Gilpin observer., 1920-12-30
COLORADO'S CROP
REPORT FOR 1920

I'LL UuI uUu IJZU
State Crop Service Bulletin Show,
Greatest Production in hIs-
tory Of State.
Wsetsrn Nswspspsr Union Neus Series.
Colorado's agricultural output in
1920 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 $685., ,339 acres,
compared with 5,650,951 acres in 1919.
The total farm output for the season
just ended far exceeds that for the pre-
ceding season. One example will IL
lustrate this. The area devoted to
wheat in the state in 1920 was 1,471, PAP
acres, compared with 1924, ,594 acres
the preceding year. The 1920 output,
however, was 27,117 600 bushels, COM
pared with only 1S,435, 600 acres in
1919.
But the value of the 1920 crop was
more than $3O,OOOOO0 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. 1, was $751;
553, 1894, compared with $199, ,947 900 for
the 1919 crop at prices prevailing on or
about Dec. that year. While the
1920 wheat crop was more than 9,OOO,-
h,rc hn1 for thon Nf
its value was only $36 COS, 900, COM
pared with value of $37, ,24O. 600 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 Dec.
1 was only $S695,OOO, compared with
a value of S1s,S70,OOO 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, 900, 900,
while the 1913 crop, which was mar
keted before the World war began,
was worth considerably less than half
as 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 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 20
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 a little in excess Of $20,-
100000, of which S12,21OOOO 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,OO0 acres.
Alfalfa is the third crop in the state
in both acreage and value. Reports of
assessors showed about T24,000 acres
devoted to alfalfa In Colorado in 1920,
and the production was 2,173,00O tons.
This was worth at prices prevailing on
Dec. / about S26,OOO,OO0. The total
area devoted to tame hay is about l.
O0O. 900 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,OO0 tons, worth approximately
S33, 1897 GOO. There is also about 254,-
600 acres devoted to wild hay, with a
production of 90, 900 tons, worth about
| S4,115,5O0.
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
2,369,90T tons, worth to the farmers
S27, ,135, 1876. 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
S11.45.
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 s2,O0O,OOO, and ranking
| only sliphtly helnM supnr heets IL