Rocky Ford enterprise., 1910-04-01
LAND VALUE IN THE ARKANSAS VALLEY

that there is at the present time over
| 1000 acres of irrigated and produc-
tive land in the Arkansas valley, the
amount of increased valuation in
the short time of ten years is stag
| gering.
One half millions acres of land at
| $50 an acre means $I5.oooooo, and
| the same amount of land at $Ioo an
crease OF 333 I-3 per cent in ten
years, or $35,ooo,ooo. 1t is even more
than that for the reason that during
that time fair share of the half
| million acres have been opened up
anew, formerly beingw orthless lands
Water alone did not make them val
uabl 1t took the market for the
products.
1t is estimated that as much moro
land in the Arkansas valley will soon
be under cultivation and irrigated
within Il few years, as there is at the
present time. This new land will be
approximately as valuable within /:
! short time as the other lands. thus
meaning an increased valuations OF
| farm lands in the valley OF anothci
Ssooooooo at the present low price
of lands, as compared to other sec
tions.
The five sugar factories in the Ar
kansas valley between Pueblo, and
. the Colorado line pay out during
camraign months approximately. s.
600 for every day the factory is ii
! SIooo a day for each town. The Sill
gar City and Garden City factorie
will increase this figure about S2ooc
day. The biggest part of thi
amount remains in the localitie
| where it is distributed, and is an ad-
| ded asset tC that locality.
The remarkable thing about the
development of Arkansas valley
lands has been in the fact of what
might be called 4 double crop for the
land owners and farmers. For every
cron raised, whether it was sugai
beets. alfalfa, fruit or cantaloupcs,
the land increased in value a circum-
stance that is lacking in many sec
tions of the country. Iowa lands are
still raising corn at a profit, but Iowa
lands are not raising an adlitiona
crop of added value. 1t might be
compared to the double crop OF
sheep,-thc wool and the lamb. l;
mi9,it he safely said that for every
dollar paid into the valley for tho
| IdTlll pTtuuCts, tIC idiI NdiuSs hsNe
increased the same amount. A re
markable assertion. but one that i.
typical of the development of this
"N-''--- of Content" as il is oftime
termed, since the installation and op.
Grafton OF the sugar manufacturing
industry.
| 1t has been general impression
that town or city built up the coun'
try, but in the Ark insas valley dur,
ing the past ten years this has beer
disprovcd, and it has become plair
that the surrounding country build
up the towns. The sugar factoric
may be said to have done their par
of the building. either in forming tn,
neuclus for an entirely new town o.
giving a decided impetus to one al
ready established. As in the case o
lands. it was not the fact that TIL
factory represented d an investment o
so many hundreds of thousands Q
dollars in that town that assisted TIL
town. but for the fact that the suga
factory acted as the agent or mean
to reach the ends OF furnishing tt
balance OF the country with As MUG
sugar as il was possible to make
from a product OF the surroundint
lands.
II becomes palmer when 1t l
known that for the seven factories lo
Gated in the Arkansas valley con
servativc estimate of the amour
paid out yearly for bcets is over 81.
10000. with payroll OF over 81,
100000 for the average campaig'
run. This money is not taken fro:'
one part OF the valley and spent ii
another. but is the result OF a corn
try wide demand for necessity q
life. and the money received and pai'
into each locality naturally has
wonderful effect upon the city up
building as well as the land values o
| n section