Arizona weekly citizen., 1891-05-23
IRRIGATION IN ARIZONA.

ton, special agent. 1t is of some $50
pages, and treats exhsustively of irriga-
ton in general, of bitches, soil, system
Of drainage, rainfall, losses Of water by
seepage, distribution and evapora-
ton, the various products Of various
sections and how best produced, giving
in all most interesting document for the
farmer dependent upon irrigation.
Arizona it mentions frequently and
gives our Indians good and proper credit
for the oldest irrigation in America. 1t
says: Enthusiastically the oldest irriga-
ton Is that produced by the Indian
jewellers of the Is pueblos found in New
Mexico and by the Moquis, Sapori'
Pimas, Maricopas, and Papagos, resi-
dent in the territory of Arizona. Eyi-
dence exists in our southwest region of
larger works and wider fields, made by
a people long since extinct. The value
of irrigation as a fertilizer OF the soil
may be seen in the fact the Pima In
dams of Arizona have cultivated the
same land-a portion Of which they now
occupy-for at least 500 years. Their
cultivation, though rude, has been ex-
tensive and we'll conducted. Nothing
has ever been applied to the land but
the water, which qulckens and fructifies
it. As large crops are now raised as any
Of the traditions of the Indians bear re-
cord"
In the regard of modern Arizona a
hopeful outlook for Arizona agriculture
is reported. 1t says: "The develop
ment has mainly been in tbs slow pro-
gress of enterprises that were already
under way when the year begun; in the
reorganization or consolidation OF enter
prises, in the establishment of several
colony movements of which is dis
cribed elsewhere in this report; and in
the growing evidence of the capacity of
large areas within this territory adapt
ed TO the production Of the finest variety
Of semI-tropical fruits and vines. There
is no doubt that the ensuing year will
see a more definite policy and more de-
termined effort in southern and central
Arizona, at least to inaugurate irriga-
ton for the cultivation of the soil on a
large scale. The prosperity of Salt
River valley is an ample inducement to
that end and an inducement for its
success"
Something Of the growth of irrigation
in Arizona may be judged in the COM
parative acreage Of bitches of 1889 and
1890. In 1889 the acreage under ditch
&c., 200, and in 1890, 643,45O.
Regarding the Salt river valley Major
Green says in The report:
The water supply is more than ample
for all the canals now built. No reser-
voiring has now been done, but the cap
acity OF the river, if all the annual flow
could be stored and utilized, would be
sufficient for three times the land now
covered. The opportunities for such
storage is now at hand, and there is no
doubt that within few years it will be
found necessary to adopt this plan"
The total area in Arizona on which
crops were raised by irrigation in the
year ending June 80, 1890 was 65,821
acres, or 1928 square miles-less than
one-tenth Of per cent of the total area.
Aggregate number Of farms, LAS; de
pending upon irrigation, 1915 Cor per
cent remaining 26 per cent, being stock
or other farms, where crops are raised
by "dry farming" Average size of irri-
gated farms'(by which is meant portions
of farms only on which crops are raised
by irrigatIon), 81 acres.
Irrigated farms Of
$40 acres or more
800 to $40 acres.
go to 800 acres
Under 160 acres. 1896
The 70 farms contain an average of 2S7
acres each, and total area Of of 22656
acres (or 81 per cent of "entire amount
watered in Territory" The 996 farms
under 100 acres average 80 acres each,
and comprises only &c per cent, of the
Sotal irrigated area, In other words, Z
per cent, Of the farmers Of the territory
owned over one-third of the productive
land. and the remaining 90 per cent, of
irrigators owned an average of 43 acres
each.
There are "a Incorporated ditch COM
pan:es in the territory with mileage of
ditch OF All, irrigating 375 acres, and
each obtaining water from the ella and
Salt rivers. OF private bitches enumer-
ated there are As with mileage of 1712
miles, and irrigating 25,400 acres. This
gives an average per ditch of nearly 100
ceres per mile OF ditch.