Arizona republican., 1917-03-04
With The Farmers Of The
 Salt River Valley

At the new experiment station near Mesa, considerable progress is being made, and there are many things be- ing done which are of interest to the farmers of the valley. Fences are being built. roadsldes cleaned up, and the general appearance much improved. The principal work of the station so far has been in the eN- termination of Johnson Grass. While results seem to justify certain con clrsions the station officials have not thought fit yet 10 publish the complete results p-efeTrins t. wat until the conclusions now indicated, are well established.
 Several methods have been adopted for exterminating this weed pest. One is the old method of summer following, another is close grazing with sheep, and the third is inten sive cultivation. On one 20-acre section of the farm. no attempt has been made to raise any crop. The ground has been repeatedly ploNed and narrowed, and water kept off, The effort always being to prevent the growth Of the grass After more than a year of this treatment. it does not appear that the grass is killed. although Of course it IS much less in evidence than it was at the begin ming.
 The sheep grazing seems to have been somewhat more effective just how effective it is too early to say but probably there is less of tho Johnson grass where .he sheep were graZed than where it was summer falloWed
 One field was planted to cotton. So badly infested was this field, and fnr hnr alE fl1s, ground could not be put in share capped at the start by being two weeks late There were other diff cuities which the farm had to con tend with which the ordinary farms would not, which made the cost of production higher. but the wOrl of cultivation and hand hoeing was con stant so that the Johnson grass never had start. To keep it in check required an extraordinary amount of labor as may be imagined but at the end of the season. with frost catching a considerable mum Der of unopened bolls. there was after the cotton was ginned a bal ance on the right side of the ledger This seems to justify a conclusion that cultivation is the cheapest meth cd of eTadicating Johnson grass anC palticularly since blowing in this now shows no signs of Johnson gras; roots. The station officials however are not willing to say positively tha' this is the best method, but do say that results so far seem to indicate that it is.
 This year the cotton field will b, planted to Tepary beans and thes' harvested and the ground planted tt corn. and another field which hat some preliminary work last see son by being planted 10 corn. will be pu in cotton, and the experiment con tinued. If little or no Johnson gras appears in the field that was in cot ton this past season it will be re sarded as pretty conclusive proc that intensive culth ation, which vii produce crop that will play for tn lafor. is better than summer fallow ing which costs S25 or more to tn acre, and returns nothing al all.
 Some gardening is being done Lettuce is being experimented wit to a considerable extent. Fifty-si, varieties and strains of lettuce ar. being grown. Most of these made fairly good stand, but two varieties seem now to re better adapted t, growing lettuce for market than an