Duncan Arizonian., 1911-08-02
THE GILA RIVER VALLEY
Unsurpassed by Any Irrigation
District in the Southwest.
(By Chas. A. Dinsmore.

ing 70 miles up and Is miles
down from Duncan, Arizona. is
one OF the most fertile in the
southwest, where the growth of
grains, vegetables and fruits is
luxuriant. After one has eaten
the luscious strawberries. the
handsome peaches, the royal pur-
ple plums, the juicy and firm ap-
pies which are all grown here to
absolute perfection, he is GER
tain to have such faith in the soil
OF Arizona, and to agree that,
with water, it is capable of any
thing. | have spent week in
and around Duncan and visited a
number of farms and ranches
and the tale of, it all tells won
derful story. 1t must be remem-
bered that but a few years ago
CnlS country was wholly given
over to the cattle men and min
ers, and that everyone scoffed at
the idea of any farming ever be-
ing successful; but the men ac-
customed to tilling the soil look
ed the valley over, noted that
where cattlemen planted posts
for fences they had grown into
enormous trees noted the depth
of the soil and that it looked fer
tile and they took up homesteads
and made trial. The success of
these efforts was wonderful. We
rode up to the Gila Ranch, about
IA miles from Duncan, and were
the guests for two days of Man
ager Frank c. Houlihan and his
wife, and here was demonstrate
ed what intensive farming means
and what it will amount to.
This Gila ranch is a company
proposition, principally owned by
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, people, and
embraces 1000 acres, SIT of
which is under cultivation in one
body. This firm was originally
instituted by the Fraser brothers
and Albert Newhouse and F. L.
Diserens is president. 1t is
Watered by two bitches, an indie
pendent one and the Sunset ditch,
together carrying a little more
than l, 600 miners inches. The
water is taken from the Gila riv
er, the Sunset headgate being 3
miles up the river from the farm,
and from the intake there is a
ditch in solid rock for 1 1-2 miles.
The land slopes so gently that
oftimes it does not cost more
than $5 an acre to prepare it for
the water and crops; but in some
places there are hillocks which
must be leveled before the ener-
gizing fluid is turned on. This IS
one of the many ideal locations
for an irrigated farm; but there
is one fact that all farmers in the
arid regions are coming to recog-
nize, which is that all growth
having leaves must have water
on the foliage to make it's best
production, with the possible ex-
ception of fruit trees. However.
there is usually sufficient rainfall
to satisfy this need; so, with
plenty of water for irrigating the
roots, the yield is much greater
than in ordinary farming sections
where sole dependence is upon
rainfall. | saw an alfalfa field on
the Gila ranch, possibly embrac-
ing 100 acres, where last year
five crops averaged l 1-2 tons per
acre were cut, and it was all the
finest grade of properly cured
hay. AS this hay is in constant
demand at $40 per ton it is no
wonder that improved land is held
at from $100 to $3.50 per acre. On
the Gila ranch there is an orch
ard of 3 1-2 acres, in which are
raised peaches, pears, plums,
ounces, apricots. This orchard
is on the upland and apples only
thrive well on lowlands. A new