GLEAISriNGS IN BEIC CULTURE. 



Jax. 1 



told, is somewhat brackish, yet to one al- 

 most dying- of thirst I suppose it has all 

 the freshness of the delii^htful cool springs 

 that we knew in our childhood days. 



After I had snapped the kodak rig-ht and 

 left, I got into the buggy again; but as I 

 did so I turned back lingering eyes, think- 

 ing that perhaps it might be many a year 

 (and possibly never) before I should see the 

 remarkable sight again. 



GROWING ALFALFA. 



To me, one of the most interesting devel- 

 opments throughout the arid regions of the 

 West was the growing of alfalfa. Almost 

 no other hay will grow in those hot irrigated 

 districts, and yet this thrives wonderfully. 

 A hot dry climate and moist roots give us a 

 fodder that, for fattening cattle, and making- 

 them grow sleek ayid handso)ne, beats any 

 thing else I ever saw. For work horses it 

 is not quite the equal of timothy or oats; 

 but as almost nothing else is to be had, ex- 

 cept at considerable expense, farm horses 

 are able to do a big day's work on it, so I 

 ■was told. 



When Mr. Chambers and I were driving 

 b}^ one of his apiaries we came across a 

 field of alfalfa that had reached its per- 

 fection of growth. It was in the height of 

 bloom, and the beautiful violet blossoms, 

 and the hum of the bees, made a combina- 

 tion alike pleasant to sight and hearing. 

 I attempted to take a photo of it, but the re- 

 sult was very disappointing. However, I 

 will show it to you as it is. If you were 

 standing out in the field the tips would 



FIG. 6. — METHOD OK STACKING ALFALFA HAY. 



^. — DRIVEWAY TO THE BROMELL 

 BROTHERS' HOME. 



reach very nearly up to your chest; 

 for, as I have before explained, 

 alfalfa grows in Arizona, especial- 

 ly in that section, as it does no- 

 where else. 



But one of the novelties to me 

 was the mode of harvesting this 

 crop. It is cut with mowers as we 

 cut hay in the East; but instead of 

 being put into barns it is always 

 put up outdoors in stacks, giant in 

 size as compared with the little 

 mounds of hay in the rain-belt. 

 Some of these great masses of al- 

 falfa haj', I should judge, were 60 

 feet long and 2.S wide. Instead of 

 pitching the haj^ from a wagon with 

 a pitchfork on to the stack in the 

 good old-fashioned way, it is car- 

 ried vip by a simple piece of mechan- 

 ism. But before I show you this 

 machine let me give you a view of 

 a little driveway approaching the 

 fine residence of some of our bee- 

 keeping friends, the Bromell Broth- 

 ers. They are located near Phoenix; 

 and the house, a new one nearly 

 finished, was at the end of a beauti- 

 ful drive bordei-ed on either side 

 by palms, cacti, cottonwoods, and 

 other growths peculiar to that 

 climate. And such palms I Many 

 a millionaire, or even one in less 

 comfortable circumstances, would 



