The Clifton clarion., 1889-05-29
Notes from San Jose.

district have been making the same request, I send you a crude sketch of our settlement, which, while it pos sesses many things desirable and with all its heritage of beauty and undevel- oped wealth, you find imperfections and disappointments here, as every where else; there is no perfect Eden upon the earth. You find many points of dissimilarity to the Eastern States. The seasons. the soil, the trees and plants, the native animals and birds, all are different; the language and customs of the people have a manner of their own, but the former rude state of civilization is passing away, and new and progressive hands are shap- ing our history. Even now you see gems of pastoral beauty, if you could sec this picture A large field of clover in the foreground, part of which is allowed to grow tall and lux uriant, and the rest is allowed to be grazed down by cattle, which are seen, some feeding and others resting in the shade. Around three sides of the square a fence of cottonwood trees, whose limbs are swaying and the sil- very green leaves glimmering in the sunlight; in the background groves of maple and the ripping Gila, and far away and above all this the majes- tic form of the Sierra Bonita, looming up in the horizon with mantle ot snow and ice around its head. You would look with pleasure and say, Yes, life in the Gila Valley has its pie turesque side.
 Now to come to prose. l must tell you there is now lying vacant around San Jose. over two thousand acres of land of disintegrated granite and vegetable deposit, which, with the temperature and dryness ot the cir, make it all that could be desired for fruit, and that there is abundant wa ter, and that ditch is about to be constructed, which will make these lands productive. One hundred dol lars expended in labor on this ditch will give water enough for eighty acres of this land, which is now to be had for the asking. But how am go- ing to make a living? is asked. Let us see. Dairying is a profitable in- dustry: the demand in the county is greater than the supply, and we have range at our door for limited num- Der of cattle. An alfalfa patch is a quick and sure source of revenue to the farmer. The seed is sown broad cast like any grain and in the first year will yield about three tons to the acre. After the roots are well set they will ontinue growing for long term of years. A crop is cut about once in seven weeks in summer At each cutting some two tons to the acre of rich hay somewhat like red clo- ver,but having small blue seeds, is harvested. After the crop is remov- ed the ground is thoroughly flooded wlthrwater and new growth starts from the roots as vigorous as the old. The hay in the stack is worth S5 per ton here. If you wish to raise alfalfa seed for the market an acre will yield about 100 pounds, worth 8 cents per pound. Besides this you may cut three crops of hay before allowing the plants to go to seed.
 Bee keeping is easy in this locality and the yield is abundant. The noun tain slopes are covered with shrubs and trees, which furnish pollen in abundance for bees. It takes very A1lllt Sdplldl lO Sldll siuu luc lIldI Cl IS sure Some eight miles north there are being opened silver mines, which contain rich stratas of carbonate of lead ores. A rude Mexic III furnace has made a successful run and at this time adobes are being made for a larger one.
 From here freighting is being made to bring in fair returns, thanks to the liberal spirit of Judge Blake, who has secured the government hay contract We have a large and well built Cath ollie Church, school house furnished in modern style and the census shows 110 school children in the district. ! We have one store and at this time goods are arriving for Salcido < Co. of Morenci, for another one. We have | good water: and the best of clay for |