Arizona weekly enterprise., 1888-12-22
Wonderful Arizona.

The following extract from an in- terview with Mir T. E. Parish, com missioner of Immigration, published in the Denver News, is worthy of re- production in these columns:
 "In Southern Arizona there has been much done toward land reclamation. The Salt River valley Is paradise for horticulture. In that valley there is a large body of land. Maricopa county contains about 450,000 acres in extent. From the Salt river have been taken different canals and irrigating ditches, aggregating not less than 200 miles. By the completion of the water stor age dams and reservoirs now in con temptation all of the arid lands of the valley will be reclaimed,
 In Florence, on the Gila river, there is great deal of land reclaimed, and when the Florence ditch, now in pro cess of construction, is completed, 1t Is estimated that 100000 acres of land will be reclaimed in that valley. With the ditches now operated and those in process of construction from Florence down, extending through Pima, Mari copa and Yuma counties, it is esti- mated S00,000 acres of land will be re- claimed. By far the largest enter prise engaged in or projected in Ari- zona is the digging of a ditch from the Colorado river about twenty-two miles north of Yuma. It Is intended to dam the river so as to throw the water to both the California and Arizona sides Money has been subscribed for the en- terprise, which is estimated to cost about $4,000000, but the consent of congress must be first obtained, as the river Is navigable. If this is done it will reclaim 600,000 acres of land in California and Arizona and some ], 400 acres in Sonora, Old Mexico. In Pima county there are ditches being taken out of the Santa Cruz and Rilli- to, which will reclaim quite an amount of land.
 In all this country the soil is fer tile loam, inexhaustible in it's dura- biiity, the fertility reaching in depth from ten to fifteen feet The best evidence that it does not wear out lies in the well established fact that the Maricopa Indians living on their reser- vations in Pinal and Maricopa coun- ties have cultivated the same land in wheat and grain, without change oI seed, after their crude manner of hus bandry for over 200 years, and stil have crops equal to any Western wheat-growing state. The grain yielt through the Salt River valley averages on wheat about A bushels to the acre and barley 32 bushels. Alfalfa yield eight to twelve tons to the acre. It i cut usually three or four times during the year and grazes three to fiv, months, according to the season.
 The valley is a vast feeding ground for the stockmen of the territory. Be fore my leaving there were 10000 heat of cattle in the valley being fed for tn eastern and western markets, and tn chances are that no less than 5000
 or 60,000 head will be fed there befor the spring closes.
 "It is to the horticulture and viti
 culture that this part of the territor must look for it's future wealth an prosperity. It is fact that twenk acres in fruits and vines will yield
 greater profit than 400 acres west C
 the Rocky mountains in any kind (
 grain or cereals. All kinds of fruit both citrous and deciduous, grow i this valley, excepting, perhaps, banar , as. have seen them grow and ripe , there, but do not think they will eve become merchantable product.