NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



NORTH AMERICAN STATES 22G3 



increased in acreage from 2,809, in 1899, to 8,333 in 

 1909, when the production was 932,162 bushels, valued 

 at $524,489. The more important of the other vege- 

 tables produced in 1909 were: 32 acres of cabbage, 

 valued at $6,289; 16 acres of onions, valued at $3,260; 

 33 acres of turnips, valued at $2,839; 44 acres of sweet 

 corn, valued at $1,815; 5 acres of tomatoes, valued at 

 $1,324; 9 acres of watermelons, valued at $1,150; and 

 5 acres of cucumbers, valued at $700. Small amounts 

 of green beans, beets, carrots, celery, parsnips and 

 pumpkins were also grown. 



The land devoted to the use of flowers and plants 

 increased from 5 acres, in 1899, to 6 acres in 1909. The 

 area under glass in 1909 was 33,034 square feet, of 

 which 31,584 were covered by greenhouses and 1,450 by 

 sashes and frames. The value of the flowers and plants 

 produced in 1909 was $12,280, as compared with $2,480 

 in 1899. 



The value of nursery products in Wyoming for 1909 

 was $1,680, as compared with $215 in 1899. 



A YEN NELSON. 



Colorado. 



The state of Colorado (Fig. 2527) includes the terri- 

 tory lying between the parallels 37 and 41 north 

 latitude, and between the meridians 102 and 190 west 

 longitude. Its surface is diversified by mountains, high 

 tablelands, plains and valleys, with a range above 

 ocean-level from 3,400 feet on the eastern border to 

 over 14,000 feet in many of the higher peaks. It is 

 traversed in a generally north and south direction by the 

 great Rocky Mountain range, and is thus divided into 

 two well-marked, though unequal, divisions. The main 

 continental divide is supplemented by several well- 

 defined ranges and by numerous mountain spurs, be- 

 tween which at altitudes ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 

 feet lie four large and several small parks and valleys, 

 which were originally utilized as hay-ranches and for 

 stock-ranges. At present, many of these mountain 

 valleys are the most important farm lands of the state. 



The tillable lands of the state are scattered more or 

 less over the mountainous areas, as well as in the val- 

 leys of the Great Plains region. As the rainfall over the 

 tillable area of Colorado is, for the most part, not above 

 13 to 15 inches, the larger part of the important agri- 

 cultural production is by irrigation. Irrigation being a 

 necessity, the lands useful for horticultural purposes 

 are those which are reasonably level, either in the bot- 

 tom-lands or on the mesas bordering the valleys, and 

 which were at one time the bottom-lands along the 

 streams. The first ditches were constructed cheaply and 

 for the irrigation of bottom-lands only. Later, the idea 

 of utilizing the higher mesas gave rise to great canal 

 systems and made productive vast tracts of fertile soil 

 both in the plains district and in the great basins of the 

 mountain districts. 



The main horticultural developments of Colorado 

 are shown in the outline map, Fig. 2527, as follows: (1) 

 strawberries; (2) potatoes; (3) dewberries; (4) orchard- 

 fruits; (5) orchard-fruits and potatoes; (6) orchard-fruits, 

 potatoes, onions; (7) apples, peaches; (8) potatoes; (9) 

 apples, cherries, plums; (10) vegetables; (11) orchard- 

 fruits; (12) raspberries; (13) greenhouse interests; 

 (14, 15) fruit and vegetables; (16) apples, cherries, 

 cantaloupes. 



Owing to differences in latitude, altitude, and climatic 

 conditions, the irrigable regions of the state are natu- 

 rally separable into three divisions. These divisions are 

 the Northern, which embraces the drainage basin of the 

 South Platte and its tributaries, including Clear Creek, 

 Boulder Creek, St. Vrain, Big and Little Thompson, and 

 the Cache la Poudre. The Southern, or Southeastern, 

 embraces the valleys of the Arkansas and its tribu- 

 taries. The Western and Southwestern, which are more 

 or less the same, embrace the valleys of the Grande and 



its tributaries, the Uncompahgre and Gunnison in 

 Mesa Delta and Montrose counties, and a great tract 

 of land extending from Montrose around the spur of the 

 San Juan Mountains, including the valleys of the San 

 Miguel, Dolores, Mancos, La Plata, Animas, Florida, 

 Pine, Rio Piedra, and the San Juan. These rivers drain 

 the territory included in western Montrose, San Miguel, 

 Dolores, Montezuma, La Plata, and Archuleta counties. 



Other horticultural regions that are still largely un- 

 developed are the valleys of the Yampa or Bear River 

 in northwestern Colorado and the White River in Rio 

 Blanca County. 



The apple is the leading fruit of the northern Colo- 

 rado district. All the standard varieties are grown, 

 though probably there are more Ben Davis trees than 

 any other one variety. The cherry is the fruit of next 

 importance and gives promise of becoming the leader, 

 as the sour cherry is adapted to the conditions in north- 

 ern Colorado and is more successfully grown without 

 irrigation than any other fruit. The estimated acreage 



2527. Colorado, with the parts developed in 

 horticultural products. 



of fruit in this district is 15,000 acres. Plums are more 

 or less successfully grown in northern Colorado. Of 

 these, the so-called native plums, or those varieties 

 derived from Prunus americana, are most hardy and 

 successful; many varieties of Prunus domestica are also 

 grown. 



In the Southern district the counties most promi- 

 nent in fruit-culture are Fremont, which is at the base of 

 the mountains in the Arkansas Valley, Pueblo, and 

 Otero. Fremont County is one of the oldest and most 

 important fruit districts of the state. What are sup- 

 posed to be the oldest orchards of the state are located 

 near Florence. In this district the apple is the most im- 

 portant fruit, followed by the cherry and plum, as in 

 northern Colorado, and some peaches are grown in 

 Otero County by protecting the trees during the winter. 

 This protection is given by laying down the trees, and 

 covering with soil. The total area in fruit in the South- 

 ern district is approximately 25,000 acres. 



In area devoted exclusively to fruit-growing and in 

 importance of the product, the west slope easily leads 

 other parts of the state. The largest solid areas devoted 

 to fruit-growing are in Mesa, Delta, and Montrose 

 counties in the valleys of the Grand, the Gunnison and 

 Uncompahgre rivers. In these districts there is a great 

 range of altitude, as fruit is grown as low as 4,500 

 feet at Grand Junction and at as high an altitude as 

 7,000 feet at Paonia and Cedaredge. In the narrow 

 canon at Palisade is one of the most remarkable peach 

 districts of the country. Here in a canon with walls on 

 the north 2,000 feet high, peaches are grown at their 

 best. The areas of fruit-production in these districts 

 are rapidly increasing. The Gunnison Tunnel, an 



