Arizona republican., 1903-11-11
FOR IRRIGATING bitches
What Manufacture Of Cement at
Tonic May Do For This Valley

Not even the most optimistic citizens
of this valley can conceive of all the
good things that in the natural order
of things will follow the construction
of the Tonic storage dam. Some of
them will come at once. and some may
be a generation in developing, but
among them will be things not yet
talked about. One of the possibilities
and one that may come at compare
lively early day is the cementing of
many of the irrigating bitches of the
valley. This is not one of the things
heretofore unhcard of, but it is enc
of the things that has been given but
trifling consideration. 1t was talked
about more ten years ago perhaps than
it has been since then, for at that time
water was becoming scarce and ii was
suggested as a scheme for making
little water go n longer distance, or
more accurately speaking, saving the
vast amount of water required for
soaking up long canals during short
water runs to use on the lands along
their lower reaches. The idea was
then given up for the reason that lands
here were not then nearly so valuable
as they now give premise of soon be-
coming, and the more important rea-
son that the cost of cement was pro-
hibitive of extensive use. The idea was
suggested by visitors from southern
California, where they had less water
and raised more crops than they did
here, for the reason that they used the
water economically and were in a pO
sition to do so by reason of having an
unlimited supply of cement for their
bitches almost at their DOORS and. the
further reason that their lands when
reclaimed commanded higher prices.
But conditions here in these respects
are fast becoming as they are in Cal
ifornia with the added advantage that
this valley is to have a still better
and a perfectly reliable water supply.
But however great the supply may
! be, there is no desire to waste the
water. If it becomes practicable to
| cement the bitches at slight expense,
! it will add to the area that may be
reclaimed with the same water supply
and beside there are many other con-
sidera tons than quantity of water that
suggest the cementing CT the bitches.
Attention to this matter has been
called again by Mr. Richard L. Field
who has a delightful winter residence
on Cave creek. Mr.. Field is not
D farmer, ana possibly uOeS not liltilu
| to be. but he is an observing man, and,
! like all good men, takes an interest
| in the general prosperity of the land
he lives in. He visited Redlands. Cal,
/ during the summer, and while there
noted the use of cement net only on
/ the streets and sidewalks. but In all
the bitches running through the IA
! NOUS orange orchards and ranches in
that vicinity. He was informed that
/ Riverside and San Bernardino used ce-
ment in the same way and concluded
, that it's value in irrigation was fully
: demonstrated in Redlands and the
beauty and cleanliness CT the town
was in great measure due to its use.
| The cement supply, of course, is Col
ton. only a few miles away. and it
can be secured much cheaper than in
Phoenix al the present time, or in
many other irrigated sections. But the
Phoenix of the present and~the past is
not the Phoenix of the future. c.
ment costs money in Phoenix today.
but it may be cheap tomorrow. The
engineers of the reclamation service
have not only found the materials at