12 



riELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1917. 



Agriculture is confined very largely to that part of the Indian 

 Reservation occupying the river bottoms, to scattered ranches in the 

 vicinity of Casa (Irande and P'lorence, and to a few scattered farms 

 in various other parts of the area. The construction of irrigation 

 works by the Government for the Indians, covering lands in the 

 river bottom, has practically assured the permanency of agriculture 

 in that section. 



Farming as carried on by the settlers and squatters on the desert, 

 until a more stable supply of water for irrigation is obtained, can 

 hardly be considered profitable. The canal which supplies some of 

 these farmers carries water only part of the season, or may even be 

 dry, depending upon the rainfall. Others irrigate from wells,- which 

 seem to furnish a considerable supply of water in wet years, but can 

 hardly be depended upon in dry seasons. The expense of application 

 is also too great for profitable irrigation. A comprehensive storage 

 and irrigation system is necessary before the barren desert plains will 

 be turned into permanently producing fields. 



The present type of agriculture differs little from that of past 

 years. It consists largely in the production of cereals, alfalfa, and 

 other hay and forage crops, and the raising of cattle and horses. 

 Egyptian cotton is groAvn on a small acreage. Vegetables are grown, 

 and some shipments are made from the area, but most of the produce 

 is used locally, as the demand for truck and garden crops far ex- 

 ceeds the supply. Small quantities of tree fruits, mainly peaches 

 and nectarines, apples, quinces, apricots, and figs are produced. A 

 small planting of the date palm has been made by the Department of 

 Agriculture experiment station. 



Statistics of agriculture strictly applicable to the area are not 

 available. The data given by the Federal census for Pinal County 

 are, however, of some significance, as the survey covers the most 

 important agricultural region in the county. 



The following table gives data for the three principal classes of 

 products for the years 1899 and 1909 : 



Acreage and production of leadind closscs of crops and value of ^live stock, 



1S99 and 1909. 



Product. 



1899. 



Acreage. 



Production. 



1909. 



Acreage. 



Production. 



Cereals 



Tlay and forage 



liive stock sold or slaughtered. 



3,196 



4,633 



Numher. 



Bushela. 

 79,330 

 Tons. 



6,987 

 Value. 

 $134,895 



8,744 



4,232 



Number. 

 8,162 



Buslicli. 

 132,371 

 Tons. 



6,709 

 Valve. 

 $148,905 



