THE GILA VALLEY.

[By Hon. W. T. Webb, of Pima.]

What is commonly known as the "Middle Gila Valley" is located in the central part of Graham County, at an elevation of about 3,000 feet above sea level. It is something like 40 miles long and will average probably 10 miles in width; owing, however, to the lack of a requisite water supply, the area now under cultivation will not exceed an average of 2 miles in width by 40 miles in length.

The land is, generally speaking, a rich sandy loam, some of it, however, being mixed with more or less clay, which, under the almost magic touch of the industrious husbandman, becomes very productive, land which has been cultivated for more than twenty years yielding as abundantly to-day as in the beginning, and that, too, without the application of any fertilizer other than the sediment of the Gila River, which is washed out upon the land during high water, making it as rich and productive as the lands built up by the overflow of the historic Nile.

The above-named Gila River is the chief source of our water supply. It is a perpetual stream, impossible to drain for the reason that very much of its flow is under ground and, owing to the long continued irrigation of the adjacent lands, a large amount of water is constantly seeping into the channel from either side, and, as a result of these conditions, a few rods below a tight dam will be found a good running stream, some of the lower canals furnishing a larger and much more regular supply of water than those heading higher up the river.

There are now probably 28 canals conveying water from the Gila River to the lands in this valley and irrigating approximately 50,000 acres, for which they furnish an abundance of water for ten months in the year, a shortage sometimes occurring during parts of May, June, and July. These canals vary in size from 3 to 12 feet in width and from 2 to 15 miles in length, and are all owned and operated by farmers to whose lands the water is conveyed.

The principal crops of the Gila Valley are wheat, barley, and alfalfa, about 15,000 acres being devoted to each of the above-named products. Wheat is planted at any time between October and March and with from three to five irrigations can be harvested early in June, yielding about 35 bushels to the acre, and this finds a ready market at from $1.25 to $1.75 per hundred pounds. The planting season for barley is practically the same as wheat; it will, however, mature ten days to two weeks earlier, and therefore requires one irrigation less and makes an average yield of 45 bushels to the acre, selling readily at from $1 to $1.50 per hundred pounds.

Alfalfa is cut four and five times a year, and will probably average six tons to the acre each season, in addition to furnishing good pasture for stock during the winter months. It requires at least one good irrigation each time it is cut, and on some of the land even more than that. The thousands of tons of alfalfa grown in the valley find a ready market at from $6 to $10 per ton in the surrounding mining camps of Clifton, Morenci, Globe, Bisbee, and others.

There was approximately 5,000 acres planted to corn last season, much of this being on land from which a crop of wheat or barley had

already been harvested. Corn does well here, yielding from 50 to 60 bushels to the acre, the small amount planted being accounted for from the fact that June is the best month in which to plant corn; and it being the driest month in the year, it is difficult to secure sufficient water to keep the other crops growing and at the same time water any great amount of corn land; but whenever water can be secured a good crop of corn, cane, or beans can be readily grown upon the same land that has already produced a crop of wheat or barley.

The two-crop system does not seem to injure the land, for every year during the summer rains the river water carries large quantities of fertilizing materials which seemingly keep the land continually ren ewed, and should the ground show signs of wearing out in consequence of continual cropping, it can be entirely renewed in a very few years' time by planting it to alfalfa.

The fruit-growing industry is just in its infancy, very little having yet been attempted in that direction. Enough, however, has been done to establish the fact that apples, peaches, apricots, plums, and grapes of a very fine quality can be profitably grown for the market, there now being some few such orchards and vineyards on a good paying

basis.

Experiments have been made in sugar-beet culture which have resulted most satisfactory, showing that the soil is well adapted to their growth, both as to an abundant yield and richness in saccharine

matter.

There are in the Gila Valley approximately 100,000 acres of uncultivated land which would be nearly or quite as productive, could it be reclaimed, as any now being cultivated; this, however, can only be accomplished by the conservation of the flood waters which are now permitted to rush on unchecked to the ocean or by more fully developing the artesian water possibilities of the valley, either of which can be readily accomplished through governmental aid or the interesting of sufficient outside capital.

While it is quite generally believed that artesian water can be secured in any part of the valley, if sufficient depth be reached, still the fact remains that all the wells so far developed are confined to what is locally known as the artesian district, comprising a strip of country probably averaging 2 miles wide and 20 miles long and lying on the south side of the valley near the foothills of the Graham Mountains. There are now in this district about forty flowing wells. Most of them are small and without casing, and as nearly as can be determined, they have an average flow of about 75 gallons per minute; some few of the best, however, yielding more than double that amount.

