Yuma Project, Arizona. View Showing the Variety of Shrubbery Along the Driveway Surrounding the Orange 

 Grove on the Mesa, One Onchalf Miles South of Yuma 



transplanted to the rich bottom lands 

 as soon as water is available. The ex- 

 periments in cotton culture which the 

 Department has been conducting on 

 this little Government farm are most 

 interesting. It has been found that 

 Egyptian cotton of an excellent quality 

 grows well in this section when once 

 acclimated, a test plat in 1907 yielding 

 about 1,000 pounds of cotton lint per 

 acre. The average price during the 

 year was 21.9 cents. We import about 

 62,000,000 pounds of this cotton an- 

 nually, and it is estimated that 100,000 

 acres of such lands as are included in 

 the Yuma Project easily would supply 

 the looms of our country. On the small 

 farm units each farmer could raise 

 from three to five acres of cotton, his 

 own family harvesting the crop. This 

 would simplify the labor problem, give 

 good returns, and allow a considerable 

 acreage for other crops. The Agricul- 



tural Department has a limited supply 

 of thoroughly acclimated seed which 

 may be used by such farmers as are 

 interested in this enterprise. Of inter- 

 est in this connection is the fact that 

 cotton was grown quite exensively in 

 this region by the Pima and Maricopa 

 Indians before the discovery of 

 America. 



The water supply is abundant and 

 the lands, except in very limited areas, 

 are practically free from alkali. The 

 climate during the winter months is 

 delightful. The summers are hot, the 

 temperature sometimes reaching 120 in 

 the shade. The sensible temperature, 

 however, is not much greater than in 

 Washington, where the percentage of 

 humidity is so much greater. Sunstroke 

 is unknown. The nights are not un- 

 comfortable, and a large part of the 

 population sleeps out of doors the year 

 around. 



147 



