perhaps they would do as well, for the
difference In crops lies entirely In the
application of water Colorado ships
very little wheat, however, the local
mills absorbing the entire crop.
/
portant and so interesting that
sha.. have to leave Il for another let
ter
The cantaloupe Is great insti-
tuition and. while It Is not peculiar to
Colorado by any means. you will ilnd
| 1t there In lts greatest glory. particu-
lurly in THE valley of the Arkansas
river in the southeastern corner of
tAo state, where the soil climate and
other conditions are especially favor
able During the late season 5000
acres were devoted to cantaloupes
In the Arkansas valley and about
1000 acres TO watermelons While Lne
later are quite as prolific In
quantity and quite as delicious In fla
yor as the former, It does not pay so
well to raise them. because of com
petition from Georgia, Texas, Okla
homa and other states II costs more
to send them TO market because they
are so bulky and there is n great deal
Of waste. "a man can make any
where from nothing to $500 an acre
In cautaloupes." said Mr.. Swink. the
pioneer melon-raiser of Rocky Ford
a few weeks ago, according to the
way he cultivates them and the state
OF the market, II requires constant
care and industry and intelligence
Fools and lazy people can raise mel
ons, but thoy can't make much money
at II. Farmers Of average intelligence
and industry will net $50 an acre year
in and ycarout. and those who know
how to do It can double and treble
that money, but they've got to run
their farms Just like that engineer
runs his locomotive. One man with
a team and proper implements can
plow and cultivate 90 acres easily.
but when the melons ripen he will
need dozen hands to pick. pack.
haul and ship them. Labor is scarce
and high We pay S25 and $50 a
month, with board to all-the-year
hands. and 81 per day for the season
to extra help. We have to import our
extra labor from the native villages
of New Mexico and from the Indian
reservations around us A good many
people come from the manufacturing
towns for a month or six weeks OF
farm life. and l am surprised that
more mechanics do not do so. They
get bit of country life. change OF
air and occupation, and good wages.
The season lasts about six weeks,
"Our early melons are sold for $40
crate. At the height of the season
when the rush comes they sell as low
( as 50 cents crate. and will average
( about 80 cents crate for the whole
= crop Every farmer. OF course is
a anxious to get an early crop. and the
l. only way he can do It is by forcing
= his vines by thorough cultivation and
a great care. Twenty-four cities fur
}. nish our principal market New York
a Philadelphia and Chicago take from
I ten to fifteen cars day each: st
i Louis. Pittsburg and Cleveland from
+, three to five cars day. The Santi
e Fe Railway company collects abou
l. $4,000 a year in freights on meloni
n from the Rocky Ford district alone
y Although the Arkansas valley pro
duces enormous quantities OF fruit
}, further west, over the great divide
l. you can nnd the biggest orchards
s Some Of them are almost as large Al
" those of California, and great dea
h of money Is made from them. Johl
a Ashenfelter near Montrose In tn
n Uncompahgre valley. which was Al
a Indian reservation only few year
"a ago has one of the largest and fines
T. orchards In the world. He has abou
Is 300 acres of peaches. apples. plum,
G. prunes and pears and will sell abou
y $50 900 worth Of fruit this season. II
ss has already shipped about $4,000 bo,
le es of peaches and $1,000 boxes Of otl
a er kinds of fruit. and has demonstra
lg ed mat industrious and intelliger
men can make more money in hort
e, culture than in mining
at WILLIAM E. CURTIS.