The Delta independent., 1907-04-26
RAISE POTATOES ON ORCHARD GROUND
Much Of the Sharp Edge Of Fruit Crop
Loss Can be Taken Off by Growing
Other Things.

If orchardists and fruit growers will
Immediately turn their attention to the
production of other crops to make up,
at least partially, for the damage done
to fruit, the situation will not be felt
so keenly as it will be if the planting
season is permitted to go by without
putting the soil to some productive use.
Potatoes make large yield here and
the quality is excellent. In fact many
who are competent to judge consider
Delta potatoes superior to those raised
in the famous Greeley district, where
farmers have become rich by the grow
ing of spuds in large quantities.
One draw back to growing potatoes
in Delta county to this time has been a
comparatively small acreage so that
they are not extensively handled in car
load lots. Potatoe growers have looked
to local markets mainly in dlsposing of
their crop.
There is big money in raising pota-
toes, as has been demonstrated beyond
a doubt. If people will get busy right
away and plant large quantities of pota-
toes and they can be grown success
fully in the orchards between rows of
trees-loss of that portion of the fruit
crop which is gone beyond doubt will
not be felt with anything like the SER
iousness it otherwise would be.
The outlook for good prices for pota-
toes is very encouraging. Why not
ship several hundred car loads from
Delta county this fall? 1t would bring
in lot of money and where the revenue
from peaches will be absent the potatoe
income would, to a large extent, take
its place. The situation can be i'm
proved great deal if our people will
act quickly along lines herein sugges-
ted.
AS to the outlook for good price for
potatoes we republish report made
bv Eugene Grubb, the well known
potatoe authority. to the Glenwood
Springs Post. Mr.. Grubb does not
guess at things and what he says can
be counted on as reliable. Following is
Mr.. Grubb's reasons for expecting a
good price for spuds this year as,given
by the Glenwood Springs Post in its
last issue:
''E. II. Grubb. who has recently re-
turned from a trip to California. called
up the Post one day this week and gave
us some information which may furnish
encouragement to the farmers of west
ern Colorado.
Mr.. Gruob asked +. J. Edwards. for
merly of Glenwood and Aspen. but now
Santa Fe agent at Los Angeles, to look
up the prospects for potato crop in
California. Mr.. Edwards says the
acreage planted in California is less
than usual and that much of this has
been destroyed by the recent floods in
the southern part of the state and will
not be replanted.
Mr.. Grubb says the people of Cali.
fornia are partial to our potatoes which
they claim are superior to any they can
grow in that state or purchase else
where and he says it is pretty generally
admitted now that California will be
obliged to depend upon Colorado for
her supply of tubers. Mr.. GrubD sees
in this bright future for the potato
growers of the Roaring Fork Valley
and other sections of western Colorado
where choice potatoes are grown. for
the shortage IN California and several
of the eastern states will almost insure
splendid price for the Colorado pro-
duct