s 
BULLETIX 654, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
date of the completion of the project in which to pay for its construc- 
tion, payment to be made in annual installments without interest. 
Land in the valley is sold subject to this lien, and present prices do 
not include the project charges. If a purchaser buys land at, say, 
$125 per acre, he will eventually have to pay the project charges in 
addition to this amount. The land is all in private ownership and 
can be secured only by purchase. Practically all the lands entitled 
to water are now under cultivation. 1 
The water charges are fixed at the beginning of each year by the 
Reclamation Service, and are designed to cover the cost of main- 
tenance. When these studies were made a minimum charge of $1" 
per acre was required of all water users, and this entitled each one to 
2 acre-feet of water. About the same rate was charged for water in 
excess of 2 acre-feet up to 4 acre-feet. Beyond 4 acre-feet there was 
a graduated increase in the charge per acre-foot. Very few of the 
farms studied in these investigations used as much as 4 acre-feet. 
The growing season extends throughout the year, and a large variety 
of crops may be produced, but profitable markets for only a few of 
these have been developed. The following table, prepared by Di- 
rector R. H. Forbes of the Arizona Experiment Station, shows the 
seasonal distribution of crops. 2 
Table II. — Fruits, vegetables, grain, and forage grown in Southern Arizona. 
Month of 
maturity. 
Fruits. 
Vegetables. 
Grain and forage. 
January Oranges, pomelos . 
February - 
March 
April. 
May.. 
Oranges 
Strawberries. 
Strawberriesand mulberries 
Strawberries, plums, black- 
berries, peaches, apricots. 
June Strawberries, plums, black- 
berries, figs, apricots, to- 
matoes, melons, peaches. 
July Apples, pears , grapes. 
peaches. 
August Grapes. figs. pears. almonds. 
peaches. 
September Dates. melons. pears, grapes. 
pomegrantes. peaches. 
October Dates, quinces. pears. olives. 
grapes. 
November Dates, olives, pears, grapes. 
oranges, strawberries. 
December Dates, olives, pears, oranges . 
Lettuce, spinach, radishes, 
cauliflower. 
Lettuce, beets, turnips, cab- 
bage. 
Asparagus, carrots, green 
onions. 
Peas, cabbage, lettuce, 
onions. 
Green corn, potatoes, squash, 
string beans. 
Squashes, cucumbers, onions 
Sugar beets, cucumbers. . 
Chilies. egg plant, beans. 
Chilies, egg plant, potatoes. 
beans. 
Cucumbers, squashes, string 
beans. 
Celery, lettuce, beans, 
squashes, potatoes. 
Celery, lettuce, beets, and 
radishes. 
Alfalfa and barley pasture. 
Do. 
Alfalfa hay and green barley. 
Do. 
Wheat, barley., oats, alfalfa 
hay. 
Alfalfa hay. corn. 
Cowpeas and alfalfa hay. 
Alfalfa, Egyptian corn, sor- 
ghum, cowpeas. 
Alfalfa hay, sorghum, Egyp- 
tian corn, cowpeas. 
Indian corn, sorghum, alfalfa. 
Indian corn, sorghum, alfalfa 
hay. 
Alfalfa hay and pasture. 
The crops that are grown commercially in this valley, and their rela- 
tive importance, arc shown in the following table, taken from the 
1 The most of the statistical data for this brief history of the development of irrigation in Salt River Valley 
were obtained from unpublished reports furnished to the writer by officials of the United StatesReclamation 
Service. 
- i;. II. Forbes, Bui.. 235, Office of Experiment Stations, p. 19. 
