The Glenwood post., 1908-12-26
STRAWBERRY GROWING
IN COLORADO

Among the earliest and most success
full ventures in fruit growing in Colo
RADIO was that of strawberry raising.
This plant has been found well adapted
to irrigation fruit growing in this state
especially when the right varieties have
been selected. And, although the straw
berry is best adapted to soils of some
what sandy character, still some high
yields have been secured from compar-
atively heavy land.
The strawberry has been most sue
cessfully grown in the region where the
apple succeeds best Strawberry grow
ing has been largely practiced in these
regions on account of the quick returns
and because Strawberries can be grown
between the rows of young trees part
bearing. This, together with the fact
that strawberries are, in ordinary sea
sons, remunerative crop, makes it one
of the best to use while waiting for
the trees to reach bearing size.
1t is only in years of exceptionally
heavy crops that there is anything ap-
preaching overproduction of this fruit
in Colorado, and during later years the
supply has come far from supplying the
home markets. The most extensive
growing of strawberries has been done
N the regions near Canon City, Denver,
Boulder and Longmont, in the eastern
districts, and in the counties of Mesa
and Montrose, on the Western slope
Many other districts are undoubtedly
adapted to this crop, at least those
where other fruits can be grown.
The varieties best adapted to Colo
RADIO are not necessarily those that sue
ceed in other regions. Comparatively
few are grown on a commercial scale,
although numerous varieties have been
and are being tried. The Bederwood
has been grown more extensively in the
Canon City region than any other and
it is still the leading commercial sort
there. Captain Jack and Jucunda are
most commonly grown in the Denver
and Golden regions, while farther north
the Senator Dunlap, Ridgeway, and
William Belt are perhaps the leading
kinds. 1t is hardly worth while to re-
commend particular varieties for GER
some extent climatic conditions, may
vary quite widely within comparatively
limited areas
Any land nearly level or with gen
tie slope which is adapted to other or
chard crops can be used for strawber-
ries. Such land may cost from $3.50 to
$500 or more per acre. if improved, de
pending largely upon its location. In
fact, land valued at $1,000 per acre is
being used for this purpose in some
places. An acre of Strawberries in n
favorable season and on suitable land
may yield from 200 to 500 crates per
acre, and as high as 800 crates have
been taken from this area in a single
season. An average price per crate is
not far from So, although in seasons of
scarcity the grower may receive as high
as $3.50.
The estimated cost of growing an
acre of strawberries, commercially, Ill
Colorado, is about 800 to 1925. Some
growers consider that in ordinarily
good years about one-half of the re-
turns is profit. Well managed planta-
tions commonly bring $500 an acre for
the crop, and this is often exceeded
under especially good care. With the
exception of harvesting, one man can
tend about five acres of strawberries.
In estimating the costs and profits in
this business it must be remembered
that the first crop cannot be harvested
until the second from setting. After
this annual crops may be gathered as
long as the plant continues productive,
from two to four years on good land.
After taking off the last crop the
plants are turned under and some late