The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1915-12-29
THE OLD YEAR AND THE NEW
Prowers County and Lamar Have Lit
tie Cause to Complain Against
the Year 1915 and Bright
Prospects for 1916

Prowers county and we can forgive
the coldest weather of the year which
marks its exit this week. On the
whole the weather has been as mild
for the entire year as any we have
ever had, the rainfall the heaviest,
plenty of water for irrigation, and of
course bountiful crops. If therefore
1915 in his dying gasp desires to show
us what he could have done it only
increases our gratitude to him that he
did not begin sooner. Thus with
kindly feelings for the cheer and gifts
Of the old year our people will meet
young Mr.. 1916 with smiling faces
and a firm determination to make it
Lamar's greatest year.
The crops throughout the country
have been abundant this year and on
dry lands the greatest ever known
both on account of the favorable sea-
son and large acreage. In the great
irrigated belt while they are not rec
ord breakers still they have been large
and brought big prices. The great
alfalfa crop has given new impetus
to the alfalfa mill industry and
has been the cause of the construction
of a large number of new mills, most
ly small ones for use on the larger
farms, but there have also been sew
eral large ones for general business
constructed and three or four more
already in prospect for the new sea-
son.
The fine crop Of alfalfa and Of all
feed crops has given an added impetus
to the stock feeding industry, and en-
abled our stoclmen to prepare their
stock for market much cheaper than
heretofore. This has caused a large
amount of both of sheep and cattle to
be fed here this season and the big
hay and feed crops will be well used
up by spring.
The constant growth Of the wheat
industry continues to be big factor
in our prosperity and has been more
marked the past season than ever be-
fore. This has caused Lamar's great
est institution, the Lamar Milling e.
Elevator Co., to double their storage
capacity and largely increase their
productive capacity. They have spent
over $4,000 this year in their i'm
provement to their Lamar plant and
their elevator system throughout the
county, besides paying out hundreds
Of thousands Of dollars for the big
wheat crop of the county.
The Helvetia Milk Condensery also
has had a splendid year. The growth
Of course has not continued at the
remarkable rate of their first season
here, but still there has been a con-
tinuous increase, which is considered
fine when it is remembered that for
months our dairymen were cut off
from most of the regions producing
dairy cows owing to those sections be-
Her deparantined. This region was
d no ehate in avoiding visitation of
he dread foot and mouth disease. Our
dairymen are all highly pleased with
the returns from the milk industry,
and the growth for the coming year
will be much greater than in the past.
Another special feature Of this year
has been the completion of the big
system of permanent improvements on
the Fort Lyon Canal. This great
canal owned by the farmers them
selves is one of the greatest factors
in the prosperity of Prowers county
For several years a big system OF
reservoirs and feeder canals to insure
a constant supply of water has been
under construction. This work was
completed during 1915 and the big
dredge which did the work has been
dismantled. This canal always the
greatest in thestate is now considered
the model irrigation system of the
country and is the greatest asset any
farming community could possess.
The close of the year also brings
tidings of the final settlement Of the
big Kansas-Colorado water suit, which
has been a heavy drag on our farmers
for a number of years, not only
through its financial cost, but by the
injury done to all irrigation securi-
tics This suit will now be forever