St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-02-23
Correspondence.
ARIZONA.
It's Vast Resources and HoWthc.v are De-
ing Developed.

DOMAIN may be interested in few
general facts concerning this part of
the Southwest Like New Mexico,
Arizona is A land OF acequias (irrigat-
ing ditches); there is no rainfall
during the greater portion OF the
year, and outside the river bottoms
and the systems Of irrigation the
ground is dry and parched; in fact,
it is a desert with merely a rough
growth Of sage-brush, mesquite and
chappara. The sod has in itself the
elements of the greatest productive
ness, and as soon as water touches
the land there results luxurious
growth OF every kind Of negotiations;
hence the leading problem in the
Southwest is how to utilize every
drop of water in all the streams.
When once a portion Of land is rri-
gated permanently, /. G., is put in
connection by canals with some
large water supply, the looks Of all
the country around are changed
in three or four years trees grow to
a large size, the land looks as if it
had been cultivated for years, and it
is hard to believe that you are now
where once was only a desert. A
man can build up for himself home
and develop a farm in three years
here, where in colder country it
would require at least ten years to
accomplish as much. In this way
the Salt River valley has been
developed during the last decade.
have been up and down this valley
and have seen the leading towns,
Mesa Tempe and Phoenix, and
must say that what has been done
in so short time almost equals the
dreams in "The Arabian Nights
What one sees impresses him all the
more, when he remembers that few
years ago all this region was a part
OF the Colorado desert. As will be
readily seen, the great question
among the farmers and the stock
men is that of irrigation. According
to official report there are now SIP
miles of canals in operation in
Arizona, besides about the same
number in process OF construction.
These canals furnish water today
for 343, 900 acres of land, and with
the construction of storage reser-
voirs, it isl expected that 1900, 900
acres now wholly desert will be put
under cultivation. The ella Bend
Reservoir Company is just compet-
ing its canal on the ella, and this
waterway alone will reclaim POO
900 acres of land suitable for the
raising of oranges and other fruit.
Another canal is beng made on the
Arizona side of the Colorado river;
this canal will be 40 miles long, 60
feet wide and II deep, and official
estimates state that it will redeem
100000 acres more of the Colorado
desert. Other canals OF less i'm
portance are being completed every
month, so that when the work in
progress is done, it will increase the
farming interest to fully double
what 1t is at present. During the
past year over 100000 orange trees
have been planted in the Salt River
valley besides large vineyards and
orchards OF lemons, lines, figs, dates
and almonds. went through some
OF these farms on ian. 16 and II,
ana it is remarkable how far along
these fruit farms are. Another lead.
ing industry is that of bee raising,
the Arizona honey bringing a good
price i'll all the Eastern markets; sew
eral carloads of honey have been
shipped from the Salt River valley
in the last six months. Perhaps the
production of alfalfa is the most i'm
portant farming industry in Arizona
AT present; thousands of tons have
been baled this year, and much of it
is sent into Old Mexico, where it
sells for $4,000 a ton; five crops a
year are cut of the alfalfa
The climate and soil of the river
valleys of Arizona, according to the
word of experts, are very similar to
these of the Nile valley in Egypt, and
in this semi-tropical region there are
prospects OF a great future; in the
past FIVE years there has been great
development, and at the present
time capitalists are investigating the
various kinds of systems for irriga-
tion and the storage of water. When
one remembers that less than one
sixth of the territory of Arizona can
ever be used for farming or agri-
culture 1.-THE rest being mountain,
and deserts far removed from any
water), and of this one.sixth scarce
iy tenth is yet under cultivation,
he can form some idea of this part of