Weekly Phoenix herald., 1884-05-22
OUR GRAIN FIELDS.


grain producing section of the val~
ley west of town.
For sixteen miles the road is as
straight as the surveyors instru>
ments could make it, and on both
sides is border with promising
homes and tie most luxuriant growth
of gram, almost as far as the eye can
| follow the surface to the north and
to the south. Whole sections of bar
ley and wheat follow each other in
quick succession, while long liues of
cottonwood or thick clumps here
and there mark out the roads and
canals over the surface of the land
or the site of the home of some ranch-
sr rejoicing in the great cereal wealth
upon which he feasts his eyes at
every glance. Often grain and wild
pats approach close to the wheels
of the vehicle, and are as high as the
horses backs.
During the past season not less
than 5000 acres of new ground have
been seeded down, and will add
their mite to the products of this
part of the valley the coming har-
vest.
Aside from the grain there is con-
siderable acreage of alfalfa, wild
oats and wheat or barley that will
be cut for hay. Many of the farm
ers are also turning their attention
to stock, and lar &c quantities of hogs,
horses and cattle here and there dot
ted the rich green surfaces of the
alfalfa fields On Mr.. Hosea Green
haw's place we noticed herd of
fourteen sucking colts; on Mr. Few-
ler's place band of three OF four
hundred hogs, rolling fat; at another
place fine band of cattle. Some
extensive orchards and several fine,
Rourishing VINEYARDS form noticeable
features of this portion of the val>
ley, which, it should be remembered,
was mostly vast expanse of grease
wood brush two years ago, till wlths
in very few miles of town. Now,
how changedl Homes dot the plain
in all directions; the rapidly grow
ing cottonwood has quickly spread
its grateful shades about them till
already they nestle in the elysian
fields OF quiet beauty, peace and
wondeIf full prosperity. In passing
through such scenes one can not re-
sist comparing the lifetime it takes
in many of the older states to work
a home up 70 a point of beauty and
thrifty productiveness with the mere
bagatelle of two years of time which
most of these homes have been in
existence. With the one exception
of buildings, all else is to-day ahead
of the older homes of the East.
Farming has this season pushed
westward 10 he banks of qua Fria
and spread north Of the Grand canal
toward its western extremity, where
an extension has been taken out on
the north side, which includes a
number of sections. Messrs. John
Isaac and Charley Pendega-t have
a solid section of as fine wheat as
one could wish 10 see, out on the
north side Of the Grand canal, and
there are several other smaller pieces.
From these cultivated pieces north
of the Grand canal, southwark almost
to the ella is little else than one
great grain field. This part of the
valley needs -four mill badly this
season, and also a good crossing on
the Salt river, that Maricopa may be
reached without coming twelve or
fifteen miles up the valley before
grain can be sent to the railroad or
changed to flour, and we judge that
it wiz not be long before some one
viii put in at least small -four mill
and little town will spring up on
the Aqua Fria: indeed should rails
road company happen along with
their railroad some day and come
across that part of the valley we
doubt much whether Phoenix would
ever see railroad, certainly not till |
she had paid very handsomely for it
at any rate,
Very few OF the citizens of the ter
ritory, and, indeed, many of our own
valley,have but little comprehension
of the wonderful capabilities of the
Salt River valley. Down through
the center of the valley for sixteen
straight miles, then explorations
hither and thither in all directions
and finally away northward beyoHd
the Grand Canal, then homeward
along the general line OF that water
course for anoteer sixteen miles, all