Inching On State Highways

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS Get Acquainted With Arizona DECEMBER, 1928 ARIZONA HIGHWAYS History, Aims and Ambitions of Arizona Explained to Nation by Governor Hunt in Chicago Radio Talk

(Continued on page 21) Higher returns, though they require a larger investment in land and more expense in growing.

FARM PROFITS HIGH

"Returns to farmers naturally vary, but they average much higher than in the middle west. Grains double-cropped on the same land for threshing and pasture usually yield $50 to $75 an acre; alfalfa yields about the same; cotton often runs $100 an acre. Lettuce and cantaloupes ordinarily return $200 to $300 an acre; grapefruit averages above $500 an acre, and frequently up to $1000; dates have been known to produce $2500 an acre regularly. Last year's crop report of the Salt River Valley showed average returns of $55 an acre for alfalfa; $525 an acre for asparagus; $140 an acre for beans, $304 for cantaloupes; $92.50 for cotton; $2499 for bearing dates; $630 for citrus; $300 for lettuce: $28 for milo maize; $33.75 for wheat. Such crops as dates and citrus of course, require a large capital investment and several years of waiting before production begins.

"It is a common error to assume that Arizona and other southwestern states have large raeas of land suitable for farming which can be homesteaded. It is true there is a great deal of land open to homesteading, but it cannot be classified as agricultural land, though some public land open to desert entry is susceptible to irrigation by pumping. On the whole, land prices in Arizona are inclined to be higher than in many sections, because returns are higher and the land will earn more. In existing irrigation projects average land can be bought for from $150 to $250 an acre; best land is somewhat higher; citrus land brings up to $1000 an acre, unplanted. In new land projects, undeveloped land can be purchased for from $75 to $100 an acre with full water rights; citrus land is of course, higher.

Specialized Farming

"The future of Arizona agriculture undoubtedly will lie in the production of special crops for which it is especially suited, such as Pima cotton, choice al falfa, oranges and grapefruit, figs, dates, lettuce for shipment during the winter and spring, other winter vegetables, etc. Exceptional opportunities exist also for dairying and poultry, owing to large markets within the state for dairy and poultry products, and to favorable conditions for large production at moderate unit cost. Arizona's greatest need today is good farmers. But it is not a get-richquick land, and as in every other state, success depends on sufficient capital to start, hard work and good common sense.

"Rural living conditions in Arizona are probably the best in the United States. The farming sections have paved highways. Maricopa county alone has 400 miles of paved road. There are but few farms that are not within a short drive of town. Arizona's schools are among the finest in the country. Rural pupils have bus service. Churches are numerous and well mantained. Most of the farming districts are served with electric power. By next spring electricity will be available for every one of the sevral thou sand farms in the Salt River valley, the largest irrigated community. As all the irrigated projects are located in the southern part of the state, snow is virtually unknown. The winters are so mild that thousands of easterners come to Arizona for this season. Although summer temperatures are sometimes higher in these sections, heat prostrations have never been known, and there are many cool mountain resorts near at hand.

Arizona Reclamation Projects

"Agriculture in Arizona is almost synonymous with reclamation. The state contains two government irrigation projects -the Salt River and and Yuma projects -which are considered the most successful in the country, and a number of private projects as well. At the present times, another big government irrigation project the San Carlos is just being completed.

"The largest irrigation project in the state is the Salt river. It irrigates 240,000 acres in the Salt River valley in Maricopa county. Water for this project is obtained from the famous Roosevelt dam, one of the largest in the world, which is located on the Salt river, 75 miles east of Phoeniv. This is the largest government project operated and managed entirely by its land owners, through the Salt River Valley Water Users association. In the past few years this association has finnanced and built two big power dams, the Horse Mesa and Mormon Flats dams, below Roosevelt dam, and is now building a third, the Stewart Mountain dam.

"When the latter dam is completed the Salt river project will produce 95,000 horscpower of hydro-electric energy, earning an annual revenue for the land owners of more than $2,000,000 a year. This sum will take care of all repayments of the cost of construction and all operation and maintenance expense. A large part of the power is sold on long-term contracts to mining companies in nearby distaicts. The entire Salt River valley is being electrified, so that every farm can have electricity at low cost.

Huge Dam Investment

"The four big dams of the Salt river project, and a fifth diversion dam at the head of the valley, represent a cost of more than $12,000,000. The total investment in project works is about $25,000,000, and the projects's crop returns equal that sum each year. The dams also have created a series of lakes 80 miles in length, well stocked with fish, which form a valuable tourist attraction.

"Besides the Salt river project, there are 200,000 acres in the Salt river valley irrigated by other smaller projects. Three of these have been completed recentlythe Roosevelt Water Conservation district, and the Romola-Lake Pleasant project each of 40,000 acres. The latter is irrigated from another big new dam, built last year on the Agua Fria river, 35 miles from Phoenix.

"The other government project already operating in Arizona irrigates 60,000 acres around Yuma, which at present, is the second largest farming district. Several other districts in that section are being developed in that section are beinggg ing developed by pumping, these aggregating close to 100,000 acres. Other projects, of less size, are irrigated by pumping in the vicinity of Tucson, Benson and Douglas. In the eastern part of the state, 40,000 acres are irrigated from the Gila river about Safford and. Duncan.

New Irrigation Project

"Arizona's largest new irrigation project is the San Carlos, which will irrigate 100,000 acres of land in the FlorenceCasa Grande valley. This will be irrigated by the huge Coolidge dam, which has just been completed on the Gila river near Globe. This project has been constructed partly for the benefit of the Pima Indians, and its cost is over $5,500,000.

"Several other new irrigation projects will be started in the near future, the largest being the Paradise-Verde District north of Phoenix, consisting of 80,000 acres. Altogether, there are some 400,000 acres of new land coming under water in the near future for which settlers are needed. All of this land equals the Salt River valley in fertility. Agricultural experts declare the Salt River