La Junta tribune., 1916-08-19
HOLSTEIN COW IN COLORADO
Given Farmer a Monthly Pay Check.
Doubled Price OF Alfalfa and
Made Reward of Labor Certain.

In a recent issue OF Black and
White Record" W. s. Partridge. OF
Holly, and manager of the Arkansas
Valley Sugar Beet and Irrigated Land
Company, had very interesting ar
ticle on the "Holstein Cow in Colora-
do" which gives much interesting
Information concerning the develop
ment of the dairy industry in Prov
ers county. II should be read by
every farmer OF this section who is
interested in dairying. and is as fol-
lows:
The development of agricultural
lands under irrigation has been
quite different from development
under rainfall. The first lands put
under irrigation were generally sit.
uated near communities which pre-
viously had brought in their agri-
culture supplies from a distance, and
TO have commodities supplied at
home made a good price and good
market for the farmer. The mining
and livestock centers did not keep
pace with the growth OF farming
under irrigation. and, today. our
farmers find that eastern markets
make the prices OF what they have
to sell. The western farmer then
found that certain localities were
peculiarly adapted to certain crops.
and that II he lived around Greeley
he could get the largest returns from
around Rocky Ford. the cantaloupe
paid best. around Grand Junction a
peach crop was the thing. etc. This
led to a system OF specializing In
crops. until the farmer learned that
he could not continue with one crop
and maintain the fertility of his
land.
Among the most important things
our farmers have learned are the
value Of rotation and Of fertilization.
He also learned that II did not pay
to put all his sGks In one basket. II
he made \ Gosd maskss for . special
quality OF produce. other communi.
ties quickly we're in competition.
A few years Of prosperity under
specialization made certain irrigat-
ed lands sell at very high prices. and
this led to an extension of irrigation
which was not warranted by the nat
ural conditions. Promoters go,
rich by acquiring cheap lands and
covering them on paper. and in their
dreams. with bitches and reservoirs
which had no water to supply them
II Mark Twain had located Colonel
Sellers in one OF our valleys. the
Colonel might have died rich
man. We have, however. had a
few Colonel Sellers and they had
enough shrewdness TO derive wealth
from impossible schemes and the
people who put their capital into
these impossible schemes have done
what they might be expected TO do
in discrediting the whole irrigation
business.
The reliable and well-esta blished
irrigation companies have suffered
In the development OF their proper
ties and. very often. through nc
cause which could be controlled. Be
cause one ditch would sustain the
most Intensive form OF farming. II
was taken for granted that all ditch
es should be equally able to support
such farming. The Who'll. idea was
to have the farmers set the standard
OF what should be- raised. and that
the ditch should meet the require
m.nts In water for these crops. II
the farmers and ditch people had
studied their ditch and water sup,
ply. and then put out crops which
were reasonably sure to prosper. We
would be many years ahead In the
agricultural development OF the
west.
The lands have been sold largei,
by agents who represent TO the new
conner that u wave OF the hand, or q
nod OF the head. In all that II reduir'
ed to flood the land he Is about "a
purohas. and TO insure most prodi'
xious crops. The land companies
could hardly restrain the enthusiasm
Of their agents. The purchaser
found some things had been misrep
resented TO him and from the time
Of his first discovery 20 the time h'
became reconciied or moved away
he WAS 4 most unhappy and dissatis.
fled person.
The Arkansas Valley OF Colorado
has shown great material progress
In the past twenty years. although II
has been In an experimental stage oi
deynlopment, We rpcrtalizsd In