The daily sentinel., 1908-01-01

OF GRAND VALLEY
A. N Brown, Recently Visitor to Grand Junction. Con
tributes Spleadidy Written Article to the Na.onal
Fruit Grower, the Great Horticultural Paper
of St. Joseph, Mo--Superb Pictl.e .es Of
Grand Valley Apples Accom-
panied Wite-up

The Colorado Fruit Belt We>t of
the Rockies or Continental Divide.
or The Little Empire of the West
ern SLOPE as it is so admiringly
designated by the residents-stands
as a fruit producing section in a
class by itself, entirely due to its
peculiar location, character of soil,
irrigation. climate. altitude, and not
the least factor. bright sun.
The Grand Valley is Al miles long
and six miles wide. This valley is
the heart of the Western Colorado
fruit belt, contains over 10000
acres of land and more fertile iii all
respects than the famed valley of the
Nile. This does not, however, rep
resent the available acreage that can
be brought into cultivation. Mesa
Delta and Montrose counties COM
prise this territory, Mesa county
alone being greater i'll area than the
state of Delaware.
Fruit growing is the chief and per-
haps the most profitable occupation.
although grain farming, the growing
of vegetables. stock raising are in
creasing in importance each year.
The fruit grown is of extremely high
color and of excellent flavor, sells
on an average at higher prices upon
| from any other section of the United
States, This is due first to the ell
ovation, the average altitude is about
1900 feet, the bright suns an av
erage Of 800 days, the peculiar soil
an admixture of sand loan ard shale
or disintegrated rock filled with
plant food elements in mineral form,
which is easily available under the
practiced here to grow anything, but
which is easy and of low cost The
water supply is iLeXhaustable and
so available for the necessary irri-
CATION that this cost is reduced to the
lowest minimum.
The high mountains which sur
round this valley completely are a
protection against either sudden at
mospheric changes or severe weather.
Available fruit lands can be
bought for 100000 to $4,000 per
acre. The cost of leveliLg and pre-
pairing for irrigation and water
rights is a hundred dollars more.
Then with setting trees and their care
until bearing age, which is reached
at from . to years, brings the to-
tai up from 5000 to $500 per acre,
at which time the annual returns
| from the fruit have averaged on or
l chards properly cared for from 5000
to 81 900 per acre. Some phenomi-
nal returns per acre of fruit are re-
/ corded; one orchard near Grand
/ Junction this past season produced
| $500 worth of apples per acre, an
other $1,000, a single tree of jon
| athans this season produced 81 boxes
which sold for $2.7O per box. or
$500 for the apples from single
tree.
| As close planting is the rule here
instead of the exception, they get on
an average 90 trees per acre. Upon
this basis, if an entire acre had been
as productive as this one tree, the re
turns would reach the enormous sum
of $6,39450. While such a result
is not probable. yet it is possible, be
cause there are both natural and arti-
fetal conditions here that is doubt
full if they could be duplicated any
where in the United States. Trees
| grow vigorously, bear young, are inn
mensely productive, fruit Is large, of
exceptional color, and of surprising
flavor. Total crop failures are un-
known, the country is easily acces-
ible three trunk lines of railroad en-
tering it, has enterprising and pro-
gressive citizens. is occupied with
thriving towns ard cities, with an alb
undance of churches, schools and 9th
er public institutions, electric light
ing and water systems. and every
| thing needful for the comfort and
happiness of man.
There are few orchard difficulties
met with here, the worst pests are
the green and woody Aphis and the
codling moth. These can however be
easily controlled by using the proper
methods.
The fruit is practically all sold
through associations, This is neces-
sary because of the long distance to
market. Fruit must go out in solid
car lots. Again, better system of
grading the fruit can be had than by
individuals. In fact these fruit asso-
Citations and the successful manner in
which they have been handled has
positively made this industry, ani
upon them will depend the future of
/ the business. The oldest or parent
association is THE Grand Junction
Fruit Growers Association" located
/ at Grand Junction. and Of which Mr..
Morse is the efficient president and
manager. This coLcern receives,
packs and sells over 1000 car loads
of fruit each year. They do COM
mereial business also, billing all the
principal orchard supplies for their
members at wholesale priees. They
have over 500 membere, and in 1906
did a business of over $4,000 FOR
one day. Last week they paid their
members in checks, over $4,000 for
fruit delivered for the past month,
The Grand Valley Fruit Growers
Association, also located at Grand
1 Junction, and which is so ably man
| aged by Mr.. Gamble, its superinten-
dent, while much younger, is doing
splendid business. At Delta. the Del
ia Fruit Growers Association, with
Mr.. Conklin as president and mana
ger, is another of these organizations
which has proven a mine of wealth