Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-07-31
Agriculture in Colorado.

mining strikes and lawlessness. and 1t
comes as a surprise to most of us to
learn that il is one of the leading agrl-
cultural states Of the union. AS
matter of fact, the value of the pro-
ducts Of it's farms now exceeds inc
value of the products of its mines ana
in 1904 the total of it's farm products
sold in the market, not including those
consumed at home. was $4',loo'ooV.
william T.. Curtis, the famous CORE
srondcnt. writing from Colorado, gives
us an array of facts and figures which
upscts the common eastern conception
OF the mountainous Centennial state.
II is irrigation which is mainly to be
thanked for the notable development
OF Colorado as an agricultural state.
This development has been very rapid
in the past few years. particularly In
horticulture. The total area of the
state Is 10000 square miles, and of
this about one third-that Is. an area
equal to the total area of Maine-is
capable Of producing crops under ir-
rigation. OF this. about 10 per cent, or
5000 900 acres is now under the plow,
wi ere less than 100 900 acres were cul-
tivated 20 years ago and the annual
crops according to Mr. Curtis, are
something that eastern soil never pro
duccs. The prodigious size gained by
some Of the products was illustrated
last fall when twelve ncighbors sat
down to Il meal at which they were
served with one chicken that weighed
ten pounds. one potato that weighed
six and one-half pounds, one fifteen
pound cabbage. one six-pOund beet,
one two-IOund onion. and tire" PICS
which were made from single apple
that weighed one and one-half pounds.
a beet was exhibited in the Colorado
building at the St. Louis Exposition
that weighed 43 pounds.
MI. Curtis tells about some of the in
teresting features of agricultural life
IN different parts of the state at harvest
time. He describes Melon day" at
Rocky Ford. where $4,000 melons were
consumed on the park grounds; also
Peach day" at Grand junction.
"Strawberry day" 1t Glenwood Springs.
Apple day" at Canyon city. Potato
day" at Greeley and Pumpkin pie day"
at Longmont. Since then Tomato
day" has been introduced at Brighton.
casions all Corners are fed free of cost
with the particular fruit named. Hay
is the most valuable crop in Colorado
then come fruits, dairy products, sugar
beets. potatoes wheat. garden truck
and wool III order.
II will particularly interest Maine
tato crop which is reaching enormous
proportions. This year the value OF
the crop is expected to exceed $1,000
600. IL the farmers can get an average
OF 30 cents busheI. The average
shipments for the past 10 years have
been $500 cars. and the acreage last
year was about $4,000 acres. This year
there are about 10000 acres in potatoes
and at least 10000 cars will be needed
to carry the crop to the eastern mar
kcts. Potatoes rave sold as high as
81 bushcl. but last year the average
the field Is done by machinery except
the final job of picking the potatoes off
tn. ground and putting them in sacks.
Not even in Colorado has machine
been found capable Of performing that
function
In tie production Of beet sugar only
Michigan and California beat Colorado.
IT has nine factories with capacity of
1870 tons daily. This year 80 900 acres
$500 acres were planted, yielding
124.500.000 pounds Of sugar valued at
S6.00G.9eJ. The Colorado canteloups
are famous and in 1904. $4,000 crates
were shipped eastward, filling 1880
cars. There has been an increase of
nearly 1000 acres in the area planted
to melons this year, or about Is per
cent The market was oversupplied
last year. not only with melons. but
with fruits of all kinds. About Il 900
carloads of orchard fruits were shipped
from Colorado in 1904, including 20
900 crates of cherries from single
orchard near Fort Collins. The in
crease this year will be very large. The
agricultural officials at the state CAPT.
toll in Denver estimate that the area in
bearing orchards this year will be 20
per cent greater than last. and they in
clude 973 varieties of fruits. One
orchard In the state contains 4.oe0