Arizona silver belt., 1888-12-22
The Mohawk Canal in Yuma County
We are indebted to Hon. Eugene

We are indebted to Hon. Eugene
 Trippel for a description of the several
 irrigating enterprises, now under way
 Tn Yuma County, and which, when
 completed, are expected to make that
 hitherto ard region rival the most
 favored portions of Southern Califor-
 nia in productiyeuess of soil. We
 have only space fer that portion of the
 communication describing the Mo-
 hawk canal, as follows;
 By far the most important irriga- ting enterprise here is the Mohawk canal, to be 24 miles long, of which
 more .han 21 miles is now finished, the remainder to 2 eompletsd by the contractor by Docsm a- 51st, current year. The canal is 20 feet wide on the bottom, has two to one slope en the sides, and an average fall of two feet ts the mile. The water reaches the surface two miles from the head and will irrigate upwards of 10000 acres of magnificent land in the Me hawk Valley, not to mention cen siderable area liable to overflow from the annual rise of the Gila, but which can readily be reclaimed by system of dykes and levees. The headgate is a splendid piece of work, built of pine and cemented in place in rock.
 Every available section of land has been taken up by settlers. A number of farms have been cultivated during the year, and in two or three months active farming will be prosecuted everywhere, immediately upon the full head of water being turned into the canal, The water supply is ample and constant; and different ia these respects from some other points along the river. 1 Iroughly estimate the csst at S15O,OOO.
 Sorghum, the cereals and vsgeta- bles of every description are cultiya- ted. 4 great deal of alfalfa is planted and returns from three to five crops per annum. lam told George W. Ner- ten produced GOO tens of sorghum from 40 acres as first crep from land but impsrfectly cleared, and will soon harvest q second crop which, it is ex- pected, will yield still mere heavily.
 Some fruit trees, such as peaches, pears, apricets, figs, nectarmss, the citrus fruits and ether varieties are planted and flourish well. Many acres are set to grapes winch thrive rlia rlia25rl;6ceutly. WEsan it is considered that all fruits mature from SIX to twelve weeks earlier than Tn any portion of California, including the much vaunted grape and citrus dis tricts of Los Angeles and San Diego Counties, added to the fact that the Southern Pacific affords the best eff transportation facilities, and the leca- tion Is something more than day nearer the Eastern markets (the early maturing of products affording a a ready sale both East and WesD it can easily be realized that property Tn this vicinity will rapidly increase Tn value
 "In Yuma have pIucksd ripe To- kay, Mission and several ether kinds of grapes June 2d; strawberries about February 25th to March 18th; apricots in March, and have bought fresh pears in December, January and February These personal observations better H. lustrate the singular advantages of this country than volumes upon eli mate, soil and all the attending access sorIes.
 q may as well say here that all that 1 have written concerning the Mohawk fruits, vegetables, etc., will apply very nearly to all the canals ln course of lying along the Gila be- tween the Maricopa lins and the Gel orado River, with the advantage of a few days earlier maturity in favor eff the latter