Successful Irrigation.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 219, 10 September 1887, Page 4

Successful Irrigation.

The benefits of inigation are strikingly pointed out by the (Jovemor of Aii. ona, in hisrepoit foi the year ending dune 30, I^SO, to the Sccictnry for the Int-eiior of the United States, a suiunua-y of which is published in the A/ta California 01 No- \ ember 27. The (io\erncn, Mr. Zuhek, states that Aii/uiui contains ne;ul> 114,000 square miles, and about 72,000,01*0 acres ot land. About 18;000,000 neio aie u^ed foi stock raising, and support nearly 1,000,000 cattle, moie than 1,000,000 sheep, besides horse?, mules, and other domestic animals. Nutritious graces giow iverjwheie, and could the balance of the land be utilised this would become the greatest stock-raising counliy in the United State?. The want of water is the only diawback to its oceup ition and de\ elopinent. All farming in Arizona, except in a few mountain valleys, to be successful miht be attended by irrigation." For illustration of ■what may be donein this way, the (!o\einor refers to the example of Mesa city and itneighbourhood, lie \i rites :—" In January, 1878, a party of four, as an exploiing paity for a colony, located a water-light on Salt lliver, in Maricopa county, and enteied the present town site of ll'esi city, consisting of 640 acres. In Februaiy they weio joined by their families and otheis, 13 families in all, and went into camp. February IS they began active opeiation^, excavating their ditch to inigate their land, ■which was completed and the water introduced upon their town site and farm land after nine months of haul labour. The canal is o\s ned by a stock company consisting of 200 shares, with a par value of lOOdol. per share, which now have a cash value of SOOdol. per shaie. The main canal ia 10 miles long, with a capacity sufficient to reclaim 15,000 acre.* of deseit land. Several miles of the canal traverse the bed of an old Aztec ditch that had been cut through a layer of cement not less than 30ft. wide at the top and 20ft. at the bottom. It is estimated that a saving of 20, 000 dol. was made by following the alignment of this old canal. The first water was turned upon the land where the town of Mesa now stands in 1878. and not until the winter of 1879-80 was much seeding or planting done, foi they had homes to build, land to clear, and other preparatory work to do. TThe transformation after six years has been complete. It is regarded as a colony no longer. Mesa has now a population of 700. The oiiginal town site is dotted over with beautiful homes. Altogether there are 7,000 acres under a high state of cultivation, devoted to the raising of cereals, alfalfa {French lucerne), with extensive orchards and vineyards supplying and enriching a population of 1,300 people. Several crops of cotton have been raised here. Crapes are made into wine and raieins, not excelled by those of California. Mesa has churches, schools, and stores, and is not only a selfsustaining community, but raises a large surplus for market. It is a spot where can be seen the ideal realised, and this is only one instance of many in the Salt River and Gila Valleys of Arizona."