Arizona weekly enterprise., 1889-06-08
sacaton.

In response tu a memorial of the | Fifteenth Legislative Assembly of | Arizona addressed to the Secretary of ! the Interior relative to the classifca- i ton of sacaton lands, Commissioner | Stockslager submitted specimens of . sacaton to J. w. Powell, director of | the geological survey for his opiBion of it's character, value as forage anu the nature of the land producing it. Mir. PowelPs statement in relation thereto is as follows:
 The plant sent for examination is Sporobolus Wrightii, and is locally in Arizona and New Mexico called "sucro" and sometimes "sacaton." The thick, tough roots are manufac- tured into scrubbing brushes, and the seeds are sometimes used by the In dians for food. For pasturage pur- poses it has no value, as the stalks are not sufficiently succnlent. The plant is characteristic of the arid Or desert lands of Arizona and New Mexico. It grows about the margins of springs >alQ along banks of small st feanss and under other conditions whick require , e more detailed statement. sss
 n the arid lands of the United. 6tates.the rainfall is concentrated on the mountains, and there is very little rain in the valleys and on tue plains. For this reason the streams have their sources in the mountains. When they reach the valleys or plains below, most of them sink away in the sands. Such streams therefore cannot preserve channels in the low-lands; but where the waters are lost for any season this plant springs up. If the season is very dry the stream is lost immedi- ately at the foot of the mountains. In such season the "sucro" will grow up at that point. Another season the rainfall will be greater and the water will flow down farther by a mile or two miles, or ten or fifteen miles, as the case may be; and wherever the stream ends for that particular season the "sucro' will spring up. In the same manner, if the caving in of a bank dams it temporarily the flooded land will bear crop of the "sucro."
 For such reasons as l have given, and for many others which could be set forth, all of the arid or desert lands of the Southwest which are most valuable for irrigation are marked now and then, and here and there by punches or patches of the "sucro" and 1t is considered to be one of the best guides in the proper selection of lands for irrigation.
 It may, therefore, be said that wherever this Sporobolus Wrightii is found throughout Arizona, New Mexi. co, Utah, etc, the land require irriga, tion for agricultural purposes, and crops cannot be raised on such land, without irrigation; second, that wher ever this plant is found it is evidence that the lands have been wisely SC lected; and third, that the plant itsel is not valuable for agricultural ol pasturage purposes.
 This report virtually disposes of tn, question and the entires under tn, desert land law, held for cancellation on the report of special Agent Slate that the existence of sacaton classe, the land as agricultural, will soon b. decided in favor of the settlers, as the, properly should be.
 Apropos of the disposition of thi question and the more recent ruling of the department in the mesquit timber" cases, the fact is made con sEicuous that the settlers upon tn public lands have been unreasonabl annoyed and put to great expens through the inexcusable ignorance C the special agents employed for tn detection of fraud. The character C the sacaton lands could have bee easily determined long ago by littl inquiry or investigation, and the se tiers saved the trouble and expense ( a contest. The classification of me- quite brush as timber was anotht outrage upon the settlers arising fror the same lack of intelligence, wit perhaps flavor of retaliation for tn refusal of favors sought. The speci, agents preceded upon the hypothes that every settler upon public lanc IS an uncaught rascal and they ha, acted accordingly. Their utter failul to establish their charges of fraud
 sufficient condemnation of their feeb judgment and the final determinatio of the fiimsy pretexts sets up for the action sweeps away the last ground for useless annoyance and the settl can now rest secure that his rights w
 be protected by the government.