Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1907-08-07
Big / ! { PROFITS IN
GROWING OF
ALFALFA
What An Intelligent and Ener-
getic Farmer Has Done in
the Salt River Valley in Pro-
ducing Hay,
Says The Phoenix Republican:

Says the Phoenix Republican:
The alfalfa business is oyerdone
here says one. The land is too high
now and alfalfa will not return inter
est on the money invested. The peo-
pie will have to go to raising some
thing else If they buy land at present
prices. Let's see If that fellow Is cor
rect. Price Brown came here Six
teen years ago from Pennsylvania
with practically nothing in his pocket
and no opening for him but ranch
work. After he saw how the situa-
ton was framed up. and getting a few
Ideas about irrigation and farming in
this country. he decided TO make q
venture anyway He bought 160
acres south of Tempe for $50 an acre
on credit. finding a man who would
give him five years time in which to
pay for it. He planted little except
alfalfa and lived as economically as
he could and in two years his ranch
was paid for He has continued to
raise alfalfa ever since and now says
he will never stop raising that until
he gets all the money he wants.
This is what he has done this
year: To date he has baled from his
early crops 661 tons. He sold a con-
siderable quantity of this at 1915 a
ton. That is where he made a mis-
take and kept himself from making
all the money he wanted In one year,
for hay is now worth S12 and will be
higher a little later. Mr.. Brown has
refused s12 for the rest OF his crop.
He has sold the crop now standing
for an even $1,000, and says that he
will certainly get $1,000 more for the
crops that will follow later. ALTO
gether he says ne will get $500 off
his ranch this year and his operating
expenses viii be $4,000. leaving over
profit. But Mr.. Brown knows his bust
ness. While other people plant al
falfa and go away and leave it. he
is on hand to raise it, He vets it
when 1t needs water, and harrows and
loosens the soil in the spring SO ii
will take water better, and otherwise
attends to the business of raising al
falfa.
But he only paid $50 an acre for
his land says the knocksr Very
true. but suppose he had bought the
land this spring and paid $500 an
acre for it. his net revenue would still
be over fifteen per cent, which il
three times what the bond holder is
getting, or suppose the farmer had
bought last spring at $500 per acre,
cash. the revenue would have been
five per cent net on the investment.
This last feature is not referred to
so much for the benefit of the man
who wants 10 farm as for the investor
down east who is looking for good
things. has more money than he
knows what 10 do with and refuses to
come out to Arizona and put il to
work. The point made is that he
can't do worse than to stay back In
New York where he is now, and If he
has any money at all, say up in the
thousands, he can do at least twice OF
three times as well with 1t in this val.
ley and besides the returns spoken OF
his land will double in value from
present prices in a very few years
adding another 100 per cent to his
investment. The farmer who only
wants Toe acres or so and is willing
to get out and work and hustle, and
who only has $4,000 or $4,000 to start
with will make still more than the
capitalist in proportion to the size ui
his investment and he ought to.