The Delta independent., 1907-01-11
THE INTRINSIC VALUE OF
AN IRRIGATED ACRE.

AN IkkIuH IU HIkL.
The real value of an acre of land is
'>..8 by the annual net profit it can be
u..ir 20 yield. In Colorado property
,,> m..r is not satisfied with less than ten
l,-r cent annual interest upon his invest
r.,nt. 1t is upon this basis that We
l..,- always calculated estimates in fig
u:'"g on the earning capacity of irri-
c..:vd land. Suppose that a i6o-acre
W,.4 established farm contains in one
! ar fifty acres of potatoes, fifteen acres
9: hc"ts. sixty acres wheat and thirty
al alfalfa. The average yield OF pota
toes is 100 sacks or II. 900 pounds tothe
a.rr. the average market price is not
b. than fifty cents per cwt. or S55 an
acre: the expense Of cultivation is $50 an
are. This leaves a net profit Of S55 an
acre "r 81, 80 for the entire crop of fifty
acres.
The average yield of beets is fifteen
t"'.s and at the market price, S5 a ton.
tn. gross return is S75. The expense
g.: cultivation is $40 which leaves net
profit of s35 or S525 for the crop of tif-
teen acres. The average yield of wheat
is thirty-five bushels or ,. leo pounds TO
the acre which al the average market
price of ; per cwt. returns S2l. The
expense of cultivation is s. leaving a net
profit of Sl6 or 500 for the crop Of sixty
acres when the season is all right. The
average yield Of alfalfa is four tons from
a good stand which at the market price
of 81 ton gives Sloan acre; the expense
is IS leaving net profit of $l3 or $500
for the crop OF thirty acres. While the
cash profit on alfalfa is comparatively
small the crop is Invaluable aS a fertilizer
By adding these profits We find that
such farm would net above all eNpen-
ses grand total of So. 625. This sum
divided by l|U gives $.222.65 as the net
acre profit. This profit then becomes
the interest upon its real value. Plac-
ing that interest at ten per cent per an
mum and multiplying by ten. it becomes
evident that such a farm is worth to its
owner S-22t6. ~ an acre. These estimates
are extremely conservative and are re-
allied every year by any number of rep
resentative farmers who know how to
plow, SOW. till and reap. Ordinary eS-
Inmates range from $2u to $40. No es-
innate on irrigated land is lower than
so and consequently such farm is
worth only 500 an acre.
However many farms all over the
country have given yields far above
these figured estimates. For instance.
or S62 an acre and a l3O-acre farm yielded
$1,000 or SSl. 50 an acre OF course there
are some farms in the same neighhorhood
that do not yield a yearly profit Of S.,
OF the land. The man who loiters along
and lets things take care OF themselves
is sadly fooled when it comes running
an irrigated farm.
Lands on which peaches may be
grown year after year are extremely
scarce in the world The t,lberta is
often as tickle as n pretty maid the
only creature that has ever been deem
ed equal to comparison with it. Else
where peach year comes but now and
then. In the Colorado fruit belt how
ever every year is a peach of Il one and
every man who is in the business can
make all kinds of money by follow
ing it carefully. A prominent peach
grower in Mesa County kept accurate
account of expenditures and receipts on
his large orchard for n term of five years.
He received gross for his peach crops
from 500 to $3.50 an acre year and
his net profits averaged little more
han S40O an acre per annum for the
entire term. Suchprofits are not equal.
ed in the banking business. Denver
Field & Farm
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bllSiness in nalta fnr ranch pr tnwn