USA > Arizona > The resources of Arizona; a description of its mineral, farming, grazing and timber lands; its rivers, mountains, valleys and plains; its cities, towns and mining camps; its climate and productions; with brief sketches of its early history etc > Part 19
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The Sonoita is a tributary of the Santa Cruz, which it joins near Calabasas. It is about sixty-five miles southeast of Tuc- son, and is one of the most productive spots in the southern por- tion of the Territory. From old Fort Buchanan to the Santa Cruz is nearly thirty miles, and settlements have been made wherever water can be had, the entire distance. The valley is narrow, but the soil is a heavy rich mold, which yields fine crops of corn, wheat, barley and vegetables. Fruit is also cultivated in considerable quantities. At the breaking out of the civil war when a garrison was maintained at Buchanan, this valley was under a high state of productiveness.
But when the troops were withdrawn the Apache came down from his strongholds and the Sonoita was swept by fire and drenched with blood. Nearly half the settlers were murdered, and the rest fled for their lives. The savages burned and destroyed everything. Sonoita is the dark and bloody ground
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of Arizona, and the graves of its pioneers mark the hillsides from one end of it to the other. The valley of the Arivaca, - near the Sonora line, contains some good land estimated at 10,000 acres. It is claimed under a grant, thus keeping out actual settlers, and is at present utilized for grazing purposes.
Although Cochise county has been looked upon as a mining and grazing region, it contains large bodies of fine farming lands nearly all being unoccupied. The class of immigration which has filled up this portion of the Territory during the past four years were attracted by its marvelous mineral wealth, and have almost overlooked all else in their eager search for the hidden treasures. Yet, along the San Pedro and in the Sulphur Spring valley, there are large tracts of good land. The soil is exceed- ingly fertile, producing, with proper cultivation, large crops of everything grown in the Territory.
At St. Davids, some ten miles above the railroad station of Benson, a Mormon colony have established themselves, and already reclaimed a large body of land. They have built pleasant homes, raise good crops of corn, wheat, barley and vegetables. Experiments with the vine and other varieties of fruit has proved that the soil and climate is well-adapted for the successful prosecution of the industry. Small farms are cul- tivated in this colony, and every drop of water utilized.
That portion of the San Pedro, north of the railroad, which is included within the boundaries of Cochise, has been farmed suc- cessfully for nearly twenty-five years. This settlement known as Tres Alamos (Three Cottonwoods), has several fine farms which yield good crops of grain, fruits, and vegetables. The corn grown here is said to be the finest in Arizona, and the fruits are especially rich and luscious. Alfalfa and other grasses yield large returns. Several canals have been taken from the San Pedro which supplies the settlement with water. The volume of the stream is not large, and the area of land along its banks, which can be brought under cultivation, will always be limited.
The Sulphur Spring valley, which extends through the eastern portion of the county, contains 15,000 acres of good land, which can be made productive. This great valley, which is nearly 100 miles in length, and fifteen miles in width, drains an immense area of country. Over nearly its entire length, and within a few miles of each other, springs are found, and by sinking a few feet the underground river is tapped, and an abundant water supply secured. Although the valley is at present devoted principally to stock raising, its agricultural capa- bilities are gradually beginning to be understood, and several farms are already under cultivation. There are large tracts where no irrigation is required, the moisture from the water below being sufficient to insure a crop. Corn, wheat, barley, alfalfa, and all kinds of vegetables are now grown, the yield being
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THE RESOURCES OF ARIZONA.
large, and the quality being equal to any in Arizona. There is hardly a doubt that flowing wells will yet be had in this valley, and at no great distance from the surface. Windmills can also be utilized for gardens and orchards. There is abundance of water just below the surface, and the industry and ingenuity of man will yet force its clear and sparkling currents to the sun- light, and make of the Sulphur Spring valley one of the most productive spots in the Territory.
