The Elbert County tribune., 1918-12-13
USE IRRIGATION
TO RAISE FOOD
AMERICAS Largest War Garden
Tucked Away in Mountain
Regions of Arizona.
DREAM OF A COUNTY AGENT
Employees Of Large Mining Company,
Formerly Dependent on Canned
Goods, Now Have Fertile Gar
dens OF Their Own.


Would you expect to find Americas
largest war garden tucked away In the
mountains of Arizona, at an altitude
of $3.50 feet? 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. II. Sandige of ella
county, Arlz. AS emergency agent, his
part In the program of work was to
stimulate fooc production In Gila
county. He saw hundreds of EN-
ployees of the Inspiration Consolidat-
ed Copper company, in Miami, Ariz..
dependent upon canned goods for food
because they could not raise fresh
vegetables In the arid soil of Miami
He saw also great tract of land which
needed only irrigation to make 1t suit
able for gardens. Here was a chance
to increase the nations food supply.
Mr.. Sandige put the case to the copper
company. The 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 1918.
The gardeners are miners, Emelter
men and millmen. They are a cos
mopolitan group of many American
lied nationalties. Most of theIn have
never gardened before where 1t was
necessary TO irrigate. In spite of this
the crops from March ! to December
l, 1913, promise to pass the $4,000
mark in value. More than S27, 600
worth were accounted for by July 10.
How They Irrigate.
A gardener requires about 30 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 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,
peas. 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 is used. so
that there is something on the ground
all the time. For example, melons are
planted among the beans, so that when
the beans are gathered the melons will
be on the ground.
A flock OF hens for the miners back
yard 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 is
In the hands of the employees COM
mittee of the copper company, which
issues bulletins of directions for the
use of the gardeners. Ground. seed,
water and spraying materials are fur
nished free by the company. as is also
protection for the products. Market
ing and canning and drying facilities
are likewise free to all.
Through the county agents efforts
war gardeners market was built last
'car. In It oil surplus products are