The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-12-12
Americas Largest War Garden
Tucked Away in Mountain
Regions Of Arizona.
DREAM OF 4 COUNTY AGENT
Employees es Large Mining Company.
Formerly Dependent On cannsd
ooods, New Aavs Fertlto Oar.
deas of Thelr Own.

Would you expect to flnd Americas
largest war garden tucked away 10 the
mountains Of Arizona, ut an altitude
Of $3.50 feet3 There 1t lies In fertile
expanse, dependent upon irrigation for
every drop which waters Its soil.
This garden Is the realized dream OF
County Agent J. R. Sandige Of ella
county, Aris. AZ emergency agent. his
part In the program Of work was to
stimulate foOf production In 0fla
county. He saw hundreds Of en-
ployees Of tho Inspiration Ccosoiidat-
ed Copper company. In Miami. Arix..
dependent upon canned goods for food
because they could not raise fresh
vegetables In the arid sodl Of Miami.
He saw also great tract of land which
needed only irrigation 10 make 1t suit
able for gardens. Here was . chance
to Increase the natiou's food supply.
Mr.. ,Sandige put the casa to the copper
company. .Ths result was 1850 one
eIghth-acre gardens, which supplied
$4,000 worth Of vegetables last year
and are expected nearly to double that
figure in 1913.
The gardeners are miners. smeater
men and millmen. They are COS
mopolitan group Of many American
lied nationalities. Most Of them have
never gardened before where 1t was
necessary to irrlgate. In spite Of this
the crops from March to December
1, 1918, promise to pass the $4,000
mark in value. More than $4,000
worth were accounted for BY July 10.
How They irrIsats.
A gardener requires about so min
utes to irrigate his garden, and he can
easily do 1t before breakfast or when
he returns from work In the evening.
Gardens need irrigation once a week.
Water is pumped from deep wells and
carried to the gardens in large pipe
lines. from which 1t Is distributed to
the Individual plots by means Of head
gates and check gates.
Preference Is given to necessary
vegetables, such as potatoes. beans,
meas. sweet corn, cabbage and toma-
toes, while space not occupied BY these
is given to melons, sQuashes. pump
kins, peppers, peanuts and other less
essential crops.
The double crop system II used. %
tint there is something on the ground
all the time. For example, melons are
planted among the beans, 20 that when
the beans are gathered the melons Will
be on the ground.
A flock of hens for the miners back
ward is encouraged to help utilize the
waste from the gardens, such as tops
of beets, radishes and cabbage leaves.
Gardens for Whole Families.
1t is not unusual to see whole
family at work In tho garden. the little
children almost hidden In the luxuri-
ant growth of vegetables. The county
agent or an assistant visits the gar
dens frequently and shows the gar
deners how to plant, irrigate. cultivate
and spray their vegetables.
The management Of the gardens ID
in the hands Of the employees com
mlttee of the copper company. wnicn
issues bulletins Of directions Tor tne
use of the gardeners. Ground. seeo'
water and spraying materials are fur-
nished free by the company, as Is also
protection for the products. Marker
ing and canning and drying faciiities
are likewise free to ALL
Through the county agents enorts
war gardeners market was built last
year. In it all surplus products are