The San Simon valley, which runs paralelled to the Sulphur Spring, and is separated from it by the Chiricahua range, contains at least 15,000 acres that can be cultivated. The soil is rich, and · will grow anything planted in it. In the center of the valley, a short distance below the surface, the Rio del Sur flows on its . way to the Gila. This stream forms several springs in its course, and an abundant supply can be had by sinking from three to ten feet. Some twenty farms have been taken up, and the yield of cereals and vegetables is something phenomenal. Running into this valley from the eastern slope of the Chiri- cuhuas are several mountain streams, with small but exceedingly rich stretches of land, which will yet be the sites of many happy homes. On the Babacomari, a tributary of the San Pedro, which drains the northern slopes of the Huachuca mountains there are several fine farms, on which good crops of grain and vegetables are grown every year. The acreage under cultivation in Cochise is put at 5,000. There is no better market in the Territory. Hay, grain, and all farm products bring a ready sale in Tombstone and adjacent camps. Corn and barley bring from one and a half to two cents per pound, and everything else at like rates.
Yuma county contains some of the richest lands within the limits of Arizona Territory, a very small fraction of which are under cultivation. The Colorado of the West, which washes the western border of the county, forms some large and fertile val- leys. The lower Gila is bordered by large tracts of rich bottom lands, with abundance of water to irrigate the same, at nearly all seasons. The total area of irrigable lands on the Gila and Colorado, within the borders of the county, has never been cor- rectly estimated, but it is safe to say that it will not fall short of 200,000 acres. The valley of the Colorado, like that of the Nile, is subject to annual overflows, and has been enriched by the de- posits carried down by the stream for ages. Under its semi- tropic sun vegetation is very rapid. Weeds, grasses and wild plants reach an amazing height within a short time after the waters recede.
After the overflow the Indians, who cultivate a few patches along the stream, dig shallow holes with a sharp-pointed stick in the rich soil, and drop the seed. Although no attempt is made at cultivation, the growth is something marvelous, and in less than three months, corn and vegetables have fully ripened.
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AGRICULTURE.
No better soil for cotton, rice, sugar, tobacco and hemp, can be found on the continent. The latter fibre is found growing in large quantities in a wild state below Yuma and along the Gulf. The orange, lemon, olive, pineapple, grape, fig, almond, peach, pomegranate, and every other fruit grown in the tropic or semi- tropic zone, are at home in the valley of the Colorado.
This large body of land, whose marvelously rich soil is the wonder of all who have examined it, remains unreclaimed. The cost of erecting suitable levees to prevent the sudden overflow, and the difficulties in opening canals, are the obstacles which stand in the way. To the poor immigrant these are unsurmount- able barriers. Capital alone can make the great valley produc- tive. The late Thomas Blythe, of San Francisco, expended large sums in this direction, and made many experiments on the capabilities of the soil. Opposite Ehrenberg, he constructed a wide canal, and was almost ready to begin planting when his sudden death brought the enterprise to an ending. He also es- tablished a colony at Lerdo, below Yuma, and within the line of Sonora. This was to become a great cotton, sugar, tobacco and hemp-growing region, and no doubt a brilliant success would have crowned the efforts of the projector, had he lived to carry out his plans.
There is a grand opportunity for capital in the Colorado val- ley. The rich lands are open for pre-emption, and experiments have shown that the staples we have mentioned, and all tropic fruits, can be grown here, which in quality and quantity, will compare with any portion of the Union.
Between the junction of the Colorado and the Gila there is a body of fertile bottom-land, estimated at 25,000 acres, open for settlement. Canals can be constructed from the Gila, at a mod- erate cost, and most of this land brought under cultivation. About 1,000 acres of this tract was reclaimed some years ago, - and it is stated the largest crops of grain ever grown in the Territory were raised here.
The agricultural resources of Mohave county are limited to those lying along its western border, in the valley of the Colorado, but the great river in its course to the Gulf does not form such wide stretches of bottom-land in this county, as in Yuma. The soil is identical in both, and the difficulties to · be overcome in reclaiming it, the same. Save a few patches where the Mohave Indians raise corn, melons and pumpkins, the land remains as nature left it. On the Big Sandy, a tributary of the Colorado, there are about 1000 acres in corn, barley alfalfa and vegetables. There are several thousand acres of fine land on this stream and on Williams Fork, but scarcity of water prevents its cultivation.
In Gila county, the area of agricultural land is not large. The county is mostly a mining and grazing region. Yet, along the
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THE RESOURCES OF ARIZONA.
