Weekly Phoenix herald. [volume] (Phoenix, Maricopa County, Ariz. Territory [Ariz.]) 1882-1896, 1883-05-24
THE ARIZONA CANAL.

one of the most extensive and impor-
tant enterprises in the Territory.
= This canal leads On the Salt River,
= just below the mouth of the Verde,
At pint where the river cuts
through low point of mountains
and where the ledge of rocks forces
The whole body of water from both
, | rivers to the surface and therefore
the body of water in the channel is
) here the greatest. From this point
the canal takes a course slightly
north o. west. then turns to the south
around the int of mountains run
ming out into TIL plaIR so ne eight
mi es above Phoenix then again tlkes
general northwestern course, hug
ging the fot of the mountains as
closely as possible to the Aqua Fria,
the entire dis ance, in Il direct line,
being thirty five miles. The canal
is b ing constructing feet d, ep and
&c feet wide on the bottom and will
carry IL body of water more than
ample for irrigaiing all the vast
body of land that will come under
its influence, which is now, without
carrying the canal beyond the Aqua
Fria, some 145 square mi. es i. OK
tent.
As 70 the character of the soil of !
this sc ;tion of the valley there is |
none better for fruit and grain grow
ing and we predict that fruit culture
will rapidly become the leading in
dustry of the valley. No where
under the sun are the conditions Of
soil and climate more favorable for
for tropical and semi>tropi,;al fru t..
The grape, fig, olive, lemon, lime.
peach, pear, plum and all the small
fruits should flourish most luxuri
antly and 90 far as they have been
tried prove most successful. Grain
under the system of irrigation, i. a
never failing crop. There is no
freezing out or drying up and the
berry Of the grain is perfect and nu-
merous. Trees of all kinds grow
rapidly. In the valley to-day are
dozens OF homes with fine shade
trees. orchards, gardens AMI broad
fields of grain where two years ago
was nothing but an apparently soil
tary desert.
There are homes in the Salt River
valley eff three years growth that are
not equaled by homes in the middle
and eastern states of twenty years
growth so far as natures favors 60.
As to the climate, from nine to
ten months of the year are as nearly
perfect as the most fastidious could
ask. The atmosphere of the valley
is most of the time dry mild and in
From two to three
h IL.
would be called hot, but through i
proper preparation for it n great in {
;onve fence is felt and the perfect I
iryness and purity of the atmos-
1hcre which prevails most of the
inc makes the beat m UGH more en- |
durable than in a moist climate of
quail t, mperature. 1t is rarely so !
lot that those pursuing outdoor Ii
,or need to seek shelter, though the :,
thermometer ranges upwards of [
hundred degrees in the shade for G
considers Bile time. Il
Such are the gene al charac' eris- +
icr of soil, crops and climate in this
alley. so far as it has been settled, q
nd the Arizona Canal will make S
valuable what remuIns of 1t that is II
of cultivation. There is u
.,or, for =, ,Io-eo,J -o+tl o-e ,,,o-o X
ach one of whom may be possessed fl
IN extensive grain ranch on this fl
ew Iand-the valley can make G
ONES and an independent living for al
lree thousand settlers more than it "a
has. -,
The building of the Arizona Canal III
not mere project. 1t is now in II
purse of construction by company CT
gentleman of almost unlimited Vi
leans. The citizens of the valley - -
e not asked to contribute a dollar in
" ards its construction, either as a a
ublic or as individuals. 1t costs m
lie valley nothing, while it adds
to its resources and its
xable property besides distributing nj
noug US upwards of $4,000 in its RI
1t will furnish team er
= and contracts during its con- u
ruction, preferably to the citizens h
the valley. fa
Nothing of equal Importance to us tn
as ever occurred in the valley, le'
Iort of its settlement If railroad WI
hesitate now to put a o. -.
'ad through our valley, the Arizona