6 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUKEAU OF SOILS, 1903. 



the valley, to the township line near Fort Thomas. Above Solomons- 

 ville the area covered by the irrigated lands becomes somewhat nar- 

 rower and extends in a general northeaster^ direction for a distance 

 of about 8 miles. Here the valley suddenly contracts to a series of 

 narrow canyons and the head of irrigation is reached. Upon each side 

 the area is bounded by arbitrary lines running parallel to the lands 

 under irrigation and cutting the lines of the bordering bluifs and high 

 mesas near their margins. 



The soil map of this area is published on a scale of 1 inch to the mile. 

 As no base map was available it was necessary to make a plane-table 

 survey of the area in connection with the soil work. 



HISTORY OF SETTLEMENT AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT. 



This section of Arizona was undoubtedly at one time inhabited by 

 prehistoric races who reached a higher state of civilization than the 

 Indians known to the early settlers. They lived in villages and culti- 

 vated the soil with the aid of irrigation. Remains of their dwellings, 

 irrigation canals, implements, and pottery are abundant. The origin 

 and fate of these people can only be conjectured. Their history, cus- 

 toms, and arts have no place in the legends of the oldest Indian tribes, 

 and their former occupanc} 7 of the land is shown onl} r by these scattered 

 relics. 



The Indian tribes inhabiting the country at the time of its explora- 

 tion and settlement were a nomadic and much less progressive race. 

 If they practiced agriculture at all it was only in a limited and crude 

 way. The Indians of this section were mostly of the Apache tribe, 

 and when, as frequently occurred, they took the warpath in opposition 

 to the white settlers they were extremely cruel and formidable enemies. 



The mineral wealth of the surrounding mountains was the early 

 incentive to exploration and settlement. The opening of the mines, 

 now famous for the production of copper, in the vicinity of Clifton 

 and Morenci, called for a supply of ha3 T , grain, and charcoal. It was 

 to supply these wants that the first settlers entered the Gila Vallev- in 

 the later seventies and took up land about Solomonsville and San Jose. 



The northwestern part of the area owes its settlement and reclama- 

 tion to the Mormons. These people entered the valley in large num- 

 bers, beginning about 1880. They came in families and colonies with 

 the intention of founding permanent homes, and built up an intensive 

 s} T stem of agriculture. The3 T have, for the most part, been very suc- 

 cessful. Small, well cultivated farms have .taken the place of the 

 desert, and neat farm buildings, often of brick, have replaced the tem- 

 porary houses of mud or canvas. In recent } T ears the immigration of 

 Mormons has been somewhat retarded and their numbers have decreased 

 on account of their removal to the Mormon settlements of Mexico. 



A large proportion of the lands of the area have been brought under 