Salt river and its tributaries, above the cañon, and on the small streams that flow down from the Matatzals and the Sierra Ancha, there are several thousand acres with a sufficient water supply, well-adapted to the growth of cereals, fruits and veget- ables. The Gila in its course through this county, forms some very fine valleys, but nearly all of them are included in the San Carlos Indian reservation. There are at least 5,000 acres on the Salt river, of which only about 1,500 are now being culti- vated. There is plenty of water and the lands are among the richest in the Territory, their cquable climate and sheltered situation being exceptionally favorable to the raising of grapes and all other fruits.
Along Tonto creek many small farms have been brought under cultivation, and a fine quality of grapes, peaches, pears and apricots are produced. On Pine, Wild Rye and other streams which make into the Salt from the north, are many acres of alluvial bottom-land now lying idle. The projected Mineral Belt railroad, which will pass through this region, will open a permanent and profitable market for its agricultural productions. At present there are about 2,000 acres under cultivation in Gila county, which will yet be increased five-fold.
Apache county has a good body of farming land along the valley of the Colorado Chiquito and the numerous tributaries which flow into it. In the Mogollon and Sierra Blanca ranges, which traverse this county, there are many beautiful glens and mountain glades, well adapted to the cultivation of grain and vegetables. Nearly all the available land along the Little Colorado, and many of the streams that flow into it, have been secured by Mormon colonists. From Springerville to Brigham City the valley has been brought under cultivation wherever water can be obtained. Dams have been erected, and several canals constructed, and a great deal of labor expended in bring- ing the land under cultivation.
Under the co-operative system of labor adopted by the Mor- mon church, a great many obstacles were overcome, and a large area has been brought under cultivation. Good crops of corn, wheat, barley, alfalfa and vegetables are raised. Attempts at fruit culture are meeting with marked success, and many farm- ers are putting out vineyards and orchards. A flour mill is in operation at St. Johns, and will turn out this year over a quar- ter of a million pounds. On Silver creek, the Nutriosa and other tributaries of the Little Colorado, there is some rich bot- tom-land, a large portion of it being under cultivation. There is little vacant land in Apache upon which water can be got, nearly all the desirable locations having been taken up by the Mor- mon colonists, and the desirable farming lands of the county are rapidly passing into their hands. As near as can be ascertained, the number of acres under cultivation in Arizona at the present time is as follows:
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Maricopa county.
30,000 acres.
Pinal
6,000
Graham
6,000
Yavapai
6,500
Yuma
2,000
Mohave
=
1,500
Cochise
4,000
Gila
2,000
Pima
3,000
Apache
7,000
Making a total of. 68,000 acres.
To this should be added some 4,000 acres tilled by the Pimas, Maricopas, Papagos, Moquis, Ave Supies and San Carlos Apa- ches. Along the valleys of the Gila and Salt there are at least 500,000 acres, with a sufficient water supply to make them as productive as any portion of the Union. Of this vast tract only a little over 40,000 acres, or one-twelfth, are now under cultiva- tion. To bring every acre of this land under tillage requires but the construction of irrigating canals, and a careful, judicious and economical use of water.
With a water system as perfect as that which has made the plains of Lombardy and Castile, among the most fruitful spots of earth, the valleys of the Salt and the Gila will yet support as dense a population as any like area on the globe. The large tracts now held by individuals will be subdivided, small farms will be brought under a high state of cultivation, and where one family finds a home to-day, twenty will abide ten years hence. There is no soil more prolific, no climate more genial, and such a region is again destined to be the home of tecming thousands.
The conditions which the immigrant to this Territory must meet are here stated. We have given the facts and exaggerated in nothing. We have shown the mode of tillage and the gener- ous returns which will crown his labors. If he elects to choose some of these valleys for his future home, he will receive a hearty welcome and generous assistance from those already here; he will find a soil whose fatness equals the Delta of old Nile; he will find sunny skies, and a climate unsurpassed for healthfulness. The agricultural possibilities of the Ter- ritory are at last beginning to be understood, and a few short years will transform many a dreary waste into fields of verdure adorned by many a happy home.
GRAZING.
