The Arvada enterprise., 1920-12-30

C0LORADO'S CROP
REPORT FOR 1920
state Crop Service Bulletin Shows
Greatest Production In HE.
tory Of STATE.
western Nssspass ua,s Nsvs ssvssa
Col0rad0's agricultural output In
1870 was the largest In the history OF
the state. The total area under cul-
dvation. according to compilations
made by the State Cooperative Crop
Reporting Service from the reports Of
county assessors, was 6,6S5, $50 acres.
compared with b.850.051 acres In 1919.
The total farm output for the season
just ended far exceeds that for the pre-
ceding season. One example will u.
lustrate this. The area devoted to
wheat In the state In 1870 was 1,471,2l2
acres, compared with 1.524,6o4 acres
the preceding year. The 1870 output,
however, was 27,l17. 600 bushela CON.
pared with only l8.4SA000 acres In
1919.
But the value Of the 1o20 crop was
more than $4,000. 900 lees than that
Of the. 1919 crop. the result Of q vsry
sharp falling OF Ia the prices Of oil
farm crops since harvest time. TAe
value Of all Colorado crops. Including
fruits, for 1890 based upon prices pre-.
vailing on or about Dec. I. WAS $751;
658sS4. compared With &loo.ol7. 900 for
the 1919 crop at prices prevailing o. Or
about Dec. I that year. While The
1870 wheat crop was more than 00o0..
900 bushels greater than that Of 1913.
its value was only go. 900. con.
pared with a value Of 81. 10000 for
tha 1919 crop. The 1920 potato crop
was only about 10000 bushels less
than the 1919 crop. but the value Of
the former at prices prevailing % Dec.
I was only $685.. 600. compared With
a value Of $ls,S7O,O 900 for the crop OF
the preceding year.
Yet the value Of the 1920 farm out.
put was greater than that for any pre-
vious year except 1919. The 1918 crop
was sold at war prices. but its total
value was only about S161. 00Q00Q
while the 1913 crop. which was mar
ksted before the World war began,
was worth considerably LEES than half
~ much as that Of 1o0o.
Wheat was Colorado's leading crop
In 1890. both In acreage and value.
Most Of this crop 10 winter wheat, the
AREA devoted to the winter grain show.
ing rather substantial increases each
year. while the acreage Of spring
wheat remains about stationary. Win.
ter wheat ID grown chiefly without ir.
riEation, whlls the reports Of county
assessors to the State ImmiGration De-
partment show that about 80 per cent
OF the spring wheat irrigated.
Corn is the second crop in the state
Ia acreage and fourth In value. Re
ports Of assessors show 1905, 702 acres
devoted to corn in 1920. Of which ~
per cent was harvested for grain and
the remainder cut for silage or fodder
or fed In the field. The total value Of
the crop was little In excess Of $20.-
00O,0 00 Of which $l2.2l0.000 was the
value Of the grain harvested. This crop
is growing rapidly In popularity 10 the
state, the corn area A. reported by the
census bureau In 1909 going only about
$4,000 acres. 1t Ii grown chiefly In
the eastern part Of the state. Yuma
county being the leader. with about
$4,000 acres.
Alfalfa 10 the third crop In the state
in both acreage and value. Reports Of
assessOrs showed about 724,O00 acres
devoted to alfalfa In LUsorado In 1920.
ana the production was 2,178,O00 tons.
THIS wac worth at prices psevailInE on
Dec. about s2aO00.000 Tho total
area devoted to tame hay h about l..
10000 acres. other varieties being
tinothy, red clover. timothy and clover
mixed, sweet clover, rnillet, sedan
Grass, fIsld peas. other tame. srassss
and grains cut grsea, chiefly rye, oats
an1 harley. The total production. Of
tame Nv b the state In 1870 WAS about
2,008.0W tops worth approximately
3s4 0s7, 900. there 10 also about 49,.
600 acrss devoted to wild hay. with .
productioa Of ~, 900 tons, worth about
N,llAte0.
Sugar bests b the sscoud crop In
the state h value and eighth In acre.
aes. Reports Of the sugar companies.
operating u the state. show that about
22l,600 acres Of sugar beets were har.
vested In Colorado In 1890. producing
2,S0o.0N tous, worth to the farmers
"a. l85. lS6. This crop Ii grown almost
exclusively under irrisatiea and has
proved 10 be one Of the most remuner.
alive crops grown In Colorado. Re-
parts Of sugar companies indicate that
the average price paid farmers per ton
for their beets Ia the state IN 1920 was
e1l.46.
The potato crop was NTH In value
among the states crops In 1890 rank.
Ing next below corn. Last year, how.
evef. II was fourth In value, surprising
corn BY about $4,000. 900. and making