22 
Colorado Experiment Station 
The gross returns from our metal mines was but little more 
than sufficient to pay for the agricultural products shipped into the 
State. The gross product of our silver mines, was not quite suffi¬ 
cient to pay for the dairy products shipped into the State. The gross 
returns from silver, lead and copper were slightly more than enough 
to pay for the meat and meat products shipped into Colorado. All 
the zinc mined would a little more than pay our bill for eggs shipped 
in. 
Nearly every agricultural product shipped into Colorado could 
have been more easily produced in the State, at a greater profit, and 
under conditions more enjoyable for the producer than in the sec¬ 
tions where it originated. 
. The following figures from the United States Department of Ag¬ 
riculture show the average yearly yields per acre for the past ten 
years, and indicate the larger yields in Colorado: 
WHEAT 
Bu. 
OATS 
Bu. 
BARLEY 
Bll. 
POTATOES 
Bu. 
HAY 
Tons 
Colorado. 
24.5 
34.2 
33 
122 
2.31 
Indiana . 
29.1 
25.6 
77 
1.36 
Illinois. 
31.3 
28 
85 
1.33 
Iowa. 
138 
30.1 
26 
83 
1.52 
Kansas. 
11.6 
24.4 
19.7 
77 
1.42 
Nebraska. 
12.6 
26.9 
24.4 
84 
1.57 
Wisconsin. 
15.7 
33.4 
28.8 
92 
1.56 
Minnesota- . 
12.7 
31.6 
25.8 
86 
1.66 
Although Colorado produces high yields of grain, yet ten mil¬ 
lion dollars were sent out of the State in 1909 for grain and grain 
products. The conditions of climate are ideal for growing beef ani¬ 
mals, and the feeds produce beef of a choice flavor, yet one mil¬ 
lion eight hundred thousand dollars were sent out of the State 
for fat cattle, beef and veal. Pork can be produced at less cost and 
of better quality than it is being produced in the corn belt. We 
sent out in 1909 over four million dollars for hogs, pork and pork 
products. Both climate ana 1 feeds are adapted to the economical 
production of dairy products, still we sent out nearly five million 
dollars for these products, alone. Four million dollars were sent 
out for eggs and poultry, while our few expert producers of these 
products were making nearly double as much, per hen, as was being 
made in the States from which we made these purchases. 
Why, then, with such favorable conditions, did we send out 
thirty-one million dollars for agricultural products that could have 
been more profitably produced in the State? Because there was 
not a sufficient number of farmers in the State. Almost every farm¬ 
er in Colorado is undertaking more than he can accomplish well, and 
it will be impossible to increase the present agricultural output of 
the State to any considerable extent, unless we secure more farmers. 
