The Holly chieftain., 1916-12-29


crops such as sugar beets. canta-
loupes, vegetables and fruit.
The irrigated section of the val
ley needs more farmers; more til
lers to bring the wonderful prOduc-
tiveness of the lands to its highest
state of efficiency. No better land
or water rights are to be found.
and the valley is now producing,
annually. tens Of millions of dollars
in crops.
Az result of the continued do
velOpment of intensive farming,
the value of these lands and their
prOductiveneas viii be further In
creased by millions within the next
few years.
Many of the larger holdings of IT.
rigated lands in the valley are now
being partitioned into smaller
tracts. and the need Of the more
farmers for the lands already under
irrigation as well as for those in
cluded in new projects, makes the
opportunity for the land-seeker in
this valley.
At the present time the Arkansas
Valley OF Colorado is recognized as
one Of the foremost agricultural
sections in the west. It has many
immense beet sugar factories which
pay the frmers several million dol
lars annually. The famous Pink
Meat,and Rocky Ford Nugget canta-
loupes forming q melon-growing in
dustry that is general in the whole
valley. brings into the valley thor
sands of dollars yearly. The de
mand for alfalfa produced is repre-
sentative of Arkansas Valley pros
perity. and the demands for other
crops have all done much to estab-
lish this valley as leader. The re
turns from farming under irriga-
ton are greater than in the rain
belt states. owing to the greater
yield and the superior quality with
higher prices and an ever-growing
demand.
What in the past has been
quarter or half-section farm is now
being divided into 40 acre farms
that the lands may be more pro
ductive to the extent warranted by
the quality .of the land, the perfect
supply of water, the sunshine, and
what is just as important, the Gre
ated demand for it's specialized
crops.
The bitches furnishing water
from the Arkansas river and its tri-
butaries to the thousands OF farm
ers in the valley are among the old.
est in the country. One Of them
ID among the largest irrigation ca
mails in the world, being over 100
miles in length and furnishing wa
ter to 10000 acres Of land.
In addition to the bitches there
are alao many large reservoirs t or
the storage OF winter and food wa
ters which insure regular supply
thru the growing season.
Eminent irrigation engineers AZ
sert that the Arkansas river is Sec
ond only to the Nile in silt percent
age-the properties that enrich the
land. The Nile has kept the coun-
try bordering it fertile for thou
sands Of years, and the Arkansas
river possesses this fertilizing pow
er almost to an equal degree, and
deposits upon the lands thru its
waters, annually. thousands OF
tons Of finely divided mineral sedi
ment and organic matter, washed
down from the mountains in which
the river rises.
This silt contains. in just the
right chemical proportions, the
potash and phosphates so neces-
sary to plant life.
The Arkansas river rises in the
highest range Of the Rocky Noun
tains. and drains about 25O.000
square miles, the run-off of which
{ is capable of irrigating several
times the irrigated acreage now un-
der cultivation in the Arkansas Val
ley of Colorado.
The soil of the valley on which
the water Of the Arkansas river is
placed is judged by the United
States department Of agriculture
to be second to none for fertility
and productiveness, fact that
,,o1-no voeo;hlo Tho iptnraiva farm.