At the present time there are probably 40 families residing in the artesian district, and, approximately, 400 acres of land are being cultivated, upon 250 acres of which corn is grown, alfalfa upon probably 70 acres, sweet potatoes upon 50 acres, and something like 25 acres are devoted to melon growing. The land is productive, and there seems to be no injurious effect to vegetation from the use of the well water. The average depth of the present wells is about 600 feet, the deepest one being something over 1,000 feet. In a few instances the volume of water has diminished since the wells were sunk; this, however, is attributed to the fact that such wells are not cased and are continually caving in more or less, the few wells that are cased the entire depth never having failed in the least.

There are several machines at work sinking other wells as rapidly as the limited means of the settlers will permit, and while the development of this district has not been quite as rapid as we hoped and expected when the fact was first established that artesian water could be secured, still its growth has been steady, and on the whole, quite satisfactory. Everything grown in the valley finds a ready market in the surrounding mining camps with which the Gila Valley Globe and Northern Railroad puts us in close touch.

The principal towns are Solomonville, the county seat; Safford, Thatcher, Central, Pima, Eden, and Fort Thomas, all of which are thriving, prosperous farming towns. The business blocks, residences, and farm houses are, generally speaking, commodious, substantial buildings constructed of well-burned brick.

IRRIGATION IN THE GILA VALLEY.

[By Hon. Andrew Kimball.]

The Gila Valley comprises the irrigated section of Graham County. There are ranches and farms, districts, villages; towns, and cities following down the fertile valley from the line separating Arizona and New Mexico until we pass by the San Carlos Reservation. That portion of the country to which we shall refer is the section most thickly populated. With the district above Duncan, 60 miles from Thatcher, where the waters of the Gila proper are taken upon the farms and ranches, and the lower district extending about 40 miles below Thatcher, a distance of fully 100 miles is covered; but that portion most settled extends from San Jose above Solomonville to Fort Thomas, a distance of 40 miles, and in this distance the valley will average a width of 10 miles.

The settlements and cultivated lands only skirt the river bank, so far as the land being under cultivation is concerned, there not being over one-third of the available land now under cultivation, nor can it be irrigated without water storage and government aid in constructing the main land canal.

Fully 4,000 people, embracing Mormons, Jews, and Gentiles, live happily together, forming a series of progressive and thriving settlements all the way from newly formed school districts to a city of 1,000 inhabitants.

Our irrigating system is peculiar to itself and our people. There are no monopolies or corporations, but the landowners own and utilize the water. Like the branches of a tree as they shoot out reaching heavenward, these canals leave the river and divert the valuable. fluid upon the thirsty desert. These canals vary from an individual farm ditch to canals carrying 3,000 miner's inches of water.

It was as far back as the seventies when a little band of Mexican colonists took out a ditch, which has since grown to be the main canal, claiming the priority and registered right of 1,000 miner's inches. At the head it handles fully 3,000 inches and tapers at its terminusa distance of about 14 miles to about 500 inches. The San Jose canal stands next to the Montezuma in priority, and has a recorded right of 1,500 inches. It takes its water from the river near the head of the valley above the Montezuma, and extends to a district between Solomonville and Safford. It was constructed by Mexican colonists in 1872. There is the Little San Jose also, but this is a small ditch.

The Central canal, now a strong contestant for priority, or against the two canals having a recorded right, is one of our oldest canals. It was begun by Messrs. Tuttle, Bailey, Gallespie, and Posogo way back in the early settlement of the valley by American colonists. The headwaters are opposite Safford and the canal ends at Pima, a distance of 10 miles. The capacity of this canal is fully 1,000 inches, but it runs full only in time of floods.

Union, or Mill ditch, was begun as early as 1878. A gristmill was constructed by Mr. L. M. Jacobs, the Tucson banker, and a mill race to carry water to and from the mill was the beginning of this canal. President C. Layton, of the "Mormon" colonists, bought the mill and canal, and by a cooperative effort upon the part of his fellow townsmen the canal was enlarged and the main line canal was constructed on to Thatcher as far back as 1885-86. This canal when filled with the flood waters carries fully 3,000 inches, and since it has been extended on to Pima covers a distance of 14 miles.

