The Holly chieftain., 1919-01-02
Presented by Denver Post
New Years Edition.
PRowERs COUNTY MAJOR
SECTION OF TIE COUNTY
Produces More Alfalfa Hay and
Grinds More Alfalfa Meal Than
Any Other County In the World
Great Seed Growing Section.

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The following descriptive article
of the Arkansas valley and its won
derful resources Is taken from
the special New Years edition of
the Denver Post. 1t is of so much
interest to people OF this section
of the valley that The Chieftain Is
glad to give it space in its entirety.
Holly is the metropolis of the
east end Of the vally and of the east
half of Prowers county. It should
also be born in mind that the Post
has not told only part of the story
of the alfalfa hay and alfalfa meal
industry Of Prowers county, which
as a matter OF fact produces more
alfalfa hay than any county in the
world and more alfalfa meal is
ground in Prowers than any other
county in the world
Read the article then send your
paper, marked, to some friend who
may be thinking of coming to this
part Of the state to locate. The
Post says:
The Arkansas valley is one OF the
Oldest and best developed irrigated
districts in the west, and the sec
ond largest in Colorado in area OF
irrigated land.it prot. uces q wild,
er variety of a9TaeHltural and hOrti.
cultural PRODUCES than any other
aa.irnitur 4 diStrie. in ;sUiDrssslle
and is likewise one Df the Iisost TIM
portant stock raising, dairying and
bee-keeping sections OF the state
The Arkansas valley proper com
prises Bent, Crowley, Otero, Prov
ers, Pueblo and Fremont counties,
with total area of 5,895,040 acres.
Las Animas county, with an area of
3,077, ,760 acres, contains consider
able amount of land irrigated from
streams tributary to the Arkansas
river, and may quite properly be
considered here as a southern ex-
tension of the valley. The records of
the county assessors show q total
of 348,651 acres of irrigated land in
these counties, but the amount for
which water is available is. in fact,
considerably greater perhaps, above
100000 acres.
Reports made by these counties
to the state land board of immi
grafton show that the total area
cultivated in 1918 was approximate
ly 100000 acres, or about One-eighth
the total for the state. The value
of the crops produced, however, is
considerably above One-eighth the
total value for the state, for the
reason that very large percent
age OF the cultivated area is irri-
gated, producing exceptionally high
yields The total value of crops
grown in this district in 1918 is in
the neighbOrhood of $25,000,O00.
Every farm and orchard crop
grown in Colorado is represented in
the Arkansas valley, and this means
almost every important crop grown
in the United States except cotton
and tobacco. Alfalfa is the most
important crop, as it is in most IL
rigated districts Of the west, and
the yields per acre are among the
highest made in Colorado. The sea
son is just q little longer here than
in most sections of the state, it be
ing well toward the southern boun-
diary Of the state and the altitude
Of the lower valley being the lowest
AL SO1Ok0AOs 1CluS Vi SlA tOAlo vi
alfalfa per acre were not uncon-
mon last year and are made every
year on some of the better farms
The average yield for the entire dis
trict was between 2.5 and tons per
acre. The alfalfa meal industry is
especially well developed in this dis
trict, Prowcrs county having one
OF the largest and most important
groups Of alfalfa meal mills in the
west.
This valley is known throughout
the country for the excellence OF its
cantaloupes, hOney-dew melons and
similar products. The Rocky Ford
cantaloupe is the standard of en-
cellence among cantaloupes in ev-
cry first-class hotel and eating
house in the country. The Arkan-
sas valley produces fully so per
cent of the cantalOupes grown in
Colorado, and the value of the en-.
tire crop last year was nearly ST..
100000. +.
For good many years the Unit
CONTINUED On lass passl