lBu; a Home Where Crops Never Fail
In the Famous South Platte Valley, near Sterling, Colorado
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ixty IHlomeslnlealthful limateKigh'i: Prices S
Irrigated Lands in the South Platte Valley-
THE CORONA CATTLE COMPANY own a tract of land near Merino, Colo., twelve miles west of Sterling, five miles in length and under one of the best ditches
in the state. Merino is on the U. P. railroad. The ranch consists of 2650 acres of choice lands, and is ready for the market in tracts of twenty acres and upon easy
terms. The land is located between two beet sugar factoriesone at Sterling and one at Brush and splendid loading facilities right at the station of Merino.
The South Platte Valley is developing more rapidly than any other part of the state and with the sugar factory to handle the output the land is as valuable as in
any district of the older portion. This particular body of land has not been offered before in small tracts. The soil is rich and fertile, no alkali nor gumbo, and lies nicely
for irrigating purposes. It is especially adapted for beets, potatoes, oats, spelts, alfalfa, wheat or anything you wish to raise anywhere. The depth to water is but a short
distance in most places only eight feet. As we have said, the Pawnee ditch is one of the best in the state, with (00 shares and seventeen miles of length. The ditch
heads on this ranch. The company owns 90 shares, or one share with every twenty acres -sufficient to irrigate same at all times. The ditch has a capacity of 217 cubic
feet per second, and one-sixth of it surely ought to be sufficient to irrigate any or all of this land. The altitude of the land is about 4200 feet above sea level and on that
account is very desirable for people wishing to live in a high altitude, yet not too high as it is further up the valley.
The sugar industry last year was immense in this immediate vicinity on both sides of the river, being the best growth in the valley. Mr. Propst, who owns a farm
across the river from this land, "raised 28 tons of beets per acre, and many have raised from IS to 25 tons per acre. At the price of $5.00 per ton this makes an enormous
earning for this land. Many have made as high as $75.00 per acre.
The sugar beet industry in the South Platte Valley is in its infancy, the first factory having been built only last year. Land in older countries, where factories have
been established a number of years have rapidly increased in value and has reached the high figure of from $200 to $300 per acre, with no better facilities than has this laud.
On this land this year there will be about 600 acres of beets, wheat, potatoes and other crops raised as a test of what can be done here. Beets are sure money makers and
easy to raise. Potatoes can be raised equally as well as in the Greely district. Alfalfa has been raised here for twenty years and has yielded some enormous crops, and the
same is true of spelts and barley, and for vegetables, such as onions and cabbage, there is no better place. Hogs are profitable stock and not subject to cholera; they grow
and get fat on alfalfa in summer and with a little grain and sugar beets easily fatten in winter. Wheat averages from 40 to 50 bushels to the acre, and oats from 75 to 100.
SOME FACTS
About Products of the South Platte Valley
It is beyond all doubt that the sugar beet industry in tlie South Platte
Valley is a complete success, with Its new factories In operation ami still
others going up. Eastern capitalists would not Invest millions of dollars
if it was not a certainty that this particular valley was the best produc
ing countrv in the L'niterl States The farmers that have made tests the
last live years have come to the conclusion that forty acres of beets will
make more clear money than loo acres of coi n raised in the eastern states.
Mr. A. K. War
ren, living three
miles northwest
of Sterling, has
grown sugar beets
on same ground
for the past three
years and the av
erage each season
was from 20 to -i!
tons per acre.
S. C. King, six
miles northwest
of Sterling, found
tils first crop to
run l'.t tons to the
acre, this being a
general average of
his 40 acre Held.
Wheat
While the tendency now Is to look more to the small tract farming
In the production of sugar beets, potatoes, etc., yet the wheat production
in the valley Is very profitable, .10 busheis per acre Is not excessive, and as
high as i0 ami 70 bushels have been raised, and there Is always a ready
market (or this product. It is a paying proposition even for a man that
farms on a small scale.
Corn
Tills is not considered a corn country and is not advertised as such,
for the nights are too cool for this particular product, but at the same
time as high as .In bushels of corn have been raised to the acre in many
instances, which is coual to the amount raised in the corn states, but we
don't consider it profitable In comparison with ot her crops.
Onions
minus are a success, especially the llermudas. Many crops have"
averaged over fo0 b'ishels per acre. A crop of 1200 bushels was grown on
tlie Schneider ranch, eight miles west of Sterling, adjoining the Corona
Cattle Company ranch, and sold for 92M per hundred pounds F. . H. at
Atwood, Colorado, which was the nearest shipping point.
Alfalfa
This is the natural home of the alfalfa plant which for years has
been one of the standard and best paying crops grown In tlie South Platte
Valley. It can be seeded on plow land or disked In the sod and produces
from three to four crops every year without reseeding. Some of our best
tields were planted 1.1 or L'0 years ago and are still yielding heavily. The
roots go down M or Jo feet, and as high as 8 tons per acre have been har
vested In one season. It Is fed to cattle, hogs, horses and poultry.
