Arizona republican., 1922-05-28
T en- Rich Acres Of
Salt River Valley Soil
And - independence

ager of the United Produce Growers
association, the markets of the Unit
ed States are moving westward,
hence shippers of produce from the
West TO the East, find their markets
coming nearer. AS an illustration Mr.
Thompson says: Ten years ago
there were 30 cities in the United
States taking Salt River valley can
taloupes in carload lots. Last year
carload shipments were made to 253
cities of the United States. eight in
Canada and one in Cuba.
Crops That Pay
Spinach has yielded at the rate of
200 bushels to the acre. and accord
ing to Mr.. Thompson has netted him
$500 an acre. 1t is planted here from
September to March and begins to
mature in December. The principal
variety raised is the prickly seeded.
Winter spinach has been shipped to
eastern markets in small quantities,
and as 1T arrives at time when
these markets have nothing of this
kind, it appears that this is a crop
that will soon be shipped out in car
load quantities.
Asparagus natures for cutting in
March. Trial shipments to eastern
markets have sold for s6 a pound.
OF course such prices are not to be
expected, but indicates only that at
the time our asparagus is ready for
cutting, eastern markets are not sup
piled from other sources. Asparagus
sells on the local market for from 6
cents to % cents pound, and returns
per acre are the highest of any truck
crop grown in the Salt River valley.
Cabbage, tomatoes, cauliflower and
peppers are grown to supply local
markets and there seems to be good
reason to believe that they can be
shipped out in carload lots with good
profits
Lettuce has been grown in the Salt
River valley for several years. This
crop is planted early in the fall, usu-
ally in September, and natures from
November to April. The New York
market is the variety that is grown
here most extensively. producing
splendid heads that are fine for ship
ping. Salt River valley lettuce has
quality that soon creates a demand
wherever it is offered. Lettuce from
this section arrives at the eastern
markets at a time when lettuce is
scarce and high, hence growers re-
ceiye good returns. On the farm of
Z. Z. Jack, president of the Alhambra
farm bureau a tenant this past sea-
son cleared $500 an acre from 20
acre field after paying all expenses of
freight and commission. AS to the
quality of the Salt River valley let
tuce. it need only be mentioned that
the Harvey System has for several
years used the lettuce from this val
ley during the season that it can be
obtained. in all its various houses
over the western division.
Cantaloupes are said to have made
the highest returns to the acre aver
aging a period of five years of any
crop grown in the Salt River valley.
The main crop is planted in March
and shipments begin the latter part
of June or early in July. This is a
highly specialized crop that requires
skill and experience but nothing but
what one with ordinary intelligence
and skill may accomplish. The acre
age for 1922 is more than 4,500 acres.
Intensive farming is not a new
venture in the Salt River valley by
any means. For many years there
have been some so-called small farm
ers who have on small acreage done
farbetter than many others with large
farms. Some Of these people who
have made successes on a small area
have been men who lacked capital for
larger enterprises, and some nave
been men with vision of the wonder
full opportunities for small farms and
a genuine love for intensive Farming.
Some Who Made Good
We are going to mention Just
few of those who have made good on
small farms: Some 10 or II years
ago f. Draper settled on 1o-acre
farm near Glendale. He has special |
lied on small fruits, principally |
and in bees and poultry |
Mr.. Draper has paid for his place, |
raised and educated his children and
himself with the comforts |
of life
Hugh III. Hackett has specialized in !
the growing of truck crops. He finds !
that five to 10 acres is sufficient land /
for this purpose While at one time /
and another he has grown a great va
riety of vegetables and crops COM |
monty grown here. he now confines |
his activities pretty closely to the /
growing of a few special varieties |
such as tomatoes and sweet potatoes. |
H. d. Reed of Mesa found himself /
in debt from raising cotton on rented |
land. Instead Of repudiating his debts |
he decided to work his way out. He |
rented more land and planted cab I
bage and some other crops such as |
and sweet potatoes. By |
mid summer he had paid for previous
years Indebtedness and had nice |
start toward financing the next years |
activities, with considerable acre
age of sweet potatoes yet to harvest.
Mr.. Reed has taken an option on |
the land that he farmed. and in fu- |
ture will confine his activities to /
small acreages and special crops.
c. D. Bowller, who has a 10-acre |
farm south Of Phoenix, was also once
a renter, but he found that the small |
flock of poultry that his wife looked
after was paying better for the time
hat was required to look after it