The weekly Arizona miner., 1869-12-11
Farming.

Immediately after the first settlement and exploration of this portion of the Territory, it was thought, by nearly all, that extensive farming in our high mountain valleys, would not pay; in fact, would prove ruinous to all who might engage in it. Fallacious thought We know better now, after having tested the matter for six long years. At the early day alluded to, the hopes of nearly all were based upon the mines, which were thought to be fich enough to pay the merest tyro in mining for working them. But, what are the facts since worked out7 They are that, no matter how rich our mines may bc, they cannot be successfully and proftably worked without the aid of the farmer; also, that the valleys then thought "too cold" to produce grain and vegetables, have, every year since, yielded good crops of almost every cereal and veget- able needed by civilized men. So that, if we have not advanced much into the bowels of the earth, after the treasure that is surely there, we have stirred up its crust, and culti- vated it sufficiently to know that our first impressions regarding it were erroneous, and that, but for what it has produced, nearly every man, woman and child now here, would be somewhere else. Further than this, ex- perience has demonstrated that so long as providence sends down snow and rain. we can safely count upon drawing living from the soil, no matter whether the mines pay or not This we can rely upon, and the knowledge of 1t should increase our faith in the future pros perity and greatness of our section.
 Once, our farmers were looked upon as beings of secondary importance-if not en- tirely useless in the development of our resources, but now, we see our error. We see them nobly seconding the efforts of the miner and capitalist to develop our mineral resources, and we pat them on the back, hop ing, thereby, to spur them stll faster in the good work which they are and have been engaged in. We cry out for cheap flour. cheap meat, etc, and lash freighters for not reducing their freight tariff. but it is all to no purpose. We simply wear ourselves out (as they do their whip lashes and their mules) We must look to our farmers for relief They alone can make us independent of freighters and foreign markets. Heretofore, their efforts have been directed to the raising of corn and vegetables, but heneeforth, we trust, they will pay more attention to raising wheat cattle, hogs and poultry.
 The present is very good time to SOW wheat, and we counsel our farmers to SOW  every pound of it they can procure; yea, we insist that it is their duty to do so. Those who have not the seed may have to pay high prices for it. but all who can, had better do that, than SOW none. All the wheat hereto. fore sown in winter has done we'll. and there cannot be a reasonable doubt but that already sown, or that may be sown, this winter, will also do well We must strike out boldly fol independence-that independence which i, felt by and blesses a people who produc, what they eat. We are too far away from California and New Mexico to ever get arti -ele2 af food needed hy ,.s at Firing prices a; least until railroad is built, and as it will be several years before a road can be built our only hope is to raise what we need at home, and we can do it, if proper efforts art made.