In Conclusion
let us say that this tract of land is one of tlie best In tlie South Platte
Valley, located as it is on tlie I 'nlon Pacific railroad, no miles east of
Ienvcr, 12 miles west of Sterling, In Logan county, Colorado.
Lvery train stops
itt Merino for the
convenience of all
passengers. Wa
ter for Irrigation
Is assured, also
the best of water
for domes! ic pur
poses. Tlie town
of Merino Is situ
ated In the cen
ter of this tract
and new buildings
are going up In
tlie way of hotels,
dwellings, store
buildings, etc.
The prices of
this land range
from .'() to '.i()
per acre on easy
terms at six per
cent interest and
Exhibit ol Crain and Crass Crown in this Valley
With a I'aid-Up Water Rijjht for Every Twenty Acres
Ditch Scene Near Merino, Colo.
W. L. Henderson, two miles due cast of Sterling has ISO acres of
beets in one field this year. Ills tonnage is heavy. Last season !M acres
of this land produced over 40 bushels or wheat to the acre, and HO acres
produced a heavy yield of beets.
Mr. Lee Piewltt In the vicinity or Merino, had a .'10 acre Held of
beets which made 2S tons to the acre. Mr. Prewitt, it is said, refused
ooi) for I tis crop two months before harvesting, the party making the
offer agreeing to stand all future expense of the crop.
The Sterling sugar company makes a :i-year contract with farmers,
agreeing to pay them . per ton for all the beets they can raise.
. r., .. .. iiv -. .... ,. . .rVT,-'p,rTvrr.r Tr'Tlffi wtji i nti
Cost of Raising Sugar Beets
At the -1th annual session of the Farmers' Institute held at Love
land. Colorado, on February H, Mr. W. II. Faiibrother read a paper on
the cost of raising sugar beets. Among other thing9 he said that any
grower, even if he should be unfortunate enough to raise but an N-ton
crop will receive sutllclent therefrom to fully cover not only tlie hand
labor, but allow
himself wages and
team expenses.
,, ... .;v -.At. ...... . -,i . v,. -.(1 ,: . '
1
Harvest Soene, South Platte Valley, Colorado.
Hauling Beet to Factory at Sterling
That a farmer
having land In a
fair state of culti
vation, who will
look after his crop
propcrly.can with
a fair certainty
count nn a net
profit of :M per
acre, or 31 per
cent Interest on
his Investment
based on a valua
tion of llOo per
acre.
Potato Raising
The fame of the Colorado potato has been heralded the length and
breadth of the land and this South Platte Valley Is particularly fitted fur
their production, the vleld l.elng almost Incredible. One -iO-acre tract
owned by Hon. II. .1. Powell of lchll. east of Sterling, last year produced
from 40O to .loo biihhels to the acre of the very host potatoes, averaging
from one to live pounds in welg'it. There Is u large profit in potatoes tie
cause of t lie enormous yield and the ever ready market.
Live Stock
The live stock Industry In the South Platte Valley has been too
well advertised to require much mention In-this advertisement. It is
well known that cattle, horses and sheep find plenty of feed there al
least nine months In the year on the free government ranch adjoining
the valley, and that more than sufficient winter feed U grown In the val
ley during that time.
Poultry
A ready market for poultry Is found at extremely good prices sup
plying the hetiver markets and also the miners. Tills Is an Ideal place
for raising turkeys as well as other poultry.
Vegetables
Kveryllilng of this kind does well on Irrigated lands, and here in
the South Platte Valley they are of splendid form and delicious llavor
and the yield Is astonishing. Kverybody can grow plenty for home use
and a surplus for henver people and the mining camps, If so Inclined, and
at very lucrative prices.
. . ' c - ,
Haying Scene Near Merino
At this P9int we want you to stop and consider the value of this
land. Tlie (iiM) acres that are In crop tills year are all leased to Creely
people who have lived there in that country for years and they are pay
ing a casli rental of lo per acre.
Can you find any land in the east for double
the price we are asking for this land
with an equal cash rental value?
We can substantiate every word we say In this advertisement, and
can convince you by showing you the land. A home of 40 acres of this
land iseiual in value to Hio acres of prairie land where you must depend
upon rain for your crops.
The market facilities are as good as anywhere In tin-east, and the
amount that yau produce oil a foity acre tract of land Is surprising to any
one who Is not acquainted with the country.
Let ii show you this proporty, and if you don't say its the best property
for the money you ever saw, we won't epect you to buy.
Take the Union Pacific at any point and buy u.ticket for Merino, Colorudo, near where this tract of land is located. All trains stop there.
Excursion Rutes first und third Tuesday of Euch Month
THE
FolXXn?:n J- P- Falter, Plattsmouth, Neb.
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