The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-12-19
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 it 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, Ariz. As emergency agent, his
part in the program of work was to
stimulate fOec production in ella
county. He saw hundreds OF en-
ployees OF the Inspiration ConsoIIdat-
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 a great tract Of land which
needed only irrigation to make 1t suit
able for gardens. Here was 3 chance
to increase the nations food supply.
Mr.. Ssndfge put the case to the copper
company. The result was 1850 one
eighth=acFe gardens, which supplied
$4,000 worth of vegetables last year
and are expected nearly to double that
figure In 1913.
The gardeners are miners, smelter
men and millmen. They are a cos
mopolttan group Of many American
lied natiOnalities. Most of them have
never gardened before where it was
necessary to irrigate. In spite Of this
the crops from March 1 to December
L, 1918, promise to pass the $4,000
mark in value. More than $4,000
worth were accounted for by July 10.
AoIaF T6Sy IrrS61$a
A gardener requires about 80 min
utes to iirrigate his garden, and he can
easily do it before breakfast or when
he returns from work in the evening.
Gardens need irrigation once q week.
Water is pumped from deep wells and
carried to the gardens IN large pipe
lines, from which it 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
kfns, 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, 50 that when
the beans are gathered the melons viii
be ON the ground.
A f1eck 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.
It is not unusual to see q whole
family at work in the 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
denecs how TO plant, irrigate, cultivate
and spray their vegetables.
The management OF the gardens is
Ia the hands OF the employees COM
mittee Of the copper company, which
issues bzl1etiRs 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 |
a war gardeners market was built last |
year. In it all surplus products are