Arizona republican., 1907-06-19
A TOUR ON FOOT
 AMONG Tilt RANCHES
Though the Season Has Been Late the Wealth of the Fields Is Ready to Burst Forth.

The cool weather of the spring ano
 early summer has retarded the growth
 and maturity of large variety oi
 vegetables. and ranchmen in a larger
 part of the vegetable and fruit grow
 ing belt are paying close attention and
 diligent work in caring for their crops
 that they anticipated having on the
 market some time ago. Watermelons
 which should be quite plentiful at this
 season of the year. are scarce and
 bring good prices from local dealers
 and consumers. In another week,
 however a marked change and decline
 from prevailing prices may be looked
 for. as the vines and young fruit are
 ripening fast: and not only may there
 be a decline in prices expected within
 that time. but a gut on the market
 may ensue.
 Around in the section of MT. Barry's ranch. four miles east of town. there
 is a considerable area of the rich bot
 tom lands planted to melons. canta-
 loupes and strawberries: and not only
 is this the case in that part of the rich agricultural section. but it is very nearly universal throughout the length and breadth of the Salt River valley. A visit among a few of the ranch homes in the section referred to yes terday revealed many evidences of an immense watermelon and cantalOupe yield soon. And while the present high prices may not be realized to the home grower. a market will be af- forded for all that will come and the bulk of the money thus obtained will recompense the farmer nearly as much as if he had been on the market ten days ago and reaped what consumers considered eXhorbitant prices for the crops.
 F. c. Watson. who has the Belt Fine ten acre ranch under a working lease this year. has already disposed of sev- eral wagon loads of melons and at this advanced stage of their ripening they are now coming in daily. but not in large numbers. but every two or three days his wagon may be looked for on the streets filled with as big and de- licious melons as are ever seen on the Phoenix market. Mir. Watkins was turning the water on his watermelon and vegetable garden when the scribe him. but he took time to talk and give something of his plans and successes since migrating here from North Carolina little more than a year ago, and became charmed and converted to the belief that there was something in farming and vegetable and fruit raising in this superb clim- ate and rich soil. HE is full of bright hopes and remunerative anticipations of his future work and authorizations in the line of an agricultudist in the Salt River valley. His scope of oper- atiOns are too limited, however. and he would like a broader field for his is. more ground for whereby the whole list in the nomenclature of farm products might be enumerated. and wide fields If corn. alfalfa and barley. as well as the lesser fruits of industrious and in -elligent labor would bring forth the most happy and gratifying results There are three acres of strawberries ,n the ground from which MT. Wat Sins reaped great profits since the be- y.nning of their ripening in May. and here are more to come. These and he waJermelons constitute the pro iurts of the little fam this year with he exception of some gardening in which vegetables for the household 'redOminate. and some consignments for town. Mir. Watkins did not say so himself but others living in his com did. that he is one of the fin st and cleverest vegetable raisers in he valley. As above stated, this is he Belt Fine ranch and former home. where a big chicken and egg business