8 BULLETIN 500, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



DISTANCE FROM MARKET. 



The Grand Valley is a long distance from market. This, coupled 

 with the fact that fruit products are perishable, makes the marketing- 

 question one of prime importance here. In the early years of the 

 industry, when the tonnage of fruit was light and the prices high, 

 the cost of marketing was given little thought. Orchards were set 

 out with slight regard to distance from railroad, for as long as such 

 high prices prevailed the growers could afford to pay hauling charges 

 and high freight and express rates. However, with prices received 

 of late years the cost of putting the apples into the consumers' hands 

 in some cases has been greater than the total returns. 



Formerly the mines at Aspen and other mining towns paid high 

 prices for all fruit, both boxed and culled, and Colorado boxed apples 



Fig. 2. — A comparatively inexpensive but comfortable home of a fruit rancher located on one of the mesa 



lands in Delta County. 



brought big returns in city markets, Colorado Springs and Denver 

 then being the principal cities of importance in which the fruit was 

 marketed. Now, however, the disadvantage under which the region 

 labors as regards distance from market is being felt, and adjustments 

 in farm practice have been found necessary. Such adjustments are 

 now going forward. 



* FARM ORGANIZATION. 



RELATION OF ORCHARD TO FARM ORGANIZATION. 



Even in specialized apple districts there are few farms or ranches 

 where bearing apples are the only source of income, and where the 

 cost of producing apples is the cost of operating the farm. Most 

 growers have, besides a bearing apple orchard, a considerable acreage 

 of other orchard, usually young apples, or it may be peaches or 

 pears. Still others grow some alfalfa to sell and, in Montrose County 

 particularly, considerable quantities of grain and potatoes are grown 



