The Elbert County tribune., 1906-10-25
The Divide Counties.

In the October plumber OF the Scien-
tlhc Farmer d. M. Henderson has an
Interesting article on "rhe Divide Coun.
ties, the following being that portion
relating in particular to Elbert county.
Some eleven years ago i travelled ex-
tensively through Colorado, covering in
my trip much of that country today
known as the divide district" / saw
an unending vista of burned, brown
plains, with hardly sign of life to be
found in ten miles of iourneying. This
month have gone over the same dis
trict, and as one previously unacquainted
with the wonderful results which have
followed in the wake of scientific farm
Ing was surprised and bewildered to
notice the progress and development
which has taken place in this district
since my first visit.
Eleven years ago, when / talked to
the few cattlemen who then owned or
occupied most of the land in the dis
trict, they said, ut is impossible to
farm on these lands. They can never
be used for anything else but grazing"
Now / find that some OF these same
men have sold their cattle, have bought
Tor themselves farming machinery, and
are today thoroughly identified with the
agricultural developement of this sec
tion Of Colorado. And further than
eAos, Hhd tidt tuey are getting as
good, and in some instances much bet
ter crops than have been accustomed
TO hear farmers in the east tell about,
under most favorable conditions.
This "divide country" so called be-
cause OF the spur running at right an
giles from the foot hills, which forms
watershed between the Arkansas on
the south and the Platte river on the
north, takes in parts of three Colorado
counties, Douglas, Elbert and Ell Paso
Ihe altitude of the district, as whole,
is considerably higher than that of the
country surrounding, and more rolling
in the contour than most other Colorado
districts. Its hills are covered with
timber, and its valleys, because of the
unusual drainage, are models OF fertile
productiveness. In addition to this,
its rainfall is considerably larger than
that of many other sections, the spur
from the foothills serving as a con
ductor of storm clouds from the noun
tains
The average rainfall in the district
is more than eighteen inches per year
AN amount, in fact, which brings ex-
cellent results to the farmer who ap-
plies even ordinary methods OF cultiva-
ton. Naturally rich in all elements
which make for productiveness, the
lands Of the divide district" are well
adapted to the growing OF all cereals,
vegetables and fruit But it must be
admitted that very few of the districts
farmers are getting the best out OF their
land. They are raising in Elbert county
m average of 10 bushels of wheat, 40
bushels Of oats, 80 bushels OF potatoes,
16 bushels Of rye, q bushels of speltz
and Is bushels of barley per acre, and
with these yields as the result OF ordi-
nary methods of farming, they feel that
they have no need for improvement.
However that may be, there is no
question but that the divide farmers are
prosperous. Ebert county's population
is 1900, and its assessed valuation is
s2,32S,250 Thirty thousand cans of
cream we're shipped from the county to
Denver and Colorado Springs in 1905,
the value approximating 500 per can.
Cheese and butter for the same year
reached $4,000 in value. Two thousand
car loads OF cattle, sheep, wool, hogs,
grain, hay, etc, all valued at $4,000,
were shipped from the same county in
the same year. The more important
towns of Elbert Elizabeth, Kio-
thriving. and are growing very rapidly
in population.
One thing / noticed during my entire
trip through the divide countryi The
farmers in general do not seem to realize
the great possibilities lying in the soil
they cultivate. / spoke to a number OF
farmers concerning their prospects for
the coming year "Oh fair" they would
reply, and they usually added: awe
don't need the Campbell system here.
ave get too much rainfall" True, they
are getting good crops throughout the
entire district, but, in the light of what
is being done in other sections, they are
not approaching anywhere near the
actual productive capacity of their land.
Scientific farming costs more than ordi-
nary farming, to be sure, but il
thought by investing more money or
more work could realize proportion
ate gain, it wouldn't take me long to de.
eide in favor Of the latter. The divide"
country has today immense opportu-
mites open to the investor and home
seeker. 1t presents an unusual com
bination of good land, large rainfall and
cheap prices, and, in consequence, it is
attracting at rate that is taking tens
OF thousands of acres monthly off the
market. Under these conditions, one
item, at least, of the combination men
toned will not long exist, and the man
who is looking for a "good buy" in that
district needs to hurry.
An Awful Couch Cured