Laserfiche WebLink
<br />O~1602 <br /> <br />It averaged abo~t 1,348,000 acres during the 12-year period 1930-1941, <br /> <br /> <br />of which only 43 percent--577,ooO acres--produced crops each year while <br /> <br /> <br />the remainder was fallol~ed or abandoned during the crop season. Dry <br /> <br /> <br />farming on the Western Slope is negligible. <br /> <br /> <br />Over the 12 years from 1930 through 1941, irrigated land on the <br /> <br /> <br />Eastern Slope averaged 424,000 acres of which 322,000 acres were in the <br /> <br /> <br />Arkansas Valley proper and the remaining 102,000 acres were in tributary <br /> <br /> <br />counties and in the headwatere counties. The influence of the irrigated <br /> <br /> <br />land on ths entire agricultul'lu economy is mu.ch greater than its rela- <br /> <br /> <br />tively small acreage would indicate because of the stable feed base that <br /> <br /> <br />is provided for integrated livestock activities and because of allied <br /> <br /> <br />industries thet process the high-value crops. In the order of acreeass <br /> <br /> <br />harVested during the 12-year period 1930-1941, the irrigated crops wers: <br /> <br /> <br />alfalfa, corn, grain sorghum, sugar beets, barley, truck crops, wheat, <br /> <br /> <br />dry beans, forage sorghum, oats, fruit, and miscellaneous. <br /> <br /> <br />The average acreage of land irrigated in the Western Slope diversl0Jl. <br /> <br /> <br />area was about 12,400 acres for the 12-year period 1930-1941. Native hey <br /> <br /> <br />for the livestock industry and a few cultivated crops, such as truck and <br /> <br /> <br />feed, are grown on the Western Slope for local use. Below the diversion <br /> <br /> <br />area in the Colorado River BaBin large orchards produce abundant supplies <br /> <br /> <br />of fruit. Palisades peaches are particularly well known throughout the <br /> <br /> <br />county. <br /> <br /> <br />Livestock and livestock products are increasingly important compo- <br /> <br /> <br />nents of the agricultural economy on both slopes. Bange cattle and <br /> <br /> <br />breeding herds are prominent. Large numbers of cattle, sheep, and <br /> <br /> <br />lambs are fattened for local 8.nd Eastern markete each year. Dairying <br /> <br /> <br />and poultry rearing are comparatively new agricultural enterprises <br /> <br />15 <br />