Arizona republican., 1904-12-25

canal There are several others of lesser size owned by individual ranchers and all giving the very best of satisfaction. The development of pumped water opens up a new field for irrigation on the south side and makes possible the cultivation of many acres that at pres ent are only barren wastes beside 1n- suring the ranchers against failure of crops from lack of sufficient water during the dry seasons
 Of this 25, 900 acres of land already mentioned. probably 15,OOO acres os it are devoted excl,; .vely to the growth of alfalfa and it's associate industries On this amount of land, under the eX- isting conditions as regards the water supply under the Tempe canal, it is es- timated that were all the alfalfa cut and none of it fed, the annual yield would aggregate 75,000 tons. In reality a great deal less than this is cut each year. The cause being the enormous humber of cattle that are pastured here. It is possible under ordinary conditions to cut at least three crops Of hay but very few of the ranchers do this. On the average not over two are cut, the balance of the feed being pastured. The amount of hay shipped each year from Tempe varies with the price. As the price increases the amount shipped de- creases At the present time the price of average quality hay in the stack is from SS to $9, which means from SIP to SIS in the car. It is estimated that this years shipments will be in the neighborhood of 5000 tons which repre- sents no less than one-fourth of the crop, the remaining three-fourths being consumed by cattle raised here or shipped in to be fattened. The market changes with the price, as does the amount shipped. During the time that hay is comparatively cheap the market embraces California, Texas and Mexico. However, at the present time which may be considered as a high priced season, the bulk of the hay from Tempe finds a market between here and Pres colt, very little of it going north of that point.
 | Of the total acreage of land under the Tempe system about 5000 acres of it is known as grain land. The amount of land planted to grain each year de- bends largely on the prospects of water for the winter and spring and it is an evidence of the faith the Tempe ranch CTS have in this winters supply to- gether with the increased amount due to the prospective pumping plants, that the acreage this season is more than double that of last year. An average 1 yield of grain under the Tempe canal is considered 3,00O,O 900 pounds, with an approximate value of $45,000. Of the grain produced here, little finds its way out of the valley except as flour. A great deal of the barley is rolled and the southern points in the territory receive the greater part of it. Some land here | is devoted to the production of small fruits but less attention is given them now than in former years, it having 1 been the experience of most ranchers that alfalfa and grain pay larger divi- | dends per acre with less labor.
 Date culture, which until recent years | has been in experimental stages, is rapidly assuming commercial prOpor- tions. A small portion of the land of | the south side, strongly alkah in nature, | is particularly adapted for the culti- Vation of dates. This has been proven conclusively by the agricultural depart ment of the United States at a date orchard established three miles south and a mile east of Tempe five years ago. In 1904 a carload of date suckeres arrived here from Egypt. Notwith- standing the long trip they reached here in fairly good condition and were at once taken to the orchard where they were planted. Through good care 1 70 per cent of the shipment was saved. Many of them are now thrifty, grow 1 ing trees, some of which have grown two crops of dates, not excelled in size and quality by any that are imported. Beside producing the dates the trees at the same time have been growing suckers some of which are nearly as large as the original tree and many of these will be ready for planting dur
 ing the next season. There is no longer any doubt as to the success of this en- terprise and from all present indica- tions the production. of dates in the farming districts surrounding Tempe ! iS destined to become a profitable in tluStry.
 AS a safe, secure and profitable in- Vestment. Tempe real estate cannot be surpassed. A case in point is the fol- lowing; Directly south of Tempe is a | tract of land 300 acres in extent. Some five years ago it was purchased from a syndicate for s45 an acre. The pres ent owner makes no effort whatever to handle the land himself but rents it. He receives annually in rental 2,300. i All expenses, as water assessments and every thing not in the way of perma- nelt improvements are paid by the rentCI. The taxes on the land are about $500 leaving a net profit to the owner of $2,OOO per year or nearly 15 1 per cent on his investment. Add to this the fact that in this time the value of the land las more than doubled as S11o Der acre has recently been refused for 1t and with the exception of being we'll fenced and well ditched it is to- tally unimproved; simply well set in ! alfalfa. This case is perhaps excep- tionaI in that the land was purchased
 
 al paid is high. This latter fact being ! due to the land having a full pro-ratio