Arizona republican., 1899-09-16
NORTH SIDE
GLENDALE.

The Glendale school has more than ninety scholars in regular attendance
 E. E. Jack brought into Glendale
 one day this week some fine specimens
 of Bartlett pears They were as big as
 ones two fists and without a fleck.
 The fruit, as fine as it was, is common
 in Glendale MT Jack has eight acres
 of trees bearing this kind of fruit this
 year.
 T. C. Long will leave for the north
 in a few days to take a look at that
 part Of the territory.
 The Glendale school district is c~n-
 sidering the advisab bility of sinking a
 well on the school grounds. The dis
 trict has $500 Of funds that it will
 manage to save this year, and consider
 the best Improvement the school is in need of is good water.
 J. D. Doner put in a pump for Will
 liam Kay Wednesday The Glendale country is going after water in dead sinking wells CT putting up wind mills.
 There is a seven-acre ranch near Glendale that has no comparison in the valley. H. P. Pierce is the owner Of it and he never ranched before this experience. Three years ago last fall MT. and Mrs. Pierce came cut from and settled in patch of weeds and sunfioweIs, two miles southwest of Glendale. An orchard was set cut and as he was unable to blow or cultivate the orchard MT. Pierce hit upon new idea which may prove of great value to the districts where water is scarce. Between the rows of trees a trench two and one half feet deep and as wide was dug. | When the orchard was to be irrigated i these trenches were filled with water i and the job was done No cultivation | was done and no little ditches were | run around the trees and no water was put on top Of the land. Mr Pierce had ! sub-irrigation at prac ! -ically no expense. Sub-irrigation is ] the more economical of water and se- cures greater results, but the great | cost of laying pipes and the general Dlsnitude of water has prevented its | institution in this valley. In Mir. ! Pierces plan several things are ac- 3cmplished. It matters n-t how small | he stream may bc it can be utilized, and if it was necessary fer thread of water to trickle all day to fill trench $ muck good would be derived from hat trench as though it had been filed in a few minutes. There is a great saving from evaporation, as comparatively speaking, there is no surface exposed to the sun. All the water to be used is utilized as none Of t runs away. The trees have a strong 1T life, as their roots must go down nto the soil for water, instead of spreading cut near the surface, and because of these stronger roots the rees will stand a drOuth much batteT. There are some trees in this orchard hat were not supplied with this sub- Until last spring these rees were doing poorly and were bare y half the size Of those on the renches. Since these trees were MT. Pierce says they have srOwn rapidly. Nearly every tree on he place was set out two years ago ast February, and today there are trees forty feat high and ,each, apple, plum, apricst and pear rees that show a remarkable growth. From four Kelsey Japan trees three EashItubs of plums were gathered this ear. The front yard is cut up into title islands and peninsulas which are oVered with grape arbOrs, flowers and weet potatoes. the vines Of the latter making a dense mating. On the sides if the trenches MT. Pierce grew fine ( rish potatoes and watermelons this ear, many of the melons weighing ighty pounds. MT. Pierce was laugh d at when he first began making renches, but now the same laughers re experimenting the experim snter. here is certainly something in the dea, for among ether things it must e remembered there has been no cul- ivation and if the orchard had de- ended on the surface irrigation, it ; 7ould be dead at this time. for Mr.