Arizona republican., 1900-10-21
THE SECOND DAY
Closing Work of the Agricultural
 Association.

1 Two more interesting sessions We're enjoyed yesterday by those who attend ed the meeting of the agricultural as sociation.
 The first address was on the subject of Alfalfa Growing" by Mr. John FOrney of Glendale. His reputation and success in that industry made his words particularly significant, as he has made alfalfa growing a practical business and a scientific study. He dWelt at length on the various features, emphasizing the advisability of refrain ing from irrigation during the months of June, July and August. He has succeeded in raising six crops annual ly, four previous to the months named and two crops afterward. His first crop consists of the sparse growth of January and February, cut about March ID. Six weeks later the second crop is cut and the third and fourth in June and early July. Early in Sep temher he irrigates freely again and later gets two more crops To show what can be done by proper irrigation MT. Forney says he hns cut alfalfa here every month in the year except February. He is a strong advocate of winter irrigation and says by filling the ground thoroughly in the winter he can mature the first four crops.
 J. w WooIf followed with paper on handling alfalfa for hay. dwelling on important features as found in his eX- rerience. and especially the necessity for quick handling in hot weather. He said the hay should be raked while yet moist allowed p11ra n tho IViOl- TOW. This improves the qualities and prevents the leaves from shaking off by rough usage. He believed q proper understanding of right methods in cur ing and handling hay would be worth thousands of dollars annually 10 the farmers of this valley. It was stated in the discussion of this subject that the Salt River valley hay was unfor- turately recognized in the outside mar kets as coarse, woody and undesirable for the above reasons. a, fact which may be easily guarded against.
 James $. Day of Buckeye sent in short paper on sorghum growing, mak- ing the observation that If the Oppor- tunity were given. cattle would travel back and forth between sorghum and alfalfa fields. thus securing for them
  also gave it as his belief that the poisoning of cattle by sorghum was due to the feeding of sorghum, by unfavor- able circumstances retarded and sckly in it's growth.
 The leading paper of the afternoon session was by Professor A. !. Me CIatchie on the economic use of water. lie dweIt on the breadth of this ques- tion, rcstating the words of Professor Elwood Mead on the importance as well as the ways and means. of settling the conflicting water interests. In the matter of irrigation practice, winter irrigation was recommended and the reasons given. The experience gained at the experiment farm was quoted and a photograph taken October WIS e%' hibit5d showing d peach and apricot orchard which had not been irrigated since March ,. It can hardly be sur passed by any in the valley for the thrifty appearance of the trees. To achieve this result it was nee, ssary in December and January to apply as much as three acre-feet of water in ra5idIy repeated irrigations in order to soak the soil to great depth, thus stor- ing the moisture for summer use.
 MT. B. A. Fowler followed in rhe discussion of the paper, remarkinS upon the necessity of proper lcGisla- tive action. He ferred to the pro- gress being made by the water storage committee in enlisting the cooperation of the proper government officials in acquiring the information necessary In | of storage projects He i also read d recent telegram from Dr. | Chandler expressing the favorable sen timynts of the secretary of the interior and the chief of the geological survey
 Resolutions were adopted by the | addressed to the office ot IT, invcstiga tions, cXpre ssing a desire that suitable appropriations be secured for the work.
 The election of officers for the en- suing year resulted as follows: Pres ident, B. A. Fowler, Glendale; vice president, J. w. Woolf, Tempe; secre- tary. Chase L. Purdy, Alhambra. The meeting then adjourned for one year,