Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-06-26
IRRIGATION
WINS IN ARIZONA
BoiIermaker Turns Farmer in
Santa Cruz Valley and Ac-
compIiSheS Wonders With
Water Lifting Plant,

Douglas. Ariz,, june 25.-1f one is
seeking proof hat farming with the
aid OF pumnlirriagtion is u paying
proposition In Altoona, all lie has to
do is to visit the ranch OF J. r. Cur
now, a couple OF miles west Of Tue
son, in the Santa Cruz river valley.
There marvels are working out with
the assistance Of Il flow of water sup
piled by a centrifugal pump and a
gasoline engine.
Strangely enough success has come
to this man following an hours de-
spair of ever making good. Curnow
was "a boiler maker and lost his job.
He look up u quarter section of 100
acres of land near Tucson and started
to farm IL. This was min year ago.
He worked in the day time at his
trade, ana in the evenings on tho
land. He did not seem TO make much
Roadway ana kame to douglas to
sell the land. Here he met C.. X, Tom
pie, chairman of the agricultural com
mittec of the Douglas chamber OF
commerce and mines, who informed
him that he should tryout the pump
70 his land to make the test. The
results he has attained can best be
explained in what he now owns and
controls.
Curnow now has 1870 acres of his
ground under irrigation. lie uses a
l6-horse-power gasoline engine and
an S-inch centrifugal pump. He has
a wen dug out sixteen feet, ut the
bottom of which ls Installed his pump.
Below this Is an underground reser-
voir or pit. In the corner of this is
a lt-toot Well, in which il a 10-inch
pipe, The water flows up this pipe
into the reservoir, keeping il fun, the
flow being regulated by the pressure
of the water in this reservoir. The
suction of the pump is thus in the
Reservoir ana not in the wen. The
water delivered by the pump averages
1000 to $500 gallons a minute. This
flow OF water is diverted TO three
main channels, whence II is carried
by lateral bitches wherever needed.
80 rich was the ground found to be
That Cur1oW had no difficulty in
leasing the ground in small plots,
and NOW he is SO comfortably fixed
that he has ceased to farm himself,
having eight lcascrs on the ground.
Alfalfa, every kind of vegetable and
all fruits except the citrus family are
making records. The first cutting Of
alfalfa on twenty acres amounted TO
halt "a ton per ace, ANA six crops win
he grown per year averaging two
tons per acre. There are twenty
hcrcs planted Ina sorghum and next
TAN "a big orchard Will also be planted.
Each oi "a loasers runs a couple Of
wagons la Tucson daily. averaging
$40 10 $40 sales per wagon.
From "a cop of onions 500 feet long
and 90 feet Wide he has harvested
100 sucks, worth 81 "a sack. Curnow
puts five feet of water pc acre over
his land per year. lie has bought up
Fifteen Jersey calves ana NIL ere long
establish "a dairy. 10 cost Curnow $50
acre 20 clear his land. and with
this cost and other Investment he is
now earning no per cent per anuum
a. $4,000 Investment. In the sui
phur Srings valley conditions are the
slimc. except that there will not Doc
the cost OF clearing the land. Various
pumping plants between Wilcox and
Douglas are, therefore, watched with
much interest this season.