The Winslow mail., 1925-09-04
SANTA FE PAPER
HAS ARTICLE ON
IRRIGATION OF
HOLBROOK RANCH


Earth, the Santa Fe magazine, con
tains an article by M. j. Glossy
Santa Fe agent at Joseph City
The subject is the well-known Nc.
Laws ranch, three miles west o1
Holbrook, on the south side of the
Little Colorado river. Accompany.
ing the article are a number oi
half-tone engravings, showing the
remarkable results accomplished By
the owner in three short years OF
labor. This ranch was sold to DR.
S. Earl Taylor during this month
for approximately $4,000 and is
being operated under his direction
at the present time.
The article in The Earth indi-
Gates what can be done on what
is enormously termed the desert
country of Arizona, some of which
lies along the great Santa, Fe line.
BY the intelligent application of
water there is a vast empire that
can be brought to a high state OF
cultivation. That this very thing
will be done as development pro-
ceeds in the future is fact that
can not be questioned. The article
follows:
"Endeavering to secure first
hand information of typical
Arizona ranch in Navajo county, we
sought that of the McLaws, located
nine miles east of Joseph City and
three miles west of Holbrook. We
made a special trip to it and were
amazed by what we found. What
we saw proves what can be accom-
plished on Arizona desert land
through the agency of an irriga-
tion project back up with the de-
ermination and perseverance of a
man who recognizes no quitting
time. We found the owner, John
w. McLaws, submerged in work,
the results of his accomplishments
going to show that in the short
space of seven years he has trans
formed desert land, covered with
Sagebrush, cactus and rabbit brush,
into wonderful garden spot pro-
ducing or capable of producing
most any kind of grains, fruits,
vegetables and alfalfa.
''Mr. McLaws was found putting
the finishing touches to new
stone milk house, required to ac-
commodate the rapidly increasing
dairy business, which is only one
of the many features of this desert
ranch. At present the McLaWs
cannot supply the demand for dairy
products.
"The new milk house is two
stories high, built from rock OBJ
tanned on the ranch, with solid
rock floor and will be equipped
with all the latest conveniences for
rapid handling of dairy products.
The entire output of the McLaws
dairy is consumed in Holbrook,
the heavy users being restaurants.
"The sight that attracted our
keenest interest was the irrigation
project that furnishes pure water to
his lands, through single unit of
distribution, to all points that
need it.
"The source of supply is 65-
foot we'll drilled through solid
rock for the entire distance, fur
nishing an unlimited supply of gov
ernment tested water showing 81
per cent pure and per cent EPSON
salts. Mr.. McLaws has blasted
out a cistern and here the water
reaches to within ten feet of the
surface. From this accumulation
of water he has attached his
pumping plant, a centrifugal pump,
delivering 1000 gallons of water
per minute to the head of the irri-
cation canal, Or ditch, as it is some
times called.
1.-THE power is furnished by a
thirty-horsepower Stover gas en-
gine. Besides the irrigation water
required, arrangements have been
provided whereby the house, sta
bles, and other outbuildings are
supplied with plenty of water.
Though Mr.. McLaws has run this
pump for many hours at a time,
during heavy irrigation periods, he
has been able to lower the well
only about two feet, showing that
the source of supply is practically
unlimited.
"Mr. McLaws has only fifty-two
acres of alfalfa but already he has
removed two cuttings, which filled
his barns besides a large stack
outside. He expects to get five
cuttings during the season, which
he intends curing and putting iT
stacks near the barn for winter
feeding of his milk cows, horses
and other stock. He has a young
coming orchard with prospects fol
a good crop about next year, wher
the trees will be old enough tC
bear.
Some of the crops Mr.. McLaws
has grown successfully upon his
desert ranch are potatoes, onions
lettuce, cabbage, beans, tomatoes
squash, currants, gooseberries, ber.
ries of different kinds, watermelOns
cantaloupes, sugar corn and pea
nuts.
1.-THE McLaWs home is commo
dius structure, built of stone quar-
ried near by. The walls OF thu
house are twenty inches thick, max
ing it warm in winter and cool il
summer The outside is vine GOV
cred, and something that attract
the eye instantly is the profusiOl
of climbing roses partly covering it
H. III