Beans In Colorado 
5 
and the total production has increased in the same period about 
41%. The 1916 yield per acre was low on account of one of the 
worst drouths in the history of the Colorado Plains. The seasons 
of 1914 and 1915 were especially favorable, with high average acre 
yields. 
Beans are well adapted for growing in nearly all sections of 
the plains. Beans are a hot weather crop and as a consequence 
must be produced in the frost-free period. To successfully pro¬ 
duce a bean crop, the season should be at least 95 days in length; 
95 to 100 days should be the minimum. A season of this length is 
seldom found above an average of 6,000 feet in elevation. There 
are localities where the slopes are favorable and the soils sandy, 
where the seasons are somewhat longer, permitting the production 
of beans at altitudes as high as 7,000 feet. If the season is bright 
and rather warm, some of the early varieties may be matured in 
as short a season as 60 days. A cloudy season, however, always 
lenghtens the growing period. Cool, cloudy weather may extend 
the growing season, especially if rains accompany these weather 
conditions or if irrigation is given. In such cases the season re¬ 
quired for maturity may be as long as 130 days, too long for many 
sections even 6,000 feet in altitude. 
The pinto bean, which formerly went under the name “Mexi¬ 
can”, is by far the most important market bean, as it exceeds in 
acreage and total production all other beans produced. The seed 
industry beans, which are of numerous varieties, are the only ones 
which begin to compete in acreage with the pintos. These seed 
beans are largely produced under contracts with seed houses and 
consequently do not reach bean markets. 
While beans may be successfully grown practically anywhere 
on the plains, at altitudes below 6,000 feet, they are most abun¬ 
dantly grown in Weld County and Las Animas County. They 
may be as successfully grown in other places, but development in 
other regions has not yet been carried to the extent which these 
two counties have made. The realization of the value of beans as 
a cash crop, and the ease with which they fit into a rotation by 
throwing in an annual cultivated crop, will very likely tend to in¬ 
crease their general production. 
VARIETIES 
The chief market variety is the pinto. The pinto bean was 
formerly called the Mexican. This name, however, is inappropri¬ 
ate, as there are numerous other Mexican varieties. The name 
“Mexican” as a consequence did not mean any definite bean. 
“Pinto” applies to a specific bean. 
