The Raymer enterprise., 1920-12-30

VVkUuu1JUV y OllO1
REPORT FOR 1920
state Crop Service eulistin Shows
Greatest Production In He.
tory Of state.
Wstm NssQsps uaiss Nsm enin.
COlorado's agricultural output In
1920 was the largest In the history Of
the state. The total area under cul-
tivation, according to compilations
made BY the State Cooperative Crop
Reporting Service from the reports Of
county assessors, was 5.835,339 acres,
compared with 6.850.95l acres in 1918.
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 1920 was LAT, ,242
acres, compared with 1,524,504 acres
the preceding year. The 1920 output
however, was 27,117,0 900 bushels, com
pared with only 18,435,0 900 acres In
1919.
But the value Of the 1920 crop was
more than $4,000. 900 less than that
Of the 1919 crop. the result Of 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-.
vaillng on or about Dec. /, was $751;
552934, compared with $190. .o47. 900 for
the 1919 crop at prices prevailing on or
about Dec. / that year. While the
1920 wheat crop was more than 9,000,-
600 bushels greater than that Of 1919,
its value was only $38,606. 900, COM
pared with value Of $37 ,240,0 900 for
the 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.
l was only $8,69a 900. compared with
q value Of s16,8700 900 for the crop Of
tne preceding year. III
Yet the value Of the 1920 farm out
put was greater than that for any pre-
vious year except 1919. The 1913 crop
was sold At war prices, but its total
value was only about $15l 900, ,000.
while the 1918 crop, which was mar.
keted before the World war began,
was worth considerably less than half
AZ much a. that of 1920.
Wheat was Colorado's leading crop
In 1920. both In acreage and value.
Most of this crop ID 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 so 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 1,203, ,792 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 $2O,-
100000. of which s12,210OO0 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. It is grown chiefly In
the eastern part Of the state. Yuma
county being the leader. with about
128,0O0 acres.
Alfalfa is the third crop in the state
In both acreage and value. Reports OF
assessors showed about 724,0O0 acres
devoted to alfalfa In colorado In 1920,
and the production was 2,173,00O TONS
This was worth at prices prevailing on
Dec. 1 about $280O0.00O. The total
area devoted to tame hay ID 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
2,s03.O00 tons, worth approximately
&33,6S7, 900. There is also about 254,-
600 acres devoted to wild hay, with q
production Of 294, 900 tons, worth about
A,115,500.
Sugar beets 10 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
22l. 500 acres Of sugar beets were har-
vested in Colorado in 1920, producing
2,380,907 tons, worth to the farmers
81. 7.135,135 This crop IL 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
$11.45.
The potato crop was fifth In value
ornnp0 tho atafosa crona In 1Q00 rank.