The herald., 1894-01-01
ARID ARIZONA.
The Peculiar Conditions of tho sun
Kissed Land.

Kissed Land.
Phoenix Gazette: The vastness OF this
country, within whose confines exist
conditions of climate and soil varying
from frigid to torrid, from one extreme
OF aridity to the other of excessive hu.
midity, from prodigsl fertility to sterile
niggardliness, is very vaguely impressed
upon the people of the United States.
Men become so accustomed to the
conditions under which they immedi-
stely live that by habit and association
they come to regard these conditions as
the only ones adapted TO human happi-
ness, and that variation from them
must be fact to be deplored.
More than 80 per cent of the popula-
tion of the United States are so accus-
toned to the cultivation of the soil un-
der climatic conditions making an arti-
fetal application OF the moisture re-
qnisite for the growth and maturity of
their crops unnecessary, that irrigation
| to them is an unknown art.
To them. the suggestion of artificial
irrigation carries with il the idea of
limited area. deficient product, barren
ness, and generally, results wholly in
adequate and improbable in proportion
to the cost and labor incident to that
i
process.
Their idea of the profitable cultivation
OF the soil 10, unconsciously, perhaps, but
inseparably, connected with 8 humid
atmosphere, frequent and copious rains,
an alienation almost daily of sunshine
end clouds and the succession OF the sea-
sons.
1t may be generally known fact that
three-fourths of the inhabitants of the
globe obtain thar food supply from lands
artificially irrigated, yet theee conditions
are 80 remote to most OF the people of
the United States that the knowledge of
thatiact fails to make an adequate i'm
preston OF the Importance of the sub
ject.
Aridity OF climate, high temperature,
long rainless periods and almost perpet-
ual sunshine are to them symbolic of
the desert, OF poverty of soil and physi-
cal discomfort. So prevalent ia this
opinion in the United States, and go
firmly set that it requires iteration and
reiteration to impress upon them that
for the best development of certain pro.
ducts aridity, heat and perpetual sun-
shine are absolutely essential.
To take from Southern Arizona that
characteristic would blast her fondest
hopes that she will ere long supply the
United States with those products.
The fig, the olive, the pomegranate,
and most particularly the vine, best
thrive under such conditione.
Pinal county has a soil unsurpassed
for fertility and itH adaptation to these
particular products.
With artificial irrigation these prod
ucts exceed in value those of any lands
in the United States. The cost of water
supply and distribution is many times
repaid by the excess OF product OF such
lands over that of lands nos irrigated.
The question is not one so much OF cost
Of supply as of it's reliability.
There are in the Casa Grande valley
more than million acres of extremely
fertile land; to bring them under culti-
vation q water supply is necessary.
The Gila pronounced Heel-a) river is
the principal source OF water supply in
the county. That river rises in New
Mexico and pursues generally western
course to its confluence with the Colo
RADIO rivor ~ yuma, dfrtanCu Uf more
than 400 miles. It's principal tributaries
are the San Francisco. Black, San Carlos
and Salt rivers from the north, and the
San Pedro from the south.
The river, as are all rivers in the
southwest, is subject to great variations
of volume, ranging from flood to q COM
paratively small flow. During the win
ter months of December, January and
February it carries an immense volume
of water. From that time it suffers a
continuous diminution, until sgsiD it
is replenished by the rain in the noun
tsins in June and July. The San Pedro
river, tributary of the Gila, traverses
the eastern portion OF tho county. The
San Pedro has its source in Sonora,
Mexico, and receives the summer rains
OF a large area of that state.
Tho principal irrigation in the county
is that OF the Florence Canal company,
which was organized in 1885. Its capi-
tai stock hae been increased from time
TO time to meet the expenditure neces-
cary to the accomplishment of its pur-
poses. 1t has expended s300,000 so far
in construction work.
1t has now constructed and in opera
ton about so miles of main canal, by
which it diverts water from the Gila
river. The head OF the canal, the point
OF diversion from the river, is about 10
miles northeast OF Florence, and the
canal extends thence to point about
two miles south of Casa Grande station.
tut LILO Atdb ~ VI cO AhiAo1 VI ito
couree, that lie from the river to the
reservoir, the cansl is 25 feet wide at
the bottom, 4 q feet deep, with banks
soping two horizontally to one ver-
tically. making width at the surface
water line OF 43 feet. The grade of the
canal is two feet to the mile, and it's car
/ rying capacity ia 10000 miners inches,
I or expressed otherwise, 500 cubic feet of
water flowing per second of time. Upon
/ conservative estimate this supply OF
water is sufficient for the irrigation OF
| $1,000 acres OF land.
fhe company has constructed as
| part OF its works reservoir on the line
of ite canal, about 5 miles southwest of
Florence. In the construction OF the
reservoir the company availed itself of a
natural depression in the plain, i'm
pounding the water by means of an
( embankment.
The embankment is something over
1000 feet in length, is 20 feet wide on
top, q feet high at the highest point,
and l27 feet thick at the bottom at the
point whore it is highest
The reservoir embraces an area OF
| 1900 acres Of land, and when filed to lite
! capacity contains water of that superb
cial extent, with an average depth of 10
! feet.
The contract price Of the embankment
alone was slS1 900. This reservoir, it is
believed by the writer, ia the largest
Il. - I