The daily sentinel., 1914-06-23
Strawberries
MAKING MONEY
IN The PLATEAU.
Ranchmen Of Hidden Kingdom"
AmaSSing Wealth From the
Fertile Soil.
DLATEAU CITY. Colo. June 28.
by Ii. V. Aupperle. l-One of


the show places OF the entire
Plateau valley is the io.l, ere truck
E''tea and small fIuit orchard
owned here by Ben Douohue and l..
. Townsend. Mr.. Donohue cares for
-ie ranch, and Mr. Townaead for the
general store which the two men own
} Gre.
The Donohue place is just al the
'Jse of town. Around his house.
MT Donohue has more than fifty va
rieties of roses growing. They are
in blossom throughout the summer.
But the greatest attraction on the
place is the strawberry patch. Mr..
Donohue is a scientific strawberry
grower. He ships out hundreds OF
plants every year to all states in the
Union. Last year he sent as far east
as the Carolinas, west to California.
south to Alabama and north to Idaho.
lie has half a dozen varieties In
which he is specializing. He has
tried out more than thirty varieties
IN the last six years, but has found
about six which are exceptionally
well adapted to this climate. One of
his pickers brought in an apronful
OF BLACK Beauties" this morning.
Out of this common patch run Mr..
nonohue picked out twenty-five
which measured little over a yard.
Eight of them measured 12 y inches.
some strawberries, Mr. Donohue
has been specializing with Ever
Bea'ers, ana has two varieties, the
Pan-Americans and the Francis.
which bear from the middle of May
until after fall frosts. For his fall
berries last year, Mr.. Dcnohue re-
ceived $3.50 per crate in Denver. His
straw berry patch nets him from
Z S1,250 to 81 500 per year Most of
his slnaif fruit is Shipped now by.
I } arcels,post. -. ~. go ---'--'-
His raspberry patch nets him $500
per year. Plants which he set out
last year are bearing this summer
ms totatoes. onions. cabbage, etc,
net him about 5000 per year. and
Iii dewherries all the from 5000
to 81 400. Some years the yield Is
eoornous. This year Mr.. Donohue
expects not much over 5000. There
Is an immense fruit cellar on the
Place, in which the temperature
rarely rises over IS degrees in the
sumner, although no ice is used.
Mr. Donohue is one OF the most sci
enlific small fruit growers and truck
gardeners in Colorado. and is reap
Just four acres. This year he has
paid out just sG.2j for outside labor.
not counting the money paid for
Tichrg fruit
NJ. Townsend at the store declared
today that business Is more than 10
pei cent better this year than last
He stated that hay men would be
needed here about June 25 when the
first ruttiDp of alfalfa
One of the most interesting places
near here Is the 0-acre tract owneI
by Uncle Joe" Samworth. who is
now in his 10th year. He came
here about twelve years ago to "get
a start" He now owns his own
rlace and has money in the bank.
His stands of bees did the work for
him. He started in with four stands.
He now has I so. which average SIS
rer year each In addition he has
built one of the finest little concrete
houses in the valley. Uncle Joe
owns one of the finest cows in the
valley, He MIXED her for 2S days
and sold her cream to the creamery.
He received 7 check for s9.9 for the
cream. besides having all the milk
and butter he and his wife could use.
Another man who is making mon
ey by handling bees is ]. f. Pryor.
who has even installed machinery for
the manufacture of bee supplies. Mr..
Pryor and his son manufacture cases.
hives and other bee supplies for the
other bee keepers in this vicinity.
Mr.. Pryor has more than 300 stands
of hees himself and finds that they
will average about s5 per year.
No visit to Plateau City is COM
n nt Tot 81
Of James p. Baldridee Mr.. Bald
ridge is one of the pioneers of Pla-
teau City. and made his reputation
several wears ago by the dewberry
route. Mr.. Baldridge has one OF the
finest places in this vicinity. He is
planning on a greater specialization
In small fruits in the near future
He has one of the largest orchards
In the Plateau valley. and is one of
the most progressive and successful
farmers in this region.
s. C. Simmer. one of the pioneers
Of the valley. renorts business condi-
tions in excellent shape. Besi,es his
large land holdings in the Plateau
Mr. skinner is in the i'm .
Dlement business In this town. and is
in position to know the financial CON
iition of the valley. He declares that
the Plateau country has never seen
r better season than this year
"The Plateau valley is but little
affected by financial depressions
the country. There is al
ways a market for hay. cattle and
butter fat" said Mr.. Skinner this
Consequently the Plateau
does not suffer from hard
Continued on Page 81