The Ordway new era., 1920-12-31
COLORADO'S CROP
REPORT FOR 1920
State Crop Service Bulletin Shows
Greatest Production in His
tory of State.

ntAttfu NeHtpApef Lbloh NtNs strfNe
Colorado's agricultural output in
1920 wHs the largest in the history of
the staye. The total area under cul-
tivation, according to compilations
made by the State Cooperative Crop
lteportlng Service from the reports of
county assessors, was 5,G3j,339 acres,
compared with 5,6J0951 acres in 1919.
The total farm output for the season
just ended far exceeds that for the pre-
ccding season. one example will IL
lustrate this. The area devoted to
wheat in the state in 1920 was 1,471,242
acres, compared with 1924, ,594 acres
the preceding year. The 1920 output,
however, was ~, III 600 bushels, COM
pared with only 1S,435,000 acres in
1919.
But the value of the 1920 crop was
more than $30,0O0,OO0 less than that
of the 1919 crop, the result of a very
sharp falling off in the prices of all
farm crops since harvest time. The
value of all Colorado crops, including
fruits, for 1920, based upon prices pre-
vailing on or about Dec. l, was S16I,-
553, 1874, compared with S199, ,9iT 900 for
the 1919 crop at prices prevailing on or
about Dec. 1 that year. While the
1920 wheat crop was more than 5000,
900 bushels greater than that of 1919,
its value was only $36, COS, 600, COM
pared with Il value of S3I ,24O,O0O for
the 1919 crop. The 1920 potato crop
was only about 100000 bushels less
than the 1919 crop, but the value of
the former at prices prevailing on Dee
l was only SS,695,0OO, compared with
II value of S1SS7OO0O 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 151,000O00
while the 1913 crop, which was mar
keted before the World war began,
was worth considerably less than hale
MS much as that Of 1920.
Wheat was Colorado's leading crop
in 1920, both in acreage and value.
Most of this crop is 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 is grown chiefly without ir-
rigation, while 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
in acreage and fourth in value. Re
ports of assessors show / ,203,I92 acres
devoted to corn in 1920, of which 40
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 n little in excess of S20,-
100000, of which S12,210,O00 was the
value Of the grain harvested. This crop
is growing rapidly in popularity in the
state, the corn area as reported by the
census bureau in 1909 going only about
$4,000 acres. 1t is grown chiefly in
the eastern part of the state, Yuma
county being the leader, with about
12S,000 acres.
Alfalfa is the third crop in the state
in both acreage and value. Reports of
assessors showed about T24,0O0 acres
devoted TO alfalfa in Colorado in 1920,
and the production was 2,173,0OO tons.
This was worth at prices prevailing on
Dec. l about $26,O00,0oO. The total
area devoted to tame hay is about l.
100000 acres, other varieties being
timothy, red clover, timothy and clover
mixed, sweet clover, millet sudan
grass, field peas, other tame grasses
and grains cut green, chiefly rye, oats
and barley. The total production of
tame hay in the state in 1920 was about
wi m al
S33 63T 900 There Is also about 254,-
900 acres devoted to wild hay, with n
production of 29i, 900 tons, worth about
S4,115,500.
Sugar beets is the second crop in
the state in value and eighth in acre
age. Reports of the sugar companies,
operating in the state. show that about
221 800 acres of sugar beets were har-
vested in Colorado in 1920, producing
2,369,907 tons, worth to the farmers
S2T. 135, ,l35. This crop is grown almost
exclusively under irrigation and has
proved to be one of the most remuner-
ative crops grown in Colorado. Re
ports of sugar companies indicate that
the average price paid farmers per ton
for their beets in the state in 1920 was
S1145.
The potato crop was fifth in value
among the states crops in 1920, rank
ing next below corn. Last year, how
ever, it was fourth in value, surprising
corn by about $2,OO0,OOO, and ranking
only slightly below sugar beets. II
comes far down the list in acreage, be-
ing surpassed by oats, barley, rye,
grain, sorghums and wild hay.
The sorghums rank fourth in acre
age in 1920, with total of about 415,- |
900 acres, consisting of 29S,720 acres |
Of grain sorghums, 112,79S acres of |
suaat cnrpbup,S and 90 900 ,axa., . . -.