1897 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



61 



IN THE DESERT. 



Dec. 28.— Here I am, away out on the desert, 

 camping out. and writing these notes beside the 

 camp -tire. We are at New River, Maricopa 

 Co., 45 miles from Phoenix. We left the last ir- 

 rigating-eanal at 11 o'clock; and a board put up 

 warned travelers, " No more water for forty 

 miles." I rode on my wheel 14 miles before S 

 o'clock, so as to be on hand at the start. I got 

 breakfast on the way; but before starting I had 

 some more breakfast. Let me explain, 1 want- 

 ed to take the long trip on my wheel alone; but 

 everybody protested, and said 1 must have a 

 team to carry provisions, bedding, etc., as there 

 was no lodging-place for many miles, and, fur- 

 thermore, storms might overtake me, and I 

 might get lost. Finally a couple of bee-men, 

 whom i shall always remember, rigged up a 

 team, with provisions, bedding, etc., and an- 

 nounced they were ready to follow wherever I 

 wanted to go. Their names are Thomas K. El- 

 vey and J. F. Carey, both of Phoenix (the latter 

 gentleman being president of the Maricopa 

 Bee- keepers' Association). Both are very busy 

 men; but when they found I was bound to go 

 they declared I should go in good shape, provid- 

 ing I could stand " roughing it." This is a sam- 

 ple of the hospitality of this region. I ride my 

 wheel as long as I choose, then stick it on top 

 of the bedding, etc., and ride on the light spring 

 wagon and listen to ihe stories of my compan- 

 ions and explanations of the strange things we 

 come across every hour. 



Oh how I have enjoyed this trip through the 

 arid desert and up the canyons, and over the 

 mountains! I am now writing by a candle 

 stuck in a bag of barley. My table is a roll of 

 bedding, and my seat is the soft desert sand 

 covered with a piece of canvas. The camp-fire 

 is at my right hand. Our supper consisted of 

 potatoes roasted in the ashes, toast made on a 

 forked stick ; meat; fig jam, made from fruit 

 grown by Bro. Elvey, etc. Just think of it- 

 sitting on the ground out of doors, writing by a 

 candle, b<^tween Christmas and New-year's day ! 



This afternoon we passed a flock of 3400 sheep, 

 managed by one man and a shepherd dog. I 

 took off my cap to the man, and felt like doing 

 the same to a dog that had the intelligence and 

 skill to guide and direct this great drove in any 

 direction desired. 



We are near a running stream of water, after 

 our long drive, and it was my privilege to build 

 the fire and help gather wood for the night. I 

 never felt so well in my life, and I have been 

 out of doors almost constantly for the last three 

 weeks. Now, while I have every thing so com- 

 fortable about me, and two old veterans in the 

 business near me, I think I will tell you some- 

 thing about 



CTHE SALT RIVER VALLEY" AND IRRIGATION. 



This valley is about 50 miles long by about 30 

 miles wide. The river runs through the val- 

 ley, and, strange to tell, there are thousands of 

 acres as flat and level as a floor, only that the 

 surface is on a regular slant toward the south 

 and west, at an average of about 10 feet to the 

 mile. There are. perhaps, 250,000 acres capable 

 of irrigation. All along the river are dams that 

 take water into canals at intervals. These ca- 

 nals are at first considerable-sized rivers; but 

 smaller ones lead off as needed, until all the wa- 

 ter of the river is spread equally and equitably 



over the land. Now, please bear in mind that 

 the whole valley is divided by good roadways 

 Into square sections one mile on each side; and 

 along each road, and on both sides of the road, 

 is one or sometimes more Irrigating-ditches. I 

 say one or more, for there are often three ditch- 

 es, one on one side of the road. Sometimes the 

 water is hustling in one ditch in a certain way, 

 and in the opposite direction in the diich right 

 alongside. This is managed by raising the 

 sides of the ditch at one end, and cutting down 

 at the other. Now, remember the water in 

 ditches side by side is often at different eleva- 

 tions. One ditch often crosses another as much 

 as three feet above the lower one. A wooden 

 box carries the water across. Of course, bridges 

 or plank sluiceways must cover the ditches at 

 all road-crossings. Go where you may, the 

 sound of rushing water and babbling brooks 

 is always in your ears. This sound, with the 

 sight of the running waters, is to me most in- 

 spiring. But, wait a bit! All over this valley 

 cottonwood-trees are growing along the ditches. 

 In a little time they shade the road, and in the 

 older settlements the branches meet overhead. 

 Even in ivinter time the shade of these trees 

 every afternoon is very grateful. The roots 

 hold the banks of the canals from being washed 

 out. The Cottonwood holds its leaves all win- 

 ter, and grows with wonderful rapidity. It is 

 so hardy that green posts driven into the ground 

 during the winter will grow almost certainly, 

 with plenty of water. Now, all the fences are 

 wire, and the wire is stapled to these cotton- 

 wood posts or trees*. 



The great staple crop of this valley is alfalfa. 

 I have told you of the beauty of the fields. The 

 greater part of the alfalfa is fed to cattle, and 

 this is the place of all the world for patients on 

 the beef diet. In Cleveland, O., I paid .50 cents 

 for a plate of ground beef. At the "Grotto" 

 restaurant, in Phcenix, for 10 cents I got more 

 than I ever eat; or a nice tender steak, more 

 than I could eat, for 10 cents, potatoes includ- 

 ed; butter, milk, and cheese, about the same 

 as In Ohio. Chickens, turkeys, geese, hogs, 

 and. in fact, all kinds of stock grow fat on green 

 alfalfa. At the restaurant I got a nice dinner 

 of turkey for 15 cents, potatoes included. 



Large quantities of hay are made here and 

 sold at 14.00 or S5.00 a ton. At the " corral " 

 (livery stable) they will take your horse, and 

 feed and care for him for 35 cents a day, and 

 hitch up when you want him again. If you do 

 not leave him a whole day, it is only 15 cents. 

 Please remember, the horse needs no grain if 

 he has enough alfalfa hay. Still further: If the 

 man who owns the horse has his own blanket 

 with him he can make his bed on some hay in a 

 vacant stall, and not a cent for lodging. 



One morning I was to meet some bee-friends 

 at the corral at daylight, and I found quite a 

 number of well-dressed men getting out of their 

 blankets, and washing at the pump where they 

 water the horses. Soap is furnished to all, and 

 710 charge. When I spoke of sleeping outdoors, 

 one of the bee-friends showed me his bed under 

 the shed adjoining his bee-house, where he 

 sleeps right out in the open air every day in the 

 year. Think of sleeping in a bedroom with not 

 a ivindow open! No wonder the people of this 

 valley are healthy. 



Brother Elvey tells me the coyotes will be 

 howling around us before morning. Our can- 

 dle is still burning right in the open air, but It 

 is almost bedtime. We have just been listen- 



* Besides tlie music of the "babbling brooks " ev- 

 ery morning-, the air is vocal with tlie songs of the 

 meadow-larlis, blackbirds, and the cooing of the 

 mourning-doves. By the way, there are three kinds 

 of doves. 



