The daily sentinel., 1909-09-18
VALUE OF COLORADO
LANDS COMPARED
WITH OTHER STATES

WlHUIHtR 1lAlt1
In the September issue of the Prog
ress Magazine, published by Rand,
McNally & Company. Chicago, there
appeared an article by f. l.. Bart
lett, president of the Denver Cham
ber of Commerce, on the agricultural
advancement OF the state OF Colorado
during the last 90 years.
The article. which was well writ
ten and forcible, begins with COM
parison of the mining output OF the
state products, and shows the tre-
mendous increase in the values OF
farm products in the last few years.
No particular portion of the state
is represented. all sections being
treated generally. The northern
farming section. around Greeley. re-
ceived good notice. as did the Arkan-
sas and San Luis valley sections
while the western slope and Grand
valley districts received much atten-
tion.
The United States census report
I Cor 1903, the most available author
y on the subject, is quoted, showing
the large area of lands under culti-
vation in the state. The 1910 cen
sus will give a compilation far in
excess of the 10 years previous re-
port; but even these figures show
the growth of Colorado from an ag-
ricultural standpoint.
The United States department of
agriculture year book for 1906 offers
some interesting comparisons on the
value of an acre of farm products
raised ON Colorado soil compared to
the value of the same products raised
on soils of ten representative states
such as Iowa. Illinois, the Dakotas.
Kansas, Indiana and Minnesota.
out of seven of the foremost crops
of the country. such as corn. oats,
wheat, potatoes. rye. barley and hay,
the average value of the products
raised on Colorado soil was far in
excess of the average of other states.
In some individual cases certain of
the states excelled in some one thing
but the average of the farming states
of the west on all kinds of important
products was less than the average
of Colorado crops an acre.
Corn. according to the popular
opinion. based possibly on the ap-
peGrance of corn crops while growing
in Colorado, has practically no value
in this state. The report of the gov
ernment as outlined by DR.. Bartletts 5
article. shows that the average OF
corn crops per acre for the ten cen
tral western states-corn states, as
they are called-showed a valuation
OF Sl4.63 an acre, while Colorado's
corn crop averaged s13.95 per acre,
only few cents per acre less. A lit
tie more than a bushel of corn raised
on the corn acreage states over the
Colorado crop.
The average value of oat crops of
the same western states was 1855.
while Colorado showed $1S.1S-twice
as much. Wheat. the supposedly best
of all farming crops. averaged s12.52
in the other wheat states per acre,
while Colorado led with $21.13 per
acre. Other comparisons of like
nature set forth in the article show
the value of Colorado soil for farm
ing.
The fact that it was impossible. at
the time the article was written, to
make any comparison of the fruit
crops per acre. the values of Colora-
do orchard acres was so high that
the comparison would hardly have
been fair to some states. Sworn
O. shN ohhtN 'dPitdi ohoW
that values for one years crops off
some fruit lands in Colorado have
run from $500 to 81 ,200 an acre.
The article has attracted much ia
vorable comment, particularly in the
east. and already as direct result
inquiries are pouring into the Office
of the Denver Chamber of Commerce
asking for further information 9th
er sources of information have also
attracted the prospective Colorado
farmers. and hundreds of them are
coming to the state and applying in
person for information concerning
lands.
Dr. Bartlett said that In his opin-
ion fully % per cent of those who
came to Colorado to look into the
farming possibilities purchased
farms. and large percentage of
those who write for information
eventually come to the state to live
One paragraph in DR.. Bartletts S ar
ticle sums up the value of Colorado's S
farm lands. 1t is as follows:
In Colorado the farmer expects to
make from $500 to $40O an acre on
his land. while the fruit grower ex-
poets from $500 to $500 per acre
from his orchard"