Arizona weekly enterprise., 1889-02-09
FINAL COUNTY.
Valuable and Interesting Information About One of the Richest Counties in the Territory---It's Mineral Wealth
 and Agricultural Advantages.
From Forthcoming Pamphlet of Immigratic
 Commissioner I. E. Farish.)

 From Forthcoming Pamphlet of Immigration
 Commissioner I. E. Farish.)
 Final was formed from portion of Pima county by the legislature of 1871. It IS one of the smallest and | richest of the political subdivisions of the territory, its total area being 521O | square miles. It is bounded on the | east by Graham, on the south by Pima, on the west by Msricopa and the north by MaIicops and Gila coun- ties. It is we'll watered; the San Pedro river enters the county near the southeastern corner and flows north westerly between the Santa Catalina and Galiuro ranges, distance of nearly forty miles where 1t joins its waters with the Gila, forming as rich and productive valley as can be found in the west, not more than tenth part of which is under cultivation the total amount of land which can be re- claimed along the San Pedro River in Pinal county is estimated at 50000 acres The Gila river enters from the east between the Tortilita and Mes cal mountains and flows west through near the middle of the county, form ing valley that will some day be thickly populated The mountains of Pinsl are all we'll grassed and furnish fine range for stock. Pinsl Is one of the best mineral counties of Arizona. Through all her mountain ranges are found veins of copper, silver or gold bearing ore. The Silver King in the 1 Superstition mountains has paid sev- eral millions in dividends and is still producing The Vekol, about thirty miles south of Casa Grande station, has been proftably worked for the past five or six years. The Reymert group of mines recently opened promises to be 8 heavy ore producer. Besides these are numerous other lodges from which large quantities of ore IS ship ped annually. The average rainfall at Florence in 8.05 and at Maricops station 6.64 mo records are obtainable of the precipitation in the mountain region, but it ranges probably from 12 to % inches, according to the altitude. Farming in this county has not been followed extensively heretofore, but the completion of two large canals in the Gila valley now being constructed will add largely to the arabic lands of the country. Tine following letter from the Hon. Peter K. Brady, one of the most reliabe and best known citizens of Arizona, will be read with interest: |:
 FLORENCE, FINAL Co.,, ARIZ,
 January IA, 1SS9.}
 HON. T. E. PARISH, Commissioner of
 Immigration, Phenix, Arizona.
 DEAR SIR :-I am in receipt of your favor of Dec. 2lss some days ago, and would have attended to 1t sooner but have been busy getting the informa- tion that you need.
 There are twelve irrigating canals in Pinal county varying in length from three to twenty eight miles. The two largest, the Florence Canal and Montezuma, still nnder construction. The area oi land at present under cul- tivation amounts to about 9l00 acres. The principal crop is wheat and bar ley. The average yield to the acre is about POGO pounds of barley and 1900 pounds of wheat There are cultivated in alfalfa about 1900 acres, and prob ably 100 acres in fruit and vines. The fruits that thrive best are the grape of all kinds, the apricot, peach, pear, quince and pomegranate. Eou would have to cultivate an orchard or vine yard for two years before you would begin to get any fruit, and it would cost about five dollars an acre to ploW 1 and irrigate each year. The popula- tion of Florence is about 750 or SOC
 souls Improved lands have been , sold within the last year for twenty
 dollars an acre, and unimproved lands 6 can be bought for abou' ten, the i'm g proved land of course having the wa
 ter The Florence Canal Company l ask $l5 an acre for & water right, anC 8 $1.25 per acre per aRnum. 1 do HO
 know of any portion of Arizona tha h has a brighter future, not even except e ing the Salt river valley. consider
 the land in the Gila valley the best 1T o Arizona without exception. Under { proper state of cultivation, such ss il
 practiced in the western states, thu . yield of barley would be 5000 pound per acre aAd of wheat 2400 Alfalf, now yields from five to seven tons pc S scre. The soil and climate of tn l. valley, that is, the mesa lands, ar 7 peculiarly adapted to the cultivati ol n of the fruits l have mentioned, bu D more especially the grape and apricot
 The olive would thrive here equal t as any part of the south of Europe, iron 'h what we have seen of the few tree Id here in bearing, which were plante
 eight years ago, and have never ha any care bestowed on them beyon as irrigation. We pl.nt wheat snd bal -s ley in November and January, hsrvec
 in May and June; plant corn, bean .a . and pumpkins in July and harvest l m m October and November We cut 2
 falfa about May 9th, or six weeks frol ,1, the 18th of March until the 18th ( of November. In regard to the citrr '" fruits, the few orange trees that haN
 been planted are doing well. The loy CT eet the mercury has ever been know h. to fall was last January to P degree tia and the highest 1I2 degrees. La
 winter was the coldest winter I ev, DIS experienced in Arizona, and last Sur ny mer the hot spell lasted later in u VI fall than ever knew ill residence - 34 years. At this present writin 'dd'' January 14th, we have had three th four light frosts, but no ice. As
 general thing we generally have ,ts cold spell for Arizona about the CT ill of the year, when ice will sometim Ire form about the third of an inch. IT
 thermometer in the town last Frids If tho IIfh nf Tonuarv was % 6a0re