Gunnison news-champion., 1923-08-31
How the Head Lettuce
Business is Growing

II you are ia doubt about the i'm
portancs Of the head lettuce indus
- ln Colorado. glance over the
following from the Pueblo Chleftain
Of Sunday:
The people Of the Pixies Peak re
gIon little realize the tremendous neyg
industry that has come 20 this district.
-Four 20 FIVE cars Of Mountain Brand
Head Lettuce are shipped from Di.
vide and Woodland Park each day
As the season advances and the let
tUce crop reaches it, crest, the Mid
land Terminal Railway will operate
special lettuce trains.
a new dag has dawned for the
Divide country Of Teller County
Land which three year. ago vas sell
ing for Sl2 an acre, is now going al
500 per acre Cars Of the head let
tgce are shipped each day 20 caster
markets in Cincinnati, Pittsburg, New
York City. Chicago, Omaha and Kan
sas City. Two up-tO-date shipping
plants are maintained in Divide ano
one ~ Woodland Park The Lettucr
Grower Association maintains tn
largest plant Divide and the Burton
people the other. The plant al Wood
land Park Is run by Burton people
Seventy hands are employed a; Divids
and twenty nj Woodland Park.
1T will be Of interest in general T.
readers 20 learn that there is no sue
brand a. Mountain Head Lettuce. l.
Is Instead a sort Of putting one owe
on old Mother Nature. This famou
lettuce Is the same as that grown
gardens Of all lower attitudes, bul
planted al this height Of the Divid,
country. around 5000 feet. the nigh,
ar" 80 cool that good old Mother Ma
'ure ls afraid Of frost. 80 folds owe
the seed parts 4 leaf, thinking tha
warmer weather will allow her 1
mature the plant and reproduce III
seed. She Is thus fooled each nigh
and the accommodating leaves form .
head which we call mountain bran
II Is this reason that prevents TIL
growing Of head lettuc" on any alt
tudc save where II almost frosts eac
evening.
There are four reasons why tn
Divide territory can produce an exc.
lent variety of head lettuce. First
The altitude is just right. Second
The correct soil needed is here, Il,
mountain black loan. the reason f.
this cooler Of soil being that black
cooler than red soil and furthermors
It does not reflect the suns rays, thu
the plants whittier Ground
that has bad quaking aspens growing
on II is the best suited TO head lcttuce
culture. Third-Thcre. are four trunk
lines at Colorado Springs compel ting
kets. FOurth-The needed ice supply
81
ties. The Association Packing Shed
at Divide is the only head lettuce sta
ton 20 far in the world maintaining
its own ice sheds.
This infant industry is only in its
second year. Last year over thirty
cars were shipped and this year
around 300 will go out. The farmers
will realize around 30 per cent of
their crop for shipping purposes. The
packing and shipping plants at Divide .
and Woodland Park will remain in /
operation until the severe frosting
weather occurs.
THE lettuce is handled in the most
modern method-first loaded onto the !
platform. sorted, then packed in speci- 1
al crates with layers of crushed ice
between the heads. then passed under
auNoiAaNiS craze iaiiti, tieH OHIO emu
less rollers into box cars. The crates
weigh rs pounds each, and there are
800 in a car. At $500 crate, this
to $500 a car
THE people at Gillette, close to
Cripple Greek are trying out head
lettuce this year and plans are all
ready under way for the erection Of
a large ice house and packing station
looking for n big commercial season
next year"