Advantages of Arizona as a Stock Country-The Native Grasses and their Fattening Qualities-The Water Supply-Number of Cattle the Country can Sup- port-Markets and Profits of the Business-The Yearly Increase- Prices of Cattle and Beef-The Ranges in the several Counties-Number of Cattle in the Territory- Breeding of Horses - Wool - growing, Number of Sheep, Profits, etc., etc.
HE pastoral life is natural to man, and in all ages, and among all peoples it has had a fascination which no other occupation possesses. It is one which does not require much manual labor, which yields large returns, and which offers an existence free from the cares, vexations and perplexities that attend nearly every other calling.
Of late years the western continent has become the grand grazing ground of the world. The' vast plains of North and South America have been covered with millions of horned cattle and sheep. The toiling masses in the busy hive of European industry now depend on the New World for their supply of cheap, wholesome meat; and the shipping of beef from the United States to England and continental countries has already assumed vast proportions, and is rapidly increasing. So long as man remains a carniverous animal, so long will a pastoral life be not only a pleasant but a profitable one. The millions who turn the wheels of human industry must be fed, and to the western hemisphere must they hereafter look for their beef, pork and mutton. Europe has long since ceased to supply one-half of the demand.
The crowding mass of humanity, in their fierce struggle for bread, have long since occupied nearly all the grazing grounds, and the raising and fattening of cattle in private enclosures is an expensive business. So to the great West must Britain hereafter look for the roast beef of old England. And not only Europe, but the millions along the Atlantic seaboard, and in the great Mississippi valley. There, as in the older conti- nent, the farmer has crowded out the stock-grower, and the ranges which were once covered by immense herds are now fertile fields, dotted with pleasant homes. Year by year the
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GRAZING.
stockman is being forced back, and the farmer sets his stakes, rears his humble home, and turns into a fruitful field the virgin soil.
While other western states and territories boast of their graz- ing resources, their rich grasses, salubrious climate and pure water, Arizona possesses more natural advantages for stock- growing, and offers more inducements to those who wish to en- gage in it, than any portion of the United States. Her ranges are of vast extent. Of the 114,000 square miles which consti- tute her area it is safe to say that 60,000, or more than one-half, are excellent grazing lands. From the borders of Utah to the boundary of Sonora, and from the line of New Mexico almost to the Colorado, Arizona is one vast grazing ground. Except a strip of country along the Great river, and a portion of that region north of the Little Colorado, there is no part of the Ter- ritory without a growth of grass. Valley, plain, mountain and mesa are alike carpeted with the rich, sweet and succulent grasses peculiar to this Territory. Black and white gramma, bunch and mesquite grasses are the principal varieties. On the Colorado plateau they attain a strong and vigorous growth. After the summer rains-which usually begin in July and end in August-valley, plain and hillside is a rolling sea of living green. The grass shoots up with wonderful luxuriance, and myriads of wild flowers lend a charm to the landscape.
Cattle roam where they list, and revel in the green and bound- less pastures which surround them on every side. The fatten- ing qualities of the Arizona grasses almost passes beyond belief. When green the gramma is exceedingly sweet, juicy and nu- tritious, and when dry seems to lose none of these qualities. The curing process is a trick of Nature's handiwork, and is as perfect as if done by the labor of man. No cultivated hay re- tains the rich and juicy qualities of gramma dried and cured by the sun. Cattle like it as well in winter as in summer, and keep fat on it one season as well as another.
This grass is found growing from one end of Arizona to the other, and is the principal food for cattle in the Territory. The quality of beef made from it is unequaled for tenderness, flavor, and juiciness. No such meat is raised anywhere in the United States, and travelers are enthusiastic when discussing a juicy steak or a tender roast grown on the native grasses of Ari- zona. No better article, even though stall-fed, is found in the eastern markets, and John Bull has a treat in store when he smacks his lips over a round of Arizona beef. On this grass stock feed the season round, roaming o'er hill valley, and plain, and keeping in prime condition every month of the year. Here the climate is most favorable for the stock-raiser's calling. No blinding snowstorms, no Texas northers, no intense cold robs him of half his profits, and sometimes in a night destroys his entire herd. Here he does not incur the heavy expense of build-
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THE RESOURCES OF ARIZONA.
ing corrals and barns to shelter his stock from the snows and biting winds of the winter months. Here he is not compelled to put up large quantities of feed to keep his stock during that period. Here he runs scarcely one of the many risks that attend the stockman's calling in less favored lands. Here the climate is almost perpetual spring, and even in the dryest season the feed never fails, and the owner can sit under the shade of his comfortable hacienda and sec his herds thrive and increase win- ter and summer.
