Williams news., 1914-03-26
Coconino's Agricultural Possi-
 bilities


 have long been the sources of wealth in northern Arizona, graz ing and lumber being the chief sources of wealth for CoconinO county in particular. From these the bulk of sparce population here has long secured a comfort able living while favored few have amassed a great wealth. Due to the mountainous and ele- vated condition of much of the country these are likely to remain the chief sources of income for some time to come some say always. However that may be, it is becoming quite apparent of late that agriculture is soon to assume d great deal more importance as an industry in this county than heretofore. In last weeks News occurred news article amour cing I -" that some six thousand acres in the national f rests in Ariz"na Were ,non to be opened to entry under ne homestead law. It is antici- Jated that the number of home Steaders will increase still further during the next few yeals. It is the intent of many of the new homesteaders to give farming 8 thorough tryout in this country.
 | However, as yet, Coco nine county's agricultural possibilities are practically an unknown quan- tity In a very small way the
 oil has been tested out and witt remarkable degree of success
 put as yet these tests have been on
 uch an extremely small scale and
 ave been so partial in nearly al
 ases, that any estimate of the real possibilities of the country can be
 % more than a conjecture. So fal
 he News is able to learn, all ot
 h SC ranchers who have given tht
 ountry anything like a fair test agriculturally, are quite enthus lastic over the results.
 Two important factors are un leniably favorable to agriculture in many localities. These are tht C soil-rich and teep-and the ab sence of weeds. The rainfall, too is sufficient for farming, but fall hiefly in tw, seasons; the first SC early in the wiLter and the secono so late in the summer, that dry farming is rendered essential fo | successful crop raising. In add : ition to the unseasonableness of tn, , rainfall the two chief remainin. handicaps to successful agric,lltur' 2 here, are the high altitude ant
 old nights. The altitude is tot
 nigh for many crops, and the cool
 ness of the nights in spite of u bountiful heat of the days, retard
 the growth of many crops, such 8
 corn.
 On, a small scale, the obstacle
 to farming have already been over come by number of ranchers, al
 previously intimated. All kinds o
 reen garden sluffs have beer
 raised with marked success, cat
 md kind of corn particuiarl,
 dapted to such a climate hav'
 cen successfully grown and rip
 ned. Many other grains, such a
 wheat, we are informed, fail t.
 ripen propt rly. Alfalfa cannot b
 said to have given fair trial here
 cut it has been grown with con is siderable success by a few. Corr L of type not specially fl ted to tn D country has been grown to the ex 10 tent O1 making ten 10 fifteen ton : of green fodder to the acre, bu e was frosted before it ripened.
 's It would seem that there can b ss no doubt tat with dry farmin a methods, abundant feed, silage il
 articular, might be raised t
 make paying business of dairy . ing for markets other than tn l local market, and stock feeding
 It remains for the new homestead V CTS to join in with those alread J testing out the D. ssibilities of tn = country here for farming, and lear
 just what sort of farming will pa,
 best. The prospect is certainl, er promising enough to be worth ,e fair trial ny young men who desir