THE GREELEY COLONY OF COLORADO 



saved the day at this critical juncture. These increased 

 as difficulties multiplied, and rose with the tide of out- 

 side criticism and abuse. The process welded the people 

 together, and made them strong enough to meet success- 

 fully the obstacles which yet remained. 



Having provided water for their lands, the settlers pro- 

 ceeded to create the irrigation industry of Colorado ; for 

 nothing worthy of the name existed on the scattered 

 ranches of the sparsely settled Territory. The new- 

 comers brought their intelligence to bear upon the prob- 

 lem of perfecting skilful methods of irrigation and culti- 

 vation, and of discovering the classes of crops best 

 adapted to the soil and climate. This work quickly led 

 them to realize another disappointment of serious import. 

 They had dreamed of orchards and vineyards, and of 

 homes set in the midst of beautiful flowers and delicate 

 shrubbery. Experiment soon taught them that they had 

 been deceived about the character of the country. The 

 hopes which had been built upon the fruit industry failed 

 utterly, and the colonists were compelled to fall back 

 upon general farming. This involved somewhat larger 

 farms, and rendered more difficult the realization of their 

 social plans. Very likely it saved them from the evils 

 of the single crop which has marred the prosperity of 

 many agricultural districts. The diversified products of 

 the soil yielded them a comfortable living. Since there 

 was no hope of obtaining cash income from fruit, they 

 sought another surplus crop, and found it in the potato, 

 to which their soil proved to be peculiarly adapted. They 

 made an exhaustive study of this culture, and at last pro- 

 duced in the " Greeley potato" one of the famous crops of 

 the West. Its superiority readily commands the best place 



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