Arizona miner., 1866-02-28
MILITARY FARM.

 When General Mcdowell was here he spoke of his desire to attempt the raising of food for the trVps in Arizona, and thus to pre- vent the possibility of their running short of ratiuns, and at the same time tO save the government the heavy cost of transportation, By the annexed general order 1t will be seen that he has directed the beginning of farm on the military reserve at Fort McDowell. It is well known that the bottom lands of the Verde, at that point, are very rich and easy of irrigation, and we make no doubt that with proper care and industry large and val uable crops nay be raised. Lieutenant Col. onel Bennett, commanding the post, and who will superintend the experiment, bears the reputation 1 mos; competent officer and sensible man. Under the authority given him in the general order he will doubtless go to work with will and achieve excellent results It will be noticed that the labor upon the farm i. to be performed by citizens, and that far wages arc Co be paid. \ prefer ence will be given to discharged volunteers. If any should incline to think this cultivation of the soil likely to interfere with the profits of our ranehmen in their expected sales to the government, we believe they are in error. Several such farms would not more than pro vide what food Is now brought from CaliioI- mia, while for all produced by our farmers, the sale will, in our opinion, be as ready and profitable as ever, Moreover we have all suffered during the past year by the govern ment absorption of the flour made at the Pima mills. fColoncl Bennett raises wheat in any quantity we shall have q chance to share in the Pima ilour hereafter and thus be the gathers.
 We shall watch the progress of the eNpcri- mental farm at Fort McDowell with the deepest interest, believing, as We now view the matter, that it will work no injustice to our agriculturists, and do much to silence the common complaint of the military pow CTS as to the expense of feeding troops in Arizona.
 HEADQUARTERS DrPr. oF CALIFORNIA,
 FoRT McDowELL, Feb :, lSGG , i SPECIAL ORpEa In view oe the great cost . the desert to the military posts in Arizona of the absence of any considerable amount of forage or subsistence produced in the Terri. tory, making it necessary Co send even grain ! for the teams from San Francisco of the cen. tral position of this post with respect to northern, eastern and southern Arizona of the fine land, free from alkali, m the valley of the Rio Verde in the immediate vicinity of the post; of the quantity of water that can be made available for irrigatiny of the unsettled state of the country, on account of Indian hostiliticS, which has kept settler, from opening farms so far removed from the settled portion of the country, Lieutenant Colonel Bennett, commanding the post will take immediate steps to open and cultivate government farm on the land marked uu, as military reserve for the post.
 For this purpose he viii be authorized tu hire from the discharged volunteers thrre (3l men at monthly rate of fifty (50) dollar. and twenty (20l men at q monthly rate of ! forty (i0) dollars, in coin, and one ration per day each, and to procure such seeds as may be necessary.
 He will, as soon as possible, select the most favorable place for building a low cribwork dam in the channel of tho Rio Vcuie (the one marked out by the depar, meut commonder, if no better can be found) so as to raise the water few feet above the low water level, and from the west side of the dam, he will construct an irrigating ditch tO convey weter over the farm. As soon as this work k sufficiently advanced for him to see what amount of land the ditch will in clude, he will clear it of brush, girslle the trees and prepare 1t for secd--panting large 1 proportion of corn and at least twenty (20) acres of sorghum or Chinese Sugar cane for forage
 He will cause a set of books to be opened, |, showing clearly all the receipts and expcndi- tures, all labor done. crops raised, property purchased or expended, following as closely as the case will admit all the forms used in the Quartermasters department, and he will make his monthly and quarterly returns to the chief of fthe Quartermaster department at department headquarters.
 The produce of the farm after repaying to the Quarternas;er department all advances made by it for seeds and implements and other outlays, will be sold at cost to the QuaTtsTmsstcr af;. Com;nissary departments.
 By command of
 MAJ. GES. McDowRLL.
 JomN II. CosrER, Aid-de-camp.