The Springfield herald., 1909-01-01
STRAWBERRIES
IN COLORADO
VALUABLE CROP WHILE FRUIT
TREES ARE REACHING
BEARING SIZE.
GOOD HOME MARKET
TWO HUNDRED TO FIVE HUN.
DRED OR EIGHT HUNDRED
a. CRATES TO THE ACRE.

Among the earliest and most sue
cessful ventures In fruit growing In
Colorado was that OF strawberry rails
ing. writes B. o. Longyear Of the Colo
RADIO Agricultural College. This plant
has been found well adapted to irriga-
tion fruit growing in this state, espec-
tally 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 regions where
the apple succeeds best. Strawberry
growing 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 of the time until the lat
ter come into bearing. This. together
with the fact that strawberries are,
in ordinary seasons, remunerative
crop, makes 1t 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 sup
plying the home markets. The most
extensive growing of strawberries has
been done in 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 dis
tricts 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
succeed In other regions. Compare
lively few are grown on a CONNER
cial scale. although numerous varie-
ties have been and are being tried.
The Bederwood has been grown more
extensively in the Canon City region
than any other and 1t is still the lead
ing commercial sort there. Captain
Z Jack and Jucunda are most COM
monty grown in the Denver and Col
den regions, while farther north the
Senator Dunlap. Ridgeway. and Will
liam Belt are perhaps the leading
kinds. 1t is hardly worth while to
recommend particular varieties for
certain localities, however, as soil. and
to some extent climatic conditions,
may vary quite widely within COM
paratively limited areas.
Any land nearly level or with a
gentle slope. which is adapted to
other orchard crops can be used for
Strawberries. Such land may cost
from $3.50 to $500 or more per acre.
II improved, depending 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 favorable season
and on suitable land may yield from
200 to 500 crates per acre, and as
high as 500 crates have been taken
from this area in 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, in
Colorado, is about $10O to $125. Some
growers consider that in ordinarily
good years about one-half of the re-
turns is profit. Well managed plan
tatlons commonly bring $500 an acre
for the crop. and this is often ex-
ceded under especially good care.
With the exception of harvesting, one
man can tend about five acres Of
strawberries.
In estimating the cost and profits
in this business 1t must be remem-
bered that the first crop cannot be
harvested until the second from set
ting. After this annual crops may
be gathered as long as the plant
continues productive. from two to
four years on good land. After talk
ing off the last crop the plants are
turned under and some late forage
or truck crop is planted, so that the
land does not lie idle during the re
mainder of the season.
During the past few seasons straw
berry growing has received consider
able discouragement on account of
the dry winters. But as this is mat
ter which is not likely to continue
Indefinitely, and as prices have been
exceptionally high, the outlook for
strawberry raising in the hands of
the careful grower appears especially
good.