Bisbee daily review., 1915-11-21
Agriculture

ElNen DA luOhe WHO lllel NlCMtu ludt part of Arizona that is now Cochise county. Perhaps the desert could be used as a cattle range, but certainly ,lat expanse of mesquite, chaparral and cactus could never be utilized for anything else And SO the valleys Of Cochise county became a great, un- fenced range and SO most of it con tinued for many years.
 lt was noticed that each summer with the advent of the rains wild and in places rank vegetation would spring up. This was the first sug gestion of agricultural possibilities. But with free range for their cattle SO long as that range were deemed un- fit for agriculture it was but natural that the self interest of the cowman should discourage efforts at tilling the soil.
 San Pedro Comes First
 Along the banks Of the ever-flowing San Pedro river it was demonstrated that with irrigation agriculture was not only possible but successful and it was in the San Pedro valley that the first farming in Cochise county was undertaken. It was there too, that the first agricultural community was established. Hardy pioneers took up land a few miles from Ben son. industrious, hard-working. thrifty Mormons, and St. David Stake wes the settlement that resulted Here as in other parts of Arizona it was demon strated that there is to be found no class more successful in agriculture than these Mormon settlers
 Cause of Development
 It was not until the possibilities of dry or intensive farming had been demonstrated as success in other re- gions and come to general public at- tention that agricultural possibilities in Cochise county away from it's only irrigated valley, came to be seriously considered. Settlers commenced homesteading the valley lands and un- dertaking the raising of crops from the annual rainfall. It was speedily determined that with an ordinary rain fall, or with one in excess of the nor nal. excellent forage crops could be raised That when the rainfall was abnomally heavy vegetables, fruits and other crops coEld be raised. All that was necessary to make the valley lands produce was water. But rain fall varied Evaporation was very rapid far more SO than in most com munities where intensive farming had proved successful Then began the search for water which resulted in the discovery that in many sections na- ture had stored an abundant supply a little below the surface
 Auxiliary Irrigation
 Thus it happened that wells were dug and windmtlls installed to pump the water. Success in a small way from such ventures resulted in the digging of more wells and the in stallauon of small pumping plants Auxiliary irrigation applied to inten sive farming was the solution to the problem where water was close enough to the surface to warrant eco nomical pumping At the present time this is considered to be a lifN not 10 exceed 75 feet. This is the agricultural method now most sue cessfully employed in Cochise county except where artesian flows have beer discovered. It is true that some arc successful in farming with only the rainfall for irrigation, but where aux Hilary irrigation is undertaken the percentages of successes are mucl larger and those of failures mucl smaller.
 Examples Of Success.
 There have been those who locate, homesteads close to a mining or . smelling community, worked at time in the mines or at the smelters. ana at times on their homostcads. an, built for themselves happy homes an, secured prosperous ranches. Theu are others who by sheer pluck and in dustry forced the land to give then a living and managed to thus sccur ranch homes. But as a general proI osition it Is good advice to state tha if one has enough tO build @ home am outbuildings put down a well and ir stall a small pumping plant, dig a re. ervoir and keep himself and famn lOf the lIel year hlluoul rhpecldlo of return, if he be industrious an experienced. he will succeed in measure that will equal or eXcel hi expectations. Otherwise. long chance are being taken by the settler espl cially if he be inexperienced in Ar zona conditions.
 Possibilities Are Proven.
 Agriculture is proven possibilit in most sections Of Cochise count The ranch and the farm have come stay They dot an of the valleys am their number is rapidly increasing N longer is there an open range. m cattle are' forced back into the foo hills or to privately owned or lease lands. But it is only tbe beginnin Now tbe ranoher cannot supply h needs of the home markets of q county. Experience is teaching ar will teach the needed lessons and tl valley lands of Cochise county w raise and ship away annually the hundreds of thousands of dollars