Arizona republican., 1898-07-23


 Occasionally when heavy rain storms prevail in the White Tank mountains freshets result which cause breaks in the canal. They are readily repaired This is the only intermission from continuous supply
 The lands below the canal are all available for cultivation. There are coarse gravels, fine sandy, clayey and al1uvia1 soils, all producing most gen erously when seeded and irrigated.
 Alfalfa is the principal crop, giving an enormous yield of most superior quality. As compared with that grown in California it is to 1, or 200 per cent better-no refuse whatever. Five cuttings can be made per year with an average yield of two tons to the acre for each cutting. It can be pastured the balance of the year, still maintain ing a maximum stand. The water from the Gila carries so much silt or earthly matter in solution that each ir- rigation is fertilizer that renews fully all that is removed from the soil by the crop. One pasture which had been continuously used as such for the past eight years, with two head of cattle to the acre, has fully as good a stand as | fields more recently seeded.
 The general practice upon these lands to get them into alfalfa is to make rough clearing of the mesquite, greasewood and cactus, lay the ditches and plant them to sorghum, without 1 leveling, leaving that to be done by the silt filling the hollows, while the action of the water reduces the ridges in the course of two years.
 The sorghum crop meanwhile proves very remunerative, being fed upon the ground at an average rate of 1 $2 per acre for four months of the year. Some realize in excess of this figure.
 The writer saw in one instance where the above noted method was not fol- lowed, the owner went into occupancy of the wild land in October last QS97) grubbing it up and leveling with blow; harrow and scraper. He had a team, and a portion of the time one helper At the end of eight months he has a i a good stand of alfalfa upon eighty acres. If there are other lands that can be subdued and brought into cul- tivation more readily the writer would be glad to make record thereof.
 In 1897 there were 1000 acres of sorghum upon these lands, 1000 head of cattle were fed thereon. This year the acreage is upwards of 1,500 and nearly 2,000 head of stock are rapidly lfattening thereon.
 On one ranch of 200 acres of alfalfa is carried 330 head of cattle, 50 head ot horses and 100 hogs, all in exception ally fine condition.
 From experience in other alfalfa sec tions the writer seeing so many ami
 nals fed exclusively upon alfalfa was induced to enquire what percentage was lost from bloat, and was surpris- ed when informed that in nine years experience feeding many thousand head, there never was a single case o1 bloat. Easiest thing avoided in the world" said my informant, MT James s. Day. Never permit a hungry animal to go into an alfalfa field. Send all in with full stomachs and no dan
 ger of bloat." "Yes,'' he further re sponded, ''the same will hold good witt calves"
 One field was pointed out containing thirty acres, which carried 100 head o1 cattle for year. They were in prime condition. This is not regarded as ex ceptional in the vicinity. Wheat does remarkably we'll. We saw one croI jjust harvested that was sown April 15
 The yield was upwards of fifty bushel: to the acre, the berries being very plump and even sized, weighing fully 145 pounds to the sack. Ninety day: from sowing to sacking is recor( hard to beat. There were raised thi: :, year about 400 acres of wheat and fort! of barley which also crops very heavl ly German millet and Kaff1r corr
 have been successfully grown in ; , small way.
 Some fields of Indian corn looked fully equal to those seen in the bes seasons upon the plains Of Kansas ant l Nebraska. It is not largely grown however. The status of the crop wa. . not asked Fruits of all kinds do we'll but are grown only for family use , Grapes succeed well, the old Mission and the Muscat being the favorites. Be- , culture proves very profitable, the av craze yield per hive being 100 pounds of honey per annum There are up wards of nine hundred hives in th' several apiaries. The mesquite bloom furnishes a grade of honey excellet
 by none other. The alfalfa furnishes
 very good honey, though darker il
 color.
 The temperature in this portion O.
 the valley for a period of eleven year:
 shows an annual mean of 70 degrees the highest recorded is IF degrees while IS degrees is the lowest. These extremes are of brief duration. Witt the sunrise a good, fresh breeze always comes from the east. AS the sur
 reaches the zenith the current comes
 from the west, creating a very enjoy able summer climate The nights arc always cool.
 Good well water is found at from twenty to thirty feet In the river bot toms there is found sufficient timber for fence posts. Cottonwood is the principal timber growth upon the ranches. Some ash and China trees were noted.
 There is yet some vacant government land upon the line of the canal, but most of the land is deeded. Desirable tracts can be had at $10 per acre. Some of them are improved. The popula- tiOp Of tha caffJpyoout is Ovor 500 Thou