The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1907-10-26

CONSERVATIVE man OF aNalrS. one who
keeps his finger on the financial pulse
or the state. and who is not given to
exaegerotion. From reports which
have been collected in the Office of the
Colorado State Commercial Associa-
zion within the last week believe that
the next published statements of the
banks OF the state are going to be
mighty interesting reading. | believe
although predictions along this line as
rule are risky, that the deposits OF
the banks OF Colorado when compiled
will prove to be a big surprise to most
people.
More Money Than Ever.
Why? Simply because there is more
money in circulation in the state right
at the present time than perhaps ever
before. The reason? The bountiful
harvests.
Colorado is veritably a land OF gold
1t produces gold by the millions for the
miner; it produces many millions more
Of gold each year for the man who
grows and does not dig on his land.
l have been collecting some data on
two or three of Colorados crops I
have touched only the high places and
have not taken into consideration per-
haps. the most valuable crop OF all,
the small grains. Yet the figures in
some instances are astounding.
What will the beet sugar industry
be worth to Colorado in actual money
this year? Have you any idea? Fiji
teen million seven hundred and fifty
thousand dollars for beets and labor
alone. Put it down in figures: $15,-
10000. Yet these figures are
conservative. Very conservative.
The proofs There was put un-
der cultivation in Colorado alone this
year in sugar beets 100000 acres Fig
ure the average tonnage per acre at
fourteen tons. This is a low figure
In many instances beets will run as
high as thirty tons to the acre but l
am taking fourteen toi.s as a safe fig
ure. Then there was raised in the
state 100000 tons of beets, The price
per ton is s. The beet growers will
be paid for beets alone 81 0 500. 900. The
estimate of the cost of manufacture of
the beets into sugar as given me by
the Great Western Sugar Company is
about half the actual cost of the beets.
This would give $5.25O,00O for labor
and manufacture. The grand total is
S15,750.O0O.
What need is there to say more
about the value of the beet sugar In
dustry to Colorado? Sixteen factories
are at work. now, scattered north.
south, east and west over the state.
grinding bGets into sugar. Thousands
of farmers are busy hauling their beets
TO the dumps; smoke is pouring from
the tall ia, tory stacks night and day,
for there is no let-up when once manu-
facture is begun. and it will continue
to pour out until well along in the
spring.
In considering the beet crop have
not taken into consideration the by
products of the beets, which are worth
many thousands of dollars. Cattle
live stock all over the state. is being
fattened on the pulp 1t will be only
a few years when the value OF these
by-products will be increased wonder
fully. New uses for the beet pulp are
being discovered all the time.
Take the cantaloupe crop as another
instance OF the wonderful fertility of
Colorado's soil. Complete reports
from the melon growing sections of
the state have not yet been received
but a few figures will go far to show
the extent and the immensity Of the
melon-growing industry.
During the height Of the melon-ship-
ping ses son 100000 cantaloupes were
moved every DAY from tne ATkahsds
valley alone They were loaded In
cars and went scurrying to every part
of the country as fast as the fruit
trains could carry them.
$4,000 for Melons.
A. c. Sloan, secretary Of the Rocky
Ford Melon Growers Association, yes
terday finished his compilation Of the
shipments made by his association.
They totaled 312 cars OF melons
shipped by only one association from
one point in the Arkansas valley
These cars averaged 312 crates of
melons to the car. Their total value
netted the growers was just shade
under $4,000 What Rocky Ford did
SO did other towns in the valley-Fow
Ter, Nanzanola, La Junta, Las Animas
and others.
Nineteen carloads OF Grand valley
cantaloupes. shipped out the second
week Of the season, brought to the
growers Of these melons $G,2S2 So. All
OF these shipments went to New York
and Chicago. They brought top price.
CanAaloupes, 1t has been demonstrated.
can be grown as successfully in many