La Junta tribune. (La Junta, Bent County, Colo.) 1881-1939, 1917-02-17
Colorado's Crop Outlook for 1917


the State Board of immigration from
all sections OF the state indicate that
the acreage cultivated in Colorado
IN 1917 will be at least 10 per cent
greater than has ever before been
cultivated for any year. The largest
increase will be in small grains.
beans and sugar beets.
Preliminary estimates made by
the United States Department of Ag-
riculture indicate that the acreage
OF winter wheat is per cent greater
than that of last year, or about 400
600 acres Reports from the same
source indicate that there was de-
crease of about 6 per cent in the
acreage OF rye sown last fall, as com
pared with the fall of 1915.
The area of spring wheat harvest
ed in 1916, accorc:ng to the final
estimates of the Department of Ag-
riculture, was 100000 acres, an in
crease of 10000 acres over the pre-
Feeding year, Indications are that il
the spring season is favorable for
planting, no less than 275,0O0 acres
will be put In this year. which will
be the largest acreage of spring
wheat ever cultivated in the state.
Plans are being made for putting in
q larger crop of pinto beans than was
raised last year The 1916 crop has
been estimated by the Department of
Agriculture at $4,000 acres ndica-
tons are that not less than 10000
acres will be put in this year. The
final reports of sugar companies show
about l75,000 acres OF sugar beets
We're harvested in 1916. The acre
age in 1917 under favorable condi-
tons will be in excess OF 100000
acres
Within the past year considerably
more than 100000 acres OF gov
eminent land has been filed on and
a considerable amount of this will
be put in cultivation this year, In ad
dition to large amount of privately
owned land that has previously been
used for pasture purposes will be
broken for the first time this year
and put in small grain and forage
crops There will also be large
increase IN the acreage OF potatoes
~ all the standard potato growing
GecliOns Of the state, AS well as in
the non Irrigated districts whore po-
.atoes are not extensively cultivated.
The abnormally high prices pre-
vailing for all agricultural products
inducing farmers to put the maxi
mum acreage in cultivation this year.
There has also been very heavy inn
to the state In the past
Twelve months and II is fair To as
sumo that fully two thousand more
iarmers will be cultiyating crops In
Colorado this year than last.
Weather conditions In all parts OF
the state have been reasonably favor
able for winter wheat and the condi-
ton of the crop il good Snowfall
has been fairly heavy In all the water
sheds and there is every season to
believe that the water supply for ir-
rigation will be at least normal,
Farmers In the non-irrigatcd dis
tricts report that the soil is In eN-
cellent condition for working as soon
as the frost leaves. there being plenty
OF moisture to insure prompt germi-
nation of seeds. with exceptionally
high prices still prevailing for agri-
cultural products and favorable
water conditions, Colorado's agricul-
,urai outlook for 1917 IN especially
bright and there Is every reason to
believe that the crop viii equal or eX-
coed In value the record agricultural
income OF 1916.