Arizona weekly citizen., 1893-09-02
GRAHAM co.
A Fine Region Practically
Described.
WHAT RANCHERS CAN DO.
Also What The Great Mines of
The County Produce
Big Showing.

Graham County, Arizona, lies in the
Southeastern part of the Territory. Its
area is about seven thousand square
miles. 1t is bounded by New Mexico
on the East, Cochise county on the
South, Pima, Pinal and CHA counties
on the West and A pache county on the
North. The river CHA passes through
the entire county from east to west,
dividing 1t into nearly equal parts. Ii
lies entirely in the region Of the great
plateau of the Rocky mountains. The
elevation ID from 5000 feet in the lowest
valleys to 1000 feet on the elevated
| table lands mountain valleys. The
Pinclands or Graham range crosses it
from northwest to southeast. Mount
Graham Is IL, 3,8 feet above sea level;
Mount Trumbull but little less. 1hIs
range ia fairly we'll tim bered with pine,
spruce, juniper and fir, and q variety of
| hard woods. The Gila range passes
through the county to the north of the
Graham range and parallel to it. The
latter has no timber worth mentioning,
and 10 quite deficient IN spring water,
Grass abounds on al the mountains
in moderate quantity and is utilized by
stockmen as q range for their herds.
Cattle raising has always been one of
the principal industries Of the county
Agriculture now is ahead, out there
are probably 100000 head of cattI- yet on
tie ranges, the number having been
greatly reduced during the past two
years. For limited number of cattle
Graham county affords the best range
in thu Territory. Cattle support them
selves and with an average season they
make the finest of beef; where living
water cannot be had it is furnis ed
from wells, windmills supplying ample
power for pumping at moderate cost,
Cattle require but little attention OIL
the range. Beef cattle are marketed in
California and those not suitable for
beef are shipped to Kansas, Wyoming
and Montana where they are pastured
and fed.
Horses also do well on our ranges,
and sheep-raislng is profitable, Though
but few have engaged IN it.
In 1873 the first canals we're dug and
land cleared for farming in the Gila
4AA5 fdlAcy 10 bu6 6oCOAa ldfk0ot
in Ariz ma, which has an ample supply
of running water for irriga ton,
extending from q point nine miles above
Sole knoxville to San Carlos, distance
of some seventy miles. That part of
in length is on the San Carlos Indian
reservation and is only cultivated in
crude way by Indisne. Above
Solomonville the population is mostly
Mexican. but the land is very fertile
and the crops of barley, corn, wheat,
alfalfa, etc, is large.
In 1880 the first Mormous came to
this valley from Utah, and from that
date real agricultural development
began.
Hundreds Of families who came here
penniless and look q homestead on
government land today are the
possessoIs of comfortable homes and
profitable farms. There is yet limit d
amount OF government land which can
easily be brought under irrigation and
be cultivated. To clear, fence and
secure water supply for land will c,st
from 80 to $40 per acre. 1t Will produce
annually from 80 to 80 bushels of
wheat, orn or barley, or from seven to
ten tons Of alfalfa hay. A crop of barley
and crop of corn may be raised on the
same land in one year. Corn is not
cultivated; the only labor required
being for planting, irrigstiDg and
gathering.
The lands along the streams are al
luvial bottoms and very fertile. The
mesa or table lands are generally good
soil, bu, the running streams for irri-
eating them are lacking. The Gila
valley contains the largest body Of land
that can be irrigated from a running
stream. 1t will average two miles in
width IN bottom land. The slightly |
elevated table lands extend from the |
bottoms from two to six miles to the |
high mountains. In time II is supposed |
much of these mesa lands will be |
coached by al irrigating system and |
prove them to be equally productive |
With the bottoms. Especially are they |
adapted 10 fruit culture, being in the |
thermal belt and less subject to late |
frosts. All the crops adapted to the
temperate zone are grown here to |
perfection.
The opportunities and conditions are
excellent here for an irrigation
The work would consist of a
large canal taken from the CHA at q
point where it comes through a box
canyon with solid rock bottom, building
storage reservoirs for holding surplus
water to be used during low water In
the river. By tbs much OF the mesa
lands would be reclaimed and at least
75, 600 acres of new land could be brought
into cultivation.
The present population of the county
q about G. 500, mostly in the Gils valley.
There is probably 800 acres of fine
bottom land cultivated in the vicinity of
Duncan, a small town on the Arizona
md New Mexico railroad in the eastern
BART of the county, watered from the
lila river. Here also conditions are
favorable for digging new bitches and
productive land. The
PRODUCTS of the Duncan farms are
marketed at Clifton at better prices
han can be obtained anywhere el-e in
he Territory.
In the Aravaipa canyon, on the west {
Ids of the Graham mountains, there is !
lso some two hundred acres of land
al iivated in small patches, irrigated ..
rom Aravsipa creek, which also
furnishes water for cattle. Here is one
the best ranges IN the county. There
q postoffice at Aravaipa. also a T
lining camp where some promising I
liver properties have been opened up.
Hogs can be profitable raised. They
nature rapidly on alfalfa pasture, are
eslthy and attain immense eize. The
rice OF bacon and lard in this county :.
lnges from IA to 81 cents. Alfalfa, !.
umpkins and corn could not be more y
rofitably marketed than by putting il :.
ito bacon and lard at even an average .
rice Of 121a cents. <
A good mill has been badly needed in 4
le Gils valley in the past; j. T. Owens n
Co., propose to erect one at Stafford n
lis year, Of 80 barrels capacity. l.
1t is believed that q small cannery -
ould be profitable enterprise in the =
Illey.