Arizona has been well called the stock-grower's paradise, and there is no region in the United States that better deserves the name. There is no country where the labor and expense is so light, or where the profits are so high; there is no country where the percentage of loss is so small, or where the percentage of in- crease is greater, and there is none where a fortune can be more quickly realized.
The water supply is ample. Thus far the cattle-man has de- pended upon streams and living springs. In the immense dry val- leys, covered with rich grasses, which occur in all parts of the Terri- tory, scarcely an effort has been made to obtain water by sinking. In the few localities where wells have been dug an abundant supply has been secured. There can hardly be a doubt that ar- tesian water will yet be found in these valleys, and millions of acres reclaimed and made valuable grazing ground. When that is done-as it surely will be-Arizona will be the leading stock country on the continent. Those broad valleys and immense plains will be covered with millions of cattle, and ten times the present number will be pastured within the Territory. The sink- ing of artesian wells will confer almost illimitable benefits on the stock industry, and will add millions of dollars to her material wealth. It will make valuable the countless acres now given over to solitude and desolation; it will make plain, and mesa and mountain-side animate with the sights and sounds of active industry ; it will make of Arizona a grand pas- toral region, where sleek herds will cover ten thousand hills; it will bring population, industry and prosperity where now arc solitary desert wastes.
Besides artesian wells, windmills will also be utilized in many of the valleys where the depth to the water supply is not great. This system is already being pursued and with success, and no doubt will come into general favor in some localities. Large herds can be watered by this means, and the cost is not heavy. In many localities where the conditions are favorable, immense bodies of water can be caught and stored during the rainy season, for the use of stock during the period of drought. In some places but little work will be required to erect dams and reservoirs and thus secure an abundant supply. In several of the valleys of the plateau farmers adopt this plan of procuring an abundance for irrigation. During the rainy season great volumes 1
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of water fall all over the Territory, and the dry creeks and gulches become foaming torrents. There is reason to believe that the old race who once flourished here utilized a large share of this bounteous rain-fall, and their modern successors should certainly be able to do as much.
Epidemic diseases among cattle in this Territory are scarcely known. Winter and summer, autumn and spring, the animals are in the best possible condition. The fatal maladies which affect stock in other countries are never heard of in Arizona. Under its clear skies and pure atmosphere, man and beast revel in robust and vigorous health. The frightful destruction which often decimates the stock-grower's herds in a less favored clime never occurs here. The pure water and the bracing air of valley, mountain, and plain are the remedies, and the only ones, which the cattle-owner requires to keep his bands slcek, fat, and healthy, year after year. The loss from disease, it is estimated, do not exceed more than one-half of one per cent., and from all sources not more than two and a half per cent.
Let cattle-men who have seen half their herd destroyed by one night's pitiless snowstorm ponder over these facts. Let men who are following the business in countries where their property is always at the mercy of the elements, compare their lot with those whose lines have been so pleasantly cast under an Arizona sky. This one advantage alone makes the Territory the favored pastoral region of North America.
Arizona has also one other great advantage for the stock-man. While in other countries the area of grazing ground is becoming narrowed, and its limits circumscribed by the steady advance of the farmer, here, the immense plains, table-lands and foot-hills will never be utilized for any other purpose than grazing. The agricultural industry will always be confined to the valleys bor- dering the streams, and the vast area included in the rolling plains and elevated hill-sides will always be devoted to cattle. Most of this land is valueless for agriculture, but its wealth of rich grasses makes of it a magnificent stock-range. The
cattle-owner who thinks of embarking in the business here, need have no fear of being "crowded out" by the farmer. The domain of each is clearly marked by nature, and beyond the bounds which she has set, the tiller of the soil may not go. A good range once secured, the owner can turn out his lowing herds over the broad savannahs and rolling foot-hills, and rest assured that the farmer will not in a few years drive him out, and force him to seek fresh fields and new pastures.
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