Arizona republican., 1899-04-01
1oo 1oooeooseeeeeooeeoeoeoeoee
...GRAHAM COUNTY.
DOC 00 00ee0ao0o00N0e0oeoaeQG ee 0 ao

J Apache-all that portion north of the Gila river coming from the Apache and all south of the river coming from Pima. The county is bounded. on the north by Gila and Apache counties, on the east by New Mexico, on the south by Cochise county and on the west by Pima and Pinal counties. In area it contains about 10000 square miles, or 6,400,000 acres-larger than several of the New England states. It is divided up into valleys and mountain ranges and it's altitude varies from 2,5O0 feet above sea level in the lowest valleys to height of more than 10000 feet on the summit of Mount Graham. The Graham mountains are in the southern portion of the county, and they are the highest mountains in southern Arizona.
 The valleys along the streams are of the richest soil and will produce we'll almost any variety of vegetation known to the western hemisphere. The farming industry of the county is confined almost exclusively to the val ley lying on either side of the Gila river, which passes through it from southeast to northwest, though some small tracts are cultivated in the Ara Vaipa canyon, and along the San Fran cisco river in the vicinity of Clifton
 The main Gila valley in this county, which is the second largest in Arizcna, as measured by cultivated land, begins a. what is known as Box canyon, nine miles above Solomonville, and extends down the river to San Carlcs. a dis tanca of seventy miles. It will average in width between the mesas about four miles, a greater, portion being on the south side of the river, and con tains not less than 100000 acres of ir- rIgabIe lands. As compared with other parts of Arizona, which are generally Of mountainous character, rich in mines, timber and livestock, the Gila valley is devoted to agriculture, horti- culture and livestock exclusively. There is now under cultivation about 25 900 acres of land under the best sys- tenn of irrigation known in any irri- gated country, as regards the extreme ly low price of water to the farmer. In the entire county there are about 125 miles of canals and ditches.
 CLIMATE.
 The altitude of this portion of the iGla valley being about 5000 feet the climate here may be said to be happy medium between the extremes of heat and cold. Frost is net infrequent in winter, but snow is a very rare thing, and generally disappears as fast as t falls.
 The following average temperatures in the Gila valley are correct, accord ing to official observation: Average spring temperature, 60.5 degrees: sum- mer, 79J3 degrees; autumn, 631 de- grees; highest, 1855 degrees; lowest, 15 degrees; average annual, 62.2 de- gTces. In the valleys of Arizona ben cf1cial effects are experienced by those suffering from lung and throat trou- ble. The worst cases, both from the east and west come here with the most beneficial results, many of them being permanently cured. The climatic de- sideratum in pulmonary diseases is q mild and dry climate. Southern Cali fcrnia has a mild climate but it is not dry. Colorado has a dry climate, but it is not mild The valleys of Arizona are both mild and dry, and they have been universally recommended in pull monary diseases. In the Gila valley many are living to give testimony of the great benefits ueceived The dry ness of the atmosphere is unfavorable to the transmission of disease germs, consequently malaria 'or epidemic dis eases seldom prevail.
 SOIL.
 Orange Judd editor of the Prairia Farmer, after long visit to Arizona, says of the soil:
 Most of these valley soils are the ac- cumulation of washings from the sur rounding hills, made up of fine parti- cles, that have been during countless centuries disintegrated by frost or the chemical action of the atmosphere. The 1l5o fn7 hn fTan fa oV.l fr ole charged with new fertility, thus pro- duced annually and gathered from the sides of the mountains scores and hundreds of miles away, so that every flowing on the land benefits it. This is no theOretic idea. We have seen thousands of acres here growing crops that rival in luxuriance those found in the famed valleys of the Nile, which derives it's vivifying liquid, bearing fer tilizing elements from the far off lands of upper EgypC and beyond.
 The soil of the Gila river bottom lands is as nearly ineXhaustible as any known to the world. The Maricopa Indians have raised wheat upon some of these lands continually since the ad- vent of the early mission, in the sev- enteenth century
 IRRIGATION.
 All the valleys OI AI1ZOnd require IT, rigation, the rainfall not being sufi- cient to produce crops of any kind. For grain and alfalfa water is supplied by flooding the entire surface of the land between borders. For fruit it is run in furrows near the trees or vines. To clear, level, and prepare land for irri- gation will cost from S2 to $10 per acre. As stated above, the system of irrigation in this valley is the most perfect known in the arid west. The canals arc owned and controlled by the farmer actually cultivating the soil under them, each holding stock cover ing the amount of water required in an incorporated company. Water rights are worth about $10 per acre. All the canals in Graham county are exempt from taxation. The water in the Gila river is very good for domestic pur- nQ&HG GIIrincr hn it1t1 ht1t nh e