828 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
and well adapted to farming and grazing. 
The orchards are almost always in the 
valleys, for several reasons. First, the 
elevation is too great, and the climate 
too severe, in the higher lands, for the 
growing of fruits. Second, generally irri- 
gation is required for the growing of 
fruits, and irrigation is not possible on 
the high plateaus. Third, orchards need 
to be sheltered from the winds and for 
that reason need a cove, valley or pro- 
tected place. From her many peaks and 
high mountain ranges, the highest por- 
tions of which are always covered with 
snow, hundreds of streams are fed, from 
which water can be diverted for irriga- 
tion, and thus some of the valleys are 
becoming sources of plenty. 
Fruit growing is the leading industry, 
in the counties of Delta, Mesa and Mont- 
rose, along the Grand river. It is here 
that the famous Grand Junction district 
is situated. On the Arkansas river, the 
principal fruit section is around Canyon 
City, although considerable fruit is grown 
farther down the river near Pueblo and 
farther east. Canyon City is famous for 
its cantaloupes, as also is the Rocky Ford 
district which has given its name to the 
netted gem variety of cantaloup. 
Prof. E. R. Bennett, of the Colorado 
Agricultural college, thinks that fruit 
growing in mountain districts is in a 
class by itself. He thinks that the Rocky 
mountain district differs from any of the 
other four great districts of North Amer- 
ica. The districts here referred to are 
doubtless the Pacific coast states, the 
Alleghany mountain region, the Ozark 
mountain region and the region of the 
Great Lakes. He has the following in 
substance to say in regard to the differ- 
ences. “The difference is primarily due 
to altitude. Plant tissue in the high 
altitudes is characterized by a delicacy of 
cell structure which, noticably in forest 
trees, makes them brittle. Such trees for 
instance as ‘the elm, ash and maple 
which easily withstand the heavy ice 
storms of the East, are frequently broken 
in Colorado by storms less severe. This 
is manifest in fruit in a finer texture so 
that apples, naturally tough in character, 
are better when grown in the Rocky 
mountain district than when grown in 
lower altitudes. Another fact, that may 
be either good or bad, is that high alti- 
tudes tend to make flavor less prominent. 
For this reason, the Baldwin and Green- 
ing are desirable varieties when grown 
in New England, but are too insipid when 
grown in Colorado. On the other hand, 
the Jonathan grown in the high altitudes 
is just sufficiently toned down to give it 
a desirable flavor, without that acrid 
taste which characterizes it when grown 
in the East. Another feature of the 
orchard industry in Colorado (and in all 
the Pacific coast states as well) is the 
early bearing habit of the trees. In the 
Hast it is not expected that an orchard 
will bear to any considerable extent until 
it is from 8 to 15 years old, while the 
Colorado orchards will make a much more 
rapid growth and bear at half that age. 
“The apple is the most important fruit 
of the Rocky mountain district. The 
number of bearing trees in Colorado is 
over 2,750,000. In 1910 there were of all 
kinds of fruit trees set 1,873,870. In 1911 
it is estimated there were about two mil- 
lions. It is difficult to estimate the value 
of orchards in the Rocky mountain dis- 
trict as these vary considerably with the 
different places in which they are grown. 
Some are located in small valleys more 
or less distant from railroads, and where 
the lands are not well advertised. In 
such places bearing orchards would sell 
for $200 to $500 per acre. In other places, 
where the orchard areas are larger, the 
transportation facilities better, and where 
more advertising has been done, orchards 
will sell from $700 to $2,000 per acre. The 
yield per acre for bearing trees is from 
150 to 500 boxes; perhaps an average of 
250 boxes per acre would be a fair esti- 
mate. The net income per acre will prob- 
ably be all the way from $100 to $200. 
“The apple-growing industry in Colo- 
rado is rapidly increasing because of the 
average high market price received for 
Colorado apples. Apples sell in the mar- 
kets of the Hast at a higher price than 
from any other district except those of 
the Northwest, so that the proposition 
