Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-07-09
OF Real Value to Farmer
and Especially to New
Conner in the Valley.
IRRIGATION
INFORMATION

1t is only in the last few years that
irrigation on 4 commercial scale has
been undertaken in this country. Its
rapid rise into popularity has raised
many new problems, not alone in con-
ncction with agriculture under these
new conditions, but also in the meth
cd of land sales and colonization.
The large amount OF capital invested
in an irrigation project, with its con-
sequent interest charge together with
the operating expense, requires that
the land under the project be settled
as rapidly as possible after its COM
plction in order TO distribute these
charges so that they will not become
a burden on anyone. This necessity
for rapid colonization has unfortu-
natcly, led some of the agencies en-
gagged in this work to make extrava-
giant claims for their respective en-
tcrprises, claims which have raised
unwarranted hopes in the minds OF
some settlers and groundless suspi-
cions in others who might have be
come desirable and successful occu-
pants of the lands in question An
other feature which has added to this
growing feeling OF disirust for all ir-
rigation enterprises, is the practice OF
many successful professional and bus
mess men as well as farmers OF buy
ing irrigated or proposed irrigated
land sight unseen on the mail or
der installment plan, resting secure
in the thought that when their in
stallments are finally paid in, they
can retire TO their new home in this
land OF Utopia and live for the rest
of their days in ease and comfort
upon the returns OF their farm or
ranch
The irrigated sections of the west
offer many opportunities for the man
OF small means, provided he is will
ing to devote the same amount OF
energy and intelligence TO his new, as
to his present work. What these
districts need today are not men
seeking life of ease and comfort
at the expense of the rest of creation
but men who are prepared to devote
| themselves to the working out of new
problems, agricultural, industrial and
economic. Irrigation farming, the
same as any other farming, requires
work intelligently applied in order to
gain success, and in return il offers
more sure results, delightful climate
and community life which. because
OF the smallness of the farms under
the community life OF suburb OF an
eastern city. From the experience
OF the writer. it is his belize that this
haphazard method of settlement. so
common and detrimental in the past,
has been largely due to a lack OF
understanding on the part of most
fasteners as to what to investigate
and how to secure the necessary in
formation and it is with hope OF
aiding some future buyer in his Sc
lection that the following selections
are offered:
The first problem which confronts
a prospective purchaser is the selec-
ton of section or district The i'm
portant factors in this connection are
climate, crops, marketing conditions
and most important OF all, the water
supply. The preference and reliable
data can be obtained from the gov
crnment weather bureau.
The question of crops and market
ing facilities is of far more import
ance in an irrigated section than in
the more densely populated humid
sections OF the country. Most irri-
gated districts are isolated conse-
quently the character of the crops
! to be raised must be such that will
stand very high carrying cost to
market. Owing to the high value OF
both land and water and to the lack
OF local demand, it is only in ex-
ceptional cases that general farm
crops can be raised at profit. 1t is,
therefore, usually necessary to resort
to the raising of special crops, the
marketing of which sometimes offers
peculiar and difficult problems not
| always set forth in the advertising
literature OF land companies and col
onization agencies, problems which
may entail considerable financial
loss and several years OF hardship
| upon the growers before they are sue