Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-09-18

cehbral ana northern portion and oil
any Of the higher elevation all tho
fruit, vegetables, grains and grasses il
atemperate climate yield in quantit,
and quality Tar beyond what may be
reached in other protions Of the
country The cotton and sugar cane
fields in the southern portions rival
those Of Mississippi and Louisiana,
and surpass them in yield.
Another feature of this region is It's
healthfulness. The dry, clear atmos.
phcre, and the bright, sunny days are
not conducive to lung diseases or To
rheumatism, aud with slightattention
to well known sanitary laws most dis
eases common to humanity may be
avoided.
1t may be thought that the cost of
! procuring water and applying it to
growing crops would prohibit its gen
eral use. That this is not the case is
shown by the following figures taken
from the special report of U. S. En-
ginecr f. II. Newell for the census.
Referring to Arizona he gives the
average cost of water right per
acre on all irrigated lands in
Arizona as s7.)7; the cost
of clearing and fitting the land for
cultivation, $500, which added to the
purchase price paid the government.
sl.25, makes the total cost of one acre
of land ready for cultivation, with
water, $l6.92
The annual rental for water
averages Sl.55 per acre. This sum is
paid to the canal companies to keep
up the canals, and in private COM
panies it is paid in assess
monts, either in labor or in money to
keep the canal in repair.
The above refers to land on which
grain and alfalfa are the principal
crops. On fruit farms the cost OF
leyellng the land so that water may be
applied economically and with least
trouble is greater, varying from s. on
level land, to $50 per acre when there
is considerable grading to be done.
The cost of watering the crop varies
with the condition Of the land; the
more nearly perfect the grade of the
land, the less the labor of applying
the water.
On fruit farms where the land is
fairly well graded before planting,
with a good system of bitches, and ir-
rigation boxes with stop gates, one
manwill take care Of 40 acres. On
grain and alfalfa land he will take |
care Of 70 or even 100 acres with a
good head of water.
On the experimental Farm belonging
to the station, onesquite uneven piece
Of land cost $50 to bring to uniform.
grade, another tract less than So per
acre.
The cultivation required on irrlgat-
ed land is somewhat more than is
thought necessary in ayeagc farming,
but no more than is found profitable
IN good farming in any part of the
TO keep young fruit trees in rapid
growing condition, we have, during
-he present summer, irrigated once a
month, aud after each irrigation the
ground is cultivated thoroughly, cross
narrowed and made fine on top. Hay
ing no rainfall, the soil remains loose
m the surface. and where weeds do
rot spring up no further cultivation
5 required until the next irrigation.
Since beginning our work on the
tatlon farms last December, our men
md teams have in all lost three DAYS
ime from bad weather. We have had
occasional rains during the winter,
Usually showers that caused no delay,
My one all-day rain.
This is due to the fact that the rain
LIQUIDS nearly all pass over the valleys ;
nd level mesa lands, and the preclpi-
alton takes place as the clouds rise
nto the cooler atmosphere over the
ills.
do not care to refer to the growth
t trees or yield OF crops in this
desert" country; the actual facts, if !
tated TO me before l came here.
'ould not have been believed.
A relative idea Of what is done may
c formed by supposing that tractof
md in Southern Michigan or in
Illinois could be surrounded above G
nd below with an almost constant h
lmmer temperature, nine months in \
he year. and good spring temper \
ture, such as the best April weather, 0
ne remainder of the year, and that a fl
emile rain could be provided when b
eeded If one can suppose snch a Il
lse, and the growth under such con
ltlons, he may form some idea of c
rowth in the "great desert Of Arlz- V
ma under the Improvements rapidly "
liking place. o
But a fewyears ago fruits and vege- p
lbles Of any kind cost from ten to b
fty cents per pound in California;;