Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-07-09

cesSiuliy solved. 1t behoovcS one,
therefore, to inquire most carefully
into this question of crops and mark
citing and not to trust too implicitly
upon the statements OF colonization
agents and their literature. They
may, in all sincerity, refer you TO the
results being obtained in an adjoining
district under similar climatic con
ditions where the shipping facilities
are no better and the soil and water
supply are not as good. You are to
be but an addition to an old cstab
lishcd district, and yet when you some
to market your first crop you find you
cannot dispose of il at top prices
at your local shipping point, for the
reason that the adjoining district has
spent years building up a reputation
which they guard jealously. Your
crop may be the equal in every re-
sptct, but eastern and foreign buyers
will not pay fancy prices unless it
it actually delivered for shipment
from the shipping point of the cs-
tablishcd district. For example, the
well known Rocky Ford cantaloupe
can be successfully grown at many
nearby points but they do not bring
Rocky Ford prices at many eastern
markets unless actually shipped from
many sections. In time these dis
tricts will create a demand for their
products. but the intervening seasons
may bring some disappointments to
the patient grower, who has already
waited from five to seven years for
his first special crop.
The promoters OF many districts
speak in glowing terms OF the profits
10 be made by the growing of vcgc-
tables during the years of waiting for
the fruit crop. This should be looked
upon as rather hazardous source OF
necessary income. Seldom does the
local demand equal the local produc-
tion, and though your district pro-
duces quantity to distant markets,
you enter into keen competition as
to quality and prices and receive but
the distant market price, less freight
and commission. Unless you have
friend or relative who is grower
in the district you have in mind, and
from whom you can obtain trust
worthy information. you should visit
the district yourself and talk with as
many OF the growers and shippers as
possible. Ascertain whether their
crop can be shipped to advantage
when harvested. or if it must be held
until the crop from some neighbor
ing and more advantageously located
district has BEEN moved, whether cash
buyers come into the field and pur-
chase the crop, or it is handled by
local commission men on an I. o. b.
basis; or whether the grower has to
develop his own market through dis
tant commission houses and distrib
utors on consignment.
The question of water supply for
irrigation purposes is of the greatest
importance, for no matter how ad-
vantagcous all other conditions may
be, If you can not secure an adequate
supply of water during the growing
season, your purchase will prove a
very poor investment from an agri-
cultural standpoint. If one attempts
to delve into the details of water sup
ply, he will find it very intricate in
deed. He will hear much of second
and acre feet, dates of decree, prior
ity, etc, but fortunately, il is not often
necessary for a buyer TO go thus into
the matter, for nearly all of the west
ern states now have state water COM
missioners who have supervision OF
the distribution of all irrigation water.
The records OF the office OF these
water commissioners or their depu-
ties, will show Just how many cubic
feet of water each district has re-
ceived each day, for many years past.
1t is therefore an easy matter ior the
purchaser to ascertain the supply his
district has been getting and know
ing the acreage OF the district, he can
soon determine il it has had a suffi-
cient supply for all OF the land in the
district.
1t must be remembered, however.
that some districts have more than
one source OF water supply, and that
very often some OF the land within