Remaining on the south side are still others, but we will mention only by name the Smithville, "Sunflower," at Safford; Nevada_and Dodge, near Matthewsville; Shilo, near that settlement above Fort Thomas; Low Vogal and Fort Thomas, near the old fort; and "Emery," below which carries water to a little Mormon settlement.

These canals vary in capacity from an irrigation stream to from 500 to 700 inches, all depending upon the supply of water. Some, however, get seepage water, and so long as water is used in the upper country they have a supply for their lands.

The Smithville was constructed by the first Mormon colonists that came to the Gila Valley. Mr. William Gallespie began construction as early as 1878, selling out to the Mormons. They constructed the canal in 1880-81, while they yet camped in their wagans, a small colony laboring under many privations and hardships during its construction. Its headwaters are opposite Thatcher, the canal terminating near Pima, a distance of 8 miles, and carries, when permitted to, 1,000 inches of water. On the north side, beginning at the narrows of the valley and extending to Eden, a distance of 30 miles, we have the Brown's ditch, Sanches' settlement, Michelana, Lee, Graham, Oregon, Bryce, Curtis, Kempton, and Saline. The Graham, Oregon, and Bryce are prominent, averaging in size and length with the medium-sized canals on the south, and making in all 24 canals and ditches--13 on the south and 10 on the north.

The Gila River is peculiarly a stream of its own kind. Nature has protected its valuable fluid from evaporation by allowing the water to run under ground for a considerable distance. Those unacquainted, while traveling along its banks above the settlements, could not be made to believe that it maintained 4,000 people, for in many places we cross dry shod. No one canal, however well constructed may be its dam, or sacred its priority, can keep other canals from having some water. Immediately below one another, as the water seeps back in the river the next dam catches a portion of the water and thus all get some. Were it not so, and should the courts sustain the priority claim of the first-named two canals, and these carriers take fully all they claim, the valley would be reduced to two or three settlements and correspondingly as many farms.

Kind thanks to our Divine Ruler, rain falls upon the just and the unjust, but at times it looks as though our beautiful fields and orchards would be reduced to a desert. Rains come in July and August, replenishing our streams and making happy the settlers. During this season the Gila becomes a torrent, many times carrying before its raging waters the many dams and head gates, and when the settlers could have water their means of handling it are washed away and their farms left dry.

What we need is water storage. The strong hand of our Government should come to our aid, and, through the Hansbrough-Newlands law, provide storage and construct the main line canal. We hope to see the day in the near future when by the aid of the reclamation fund Uncle Sam will complete this canal and store away in the high lands the water now permitted like golden dollars to roll by our doors unused.

THE MIDDLE GILA AND CASA GRANDE VALLEYS.

[By Mr. Charles D. Reppy, of Florence.]

On account of a distressing lack of water there has been no progress in agriculture in the middle Gila Valley. Under the Casa Grande Valley Canal, which is the only one in this portion of the valley, there are 25,000 acres of land claiming water rights. According to the books of the company there are this year but 4,813 acres being served with water, this being the smallest amount by several hundred acres ever cultivated since the canal was built.

This condition has been brought about by an almost entire failure of the water supply at the proper season and a consequent failure of crops. For seventeen weeks last summer there was not a drop of water in our canal, and this year it has been nearly as bad. The result has been that many of our best farmers have left the country, leaving their lands to revert to the desert. The construction of the San Carlos dam would be the means of supplying an abundance of water to this valley, and thus save the losses which are now being suffered by the farmers hereabouts.

EXTENT OF THE GILA VALLEY.

The Gila Valley extends from the Gila Canyon, near the junction of the San Pedro River, westerly to the east bank of the Colorado, a distance of slightly exceeding 250 miles. That portion of it situated in the county of Yuma, known as the Lower Gila Valley, is about 100 miles long and from 2 to 10 miles wide, all of which is susceptible of profitable cultivation. The river from which it takes its name cuts the valley in two. Its watershed extends some 30 miles north and upward of 50 miles south of its channel, the land from either extreme inclining more or less rapidly toward the stream. The Gila traverses a marvelously fertile country, very great in extent, and splendidly adapted to the cultivation of nearly all the products of the temperate and semitropical zones, besides many of the fruits common in the Tropics. Nor is it longer a matter of idle speculation, for flourishing ranches in many portions of the valley, drawing water from several important canals, amply demonstrate the magnificent results that will ensue should the water supply be rendered permanent, equable, and adequate through appropriate storage systems.