Arizona republican., 1908-04-01

ment and control of the water flowing in the canals. In the Tempe system the water IS divided into 109 rights. owned by some 200 shareholders. These
 rights are valued at $500 each. making the total ralue of the canal system sS12.00 The books of the company show that "''thin the past few years the average expense Of supplying water to the user has been less than
 75 cents per acre and in certain years this cost has not exceeded 50 cents per acre. The shareholders of the company are ever on the alert for means of reducing the operating ex- penSeS and at the time of writing change in the system has just been completed that will eliminate mile or more of ditch cleaning and at the same time will make it possible to in stall a power plant capable of pro ducing 40 II. P which at the govern ment rate of supplying power will mean an income of S4,000 annually. net above the expenses of operation. This will have the effect of reducing the running expenses of the canal about one quarter.
 In connection with the canal system pumping plant was completed in 1904 with a capacity of 1000 inches constant flow. This was built with a view to possible emergencies and its value to the farmers under the canal was demonstrated recently when the alterations in the system were being made and the water was out of the canal for a month. Those farmers who had need of water during that period were supplied by the pumping plant It has occasionally been used. too. when a farmer desired more water than his run entitled him. However so abundant has been the supply of water in the Tempe canal during the past four years since the completion of the plant that in that four years it has not been run altogether more than six months of the time.
 Hay, Grain and Cattle.
 Some idea of the productiveness of the country under the Tempe canal may be obtained from the following estimates of shipments made. Dur ing the average year some 700 cars of bailed hay are shipped from this point to different towns and mining camps
 
 a half million pounds of grain are also shipped divided about as follows: eight million pounds of barley; four million pounds of wheat; a million pounds of oats and a half a million pounds of alfalfa seed.
 It is estimated that about 15.000 tons of alfalfa hay are cut here each year. about half of which is bailed for r-.l Some 10. 900 head of cattle are fed and fattened here each winter. most of them finding a ready sale in California markets. The price of fat cattle this season has advanced from four cents to four and a quarter and the feeders have prospered this winter accord ingly.
 Under the Tempe canal. alfalfa pro- duces from to 9 tons per acre. worth when bailed from S7 to S1j per ton. accordin gto the season. Pasture on the same land after the hay has been cut ranges as high as from S6 to $S per acre Wheat and barley yield from 1900 to 2500 pounds per acre. worth from $l.25 to $1.75 per hundred pounds. Fruits command from ? to cents per pound green. or to 15 cents per pound dried. Poultry does well in this vicinity and there are number here who devote their entire attention to that line of work and profit well for their labor.
 Bees and Honey.
 There are perhaps few places on the face of the earth where so many bees are kept in 90 limited an area as fin the Salt River valley. Here the pro- duction of honey is now and has been for a number of years an industry of no small importance. While beekeep- ing is general all over the valley. the country in the vicinity of Tempe leads easily in the number of colonies of bees as well as the amount of honey produced in any other part of the val ley of the same area. Here. as in no other part of the valley has the busi- ness become specialized and large apiaries are the rule. The product of N the apiary is almost entirely extracted honey and is shipped to the eastern markets in car load lots. The busi- ness is fairly remunerative when prop erly handled and each year brings in- to the valley some $25000 to $50.000. Last year there were shipped from the valley twenty-four cars of honey and of this number eleven cars were ship ped from Tempe.
 Most of the crop of the valley is marketed through the Arizona Honey exchange the officers of the organiza- ton being G. M. FriZZell. president; Wm. Rohrig. secetary: R. x. Moore, J. H. Main and W. L. Chambers, di- rectors.
 The handling of bees in Arizona is much more simple matter than it can possibly be in colder climate. It is unnecessary to pack the hives away during the winter months and the mild climate the year around makes work easieF and brings excellent results.