Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1903-11-12
SOME PLEASING COMPARISONS
Observations Of DR.. Hughes in South
ern California.

DR.. H. A. Hughes returned yester-
day morning from a two weeks visit
in Los Angeles, Pomona and other
southern California points, having
gone to Pomona as a delegate to the
annual conference of the NJ. e. church
south. He is glad to get home, but
glad he went. for ii inspired him more
than ever with satisfaction at being a
resident of this valley. He always
knew that Phoenix was a good place to
live, and that this is the best valley
in the world under conditions now rap
idly obtaining, but just how good a
place it is he never fully realized be-
fore.
Pomona is a beautiful little city Of
1000 people, orderly and abstemious,
and requires but one policeman to pre-
serve the public peace. It is also a
land or oranges, and the Ramona val
ley is a region of sugar beets, which
find a market at the Chino factory.
But while it is a desirable place to
live and he would be the last man in
the world to KNOCK" it, the oppor-
tunities offered to the poor man are
sc much better herea bout that Po-
mona is merely outclassed. 1t was the
chance Of his life to make personal in
vestiga ton respecting orange culture
and sugar beet raising, in a country
where those enterprises are pro-
ncunced a success, and he was eager
to do so, having in mind all the time
what may be expected of the same en-
terprises in this valley.
Inquiring the price of land in that
section of country, he was told that
orange and alfalfa land is held at from
S4C0 to $500 an acre. while improved
property in the towns and villages is
sometimes rated as high as $1,000 an
acre. Inquiring further if fair rates
of interest could be made in beet and
orange culture on lands held at such
prices. he WIS informed that every
body who went into the business and
ATTENDED to business was making
money. Why" they said, I'VE can get
five crops of alfalfa a year on our
land" He then told them that Ari-
IONA farmers were doing that on forty
dollar land, and advised them to come
ever and get in on the ground floor.
Thinking there was perhaps a secret
in the profits, in the matter of water
supply, he inquired about it, and they
told him they had an ample water
supply. Asked it's source, they told him
it was nearly all by pumping plants.
How deep do you have to go for your
pumping water?" was the next ques-
ton, when he was TOLD, "Only about
200 feet"
Further investigation showed that in
orange culture at least, Pomona grow
ers have still other things 10 contend
with in greater measure than they do
here. In the first place they nearly all
use fertilizers in their orchards, adding
= new supply annually. The comes the
almost universal use of a balloon
shaped canvas which is thrown over
the trees during their disinfection
against insect pests. Lastly, comes the
expense Of smudging. and while he
was there he saw many growers haul
ing the straw and refuse to their or
chards for this purpose.
The California people, though. have
certainly learned to appreciate the
value OF water They are glad TO get
ii by pumping 200 feet, and when they
do get it they are careful not to waste
il. Nearly all tie water is brought
to their orchards in cement pipes or
bitches. 1t is not turned out for evap-
Grafton or seepaSe till it reaches the
SItUiLu II Is uSeQ upon. L MS, IOr
them. is economy, and it also adds to
the appearance Of the orchards. The
moral Of the whole story is in the
comparison.
Pomona rancher pays at least
S4C0 for an acre of lard, pays for
pumping plant, and buys fuel to raise
the water geo feet. builds cement pipes
to his land, then raises the beets,
which cannot grow better than they
do here and sells them at the factory
at the same, or at least no better price
The Arizona farmer pays from $50 to
$50 for his land. gets his water through
a ditch, has as much of it now as the
Californian, probably. and in the near
future will be able to depend on all
he needs at 81 or SO an acre at the
outside, including his reservoir assess
ment. and incidentals of ditching, etc.
If the same crop Of beets at the same
prices in California will pay interest
Oh an investment of from $500 to 81 0C0
per acre, counting cost of land, pumps,
pipes, etc, what viii the return be to
the Arizona farmer, whose investment
Will run but little over $50? And the