The daily sentinel., 1913-12-18

The size OF the box advocated is in
side measure as follows: deDth
lO1s inches, width l1h inches.
length l s inches, and shall contain
2ll3 x cubic inches. The number
OF apples in tho box and the variety
must be stamped on the end, and no
two kinds shall be plat ed in any box.
There is something remarkable and
as yet unexplained in the formatic of
the land in this valley. In some To-
ealities there will be an orchard in
which there is no .'sub-irrigation"
whatever and in Nlocality where all
about 1t there is plenty of water at
a very slight depth. A case in point
is the orchard of f. c. Bryan. a few
miles east OF the city. 1t is the land
owned many years ago by the late
Charles w. Steele. Mr. Bryan has
had bumper crops of asparagus while
the trees were growing and this year
harvested 200 boxes of apples and
! 500 boxes of pears: Il is easy TO cal
culate his cash returns from the ten
acres.
Mr.. Bryan tells me that under
his place there is a bed of sand and
gravel which provides perfect
drainage and that it does not extend
very much beyond his land, In that
section the water runs to the north
instead of towards the river and
there seems to be ridges every go Of
ten which form pockets which hold
the water. 1t may be that some sys-
TEN of drainage will be discovered
which viii cut those ridges and allow
the water to run toward the river.
The government is looking into such
questions and eventually will solve
the riddle.
Mr.. Bryan does not trust altogeth-
er to the quality of his land for his
superior yields and quality but per-
sonally attends to every detail of the
orchard. He scrapes and bands his
apple trees and personally holds the
spray nozzle and works the bands
allowing no one to do this for him
no matter how busy he may be- 1t is
only by this most painstaking method
that success is acquired and really
counts as much as the quality of the
soil as ! have been trying to instill
into the minds of those growers who
possibly imagine that fruit will grow
without effort II once We get the land
set out and of bearing age
/ The sale a few days ago of the
Charley Brett LAND west of the city
to an italian means that the tract
will soon receive the personal atten-
tfon of an expert gardener. II Will
lam Shearman and Louis Pietrafeso
can make paying gardens out OF the
low grounds there is hope for every
section of the valley where there has
been too much water used. 1t may
be that the preeent owners will give
way to those who will reduce the
work to science but when that time
comes this county will be one of the
most prosperous in Colorado. 1t is
not very far behind any other as 1t
is at present. The fruit orchards of
profit in the future may be on the
ridges but the land in the lower sec
tions is rich and will grow the very
best produce If the knowledge of how
to handle 1t is once acquired.
A good friend tells me that he
takes issue with me on some of the
ideas found in this column; this is
just what j am most desirous of en-
couraging. These are the things |
am thinking about and we all wish
to know what others are doing A
newspaper that does not stir up an
tagoism or interest or discussion is
rot a newspaper in the best sense.
II any one has anything to say why
not say it right out in meeting?s 1t
will do the one good who says it and
mayhap will interest a large number
of readers. | do not pretend to be
right on all subjects because do not
see all sides as they strike others.