La Junta tribune., 1908-01-04

T
from the snow capped mountains
| heavily laden with silt containing all
the mineral properties necessary TO
| plant life and last but not least. nat
ural reservoirs on the plains in
which 10 store the flood waters oi
! these rivers, He has provided these
| rivers with low banks and sufficient
| fall and left il to us to divert them
by means OF bitches, latcrals and sub
| latcrals over this rich soil and into
, the storage reservoirs so we may but
turn on the liie-giving waters when
ever and wherever the crop needs ii.
giving il Just the proper amount ot
moisture. and keeping the crop at all
up 10 TIME 81 maturity. This insures
| more perfectly developed grain,
grass, fruit or vegetable than where
left To the tender care of nature to
nrovide either too much or not
enough moisture as is usually the
case II is a well known fact that
products grown in Colorado under
perfect system of irrigation are more
perfectly developed, heavier. swectcr
and have richer color and flavor
than those grown elsewhere for the
reason that the soil of our plains IS
very rich in the minerals necessary
there in the beginning, have never
been washed out by excessive rains
as in rain belt country.
By irrigation we simply distribute
enough OF the rich silt laden waters
upon the land to thoroughly moistcn
it, and not an excessive amount to
leech through the soil washing thr
mineral properties and vegetable
mould into the streams. Instead we
are constantly adding to the proper
ties in the soil necessary to plant HE
by each successive irrigation through
the distribution OF these natural prop
critics in the water. By rotation OF
crops with alfalfa we keep the soil
well supplied with nitrogen thus bet
tering our soil each year instead oi
impovcrishing it. 1t is well known
fact that the annual yield per acre oi
all crops on the irrigated lands of
the Arkansas river valley OF Colorado
is on the increase. principally for the
reasons as stated above.
Meanwhile our eastern brother is
wondering what is the matter with
that Systematically tiled farm OF his,
1t does not produce the crops it used
to produce. 1t seems to be getting
thin or impoverished, and he thinks
he will raise a crop OF clover and
phow it under. But he finds he ha-
trouble 10 get a stand OF clover. and
then he buys some commercial fer
tilizer and puts it on, but the effects
OF tina. is soon gone.
will tell you. brother, it is be
cause oi that tile drain. Its effect
has been to more thoroughly open
up the pores OF the soil. Every heavy
rain simply drives the mineral and
vegetable properties OF the soil of
into the sewer and (tilc drains) and
thence INTO the streams and are for
ever lost. No wonder the waters of
the ocean are rich. as they say, with
gold consequently while our eastern
brother goes on worrying about what
to do 10 build up these losses that
arc constantly gong ON, on his farm,
we OF the golden irrigated west will
continue to grow our four 10 six tons
OF alfalfa hay per acre, which nnds a
ready market at S. and mp per Ton in
the stack thirty to seventy bushels
pf wheat that sells for from Sr.2s to
Sis per cwt.; sugar bccts that yield
an average OF fifteen to twenty tons
per acre and sells at a fixed price
of S. per ton +. O r Your nearest
railroad station. which is seldom more
than three miles from your farm, and
get back 400 pounds OF pulp from
each ton of bcets aud all your tops,
which two items. are. worth as much
or more in feeding qualities than the
average corn crop per acre IN the
east.
Our cantaloupe crop. which i much
sought after by the cities oi the cast
and west. nets the farmer from $50 10
| SIoo and more per acre.
rrui, and other crops a-e N like
proportions and all on land AT less
than the average price OF the best
agricultural lands OF the east.
To tie farmers OF the rain belt, we
say come out and see us. wc are not
the wild and wooiy'' you think We
are.
| We do not wear feathers in ou'
hair nor guns in our belts. We have
as good school and church facilities
as our eastern brother, rural mail de-
I, livery, tcier,.one service 10 alrIo>i
every farm house in the Arkansas riv-
c- valley. and climate and country
roads that are worth 500 per acre
to any community.
| What this valley needs is more
farmers, so ] again say. come and
| see d. H. BANE