Arizona republican., 1890-06-08
VALLEY ORCHARDS. Some of the Wonders of This Beautiful Region. A Pleasant Drive Along
 Grand Avenue.
What Can Be Seen on Any Sunny AfternOOn-The Delight of a
 Party of Strangers.

In Grand avenue Phoenix has all the requisites for the creation of a beautiful drive.
 A reporter for TIE REPUBLICAN was out on the avenue yesterday afternoon, with party of people who are strangers in Phoenix, and the entire party were charmed with the drive.
 Passing through three miles of alfalfa fields, many of them dotted with flocks of fat cattle, horses and hogs, with here and there a snug farm house, surrounded by grassy lawns and ornamental and fruit-bearing trees, the road led by several vegetable gardens and at one place was passed strawberry bed, showing that people who live in Arizona can have good houses with as many comforts and luxuries as are enjoyed in the Eastern States--and in general not nearly so many inconveniences. To be sure there were many more humble habitations, but they were surely those of newcomers who have come West with brave hearts and willing hands to make themselves "stake" and to lend their aid in opening up and developing these fertile desert plains.
 Crossing the Grand Canal, there was entered newer district, where both sides of the broad highway are lined with yellow, ripening grain, for five or six miles. It is not merely a lining of grain. The fields extend on either side as far as the eye can reach over the level plain, the view broken only here and there by groups of trees showing the location of some ranch house or fruit orchard.
 The Murphy stock farm of 320 acres of alfalfa, where immense stacks of hay are being raised for the coming winter IS particularly worthy of note. On several of the farms along the avenue the work of heading grain has already begun and many large stacks are already up.
 The next point of interest was the Bartlett fruit ranch, consisting of a sec tion of land, of which about two hundred acres are in fruit, and is under the charge of Mir. A. J. Strow.
 Passing around to the north of this place the Logan vineyard, consisting oi eighty acres of Muscat vines two years old, is reached. The vines are already loaded with fruit. Following behind the blow that was at work making fur rows for the present irrigation, the re- porter picked up earth that held enough moisture to make it pack into a ball when squeezed in the hand, and was in- hxr hn ,ln hnp bot had not been Irrigated for two months. That the soil preserves or holds the moisture during all this time simply by constant cultivation.
 T. did ones heart good to see this place. It illustrates what labor will ac- complish, for with this kind of care the orchards and vineyards of the Salt River Valley may rival the world and the water supply will be made adequate for many times the area now under cultivation. Further on, at his new farm and orchard, Mir. Baxter has just put out forty acres of vines, and for planting cuttings makes the best show ing of anything seen.
 The final stop was made at another Bartlett ranch now under the care of H. w. Adams, who met the party with the usual Arizona hospitality. After brief siestd in camp-chair and hammock, the party were shown about the orchards, of which there are about one hundred and sixty acres, being one-fourth of the area of the farm.
 This place is on a par with the other Bartlett farm (they are owned by two brothers who live in Peoria, Ills.,) and the two places cannot be surpassed anywhere for luxuriant growth and man. ner and thoroughness of keeping.
 They are set in peaches, april cots, pears, apples, plums, olives, figs and vines, all of which are tended and pruned in the most approved and efficient manner, and great credit is certainly due the superin- tendents of each place.
 One of the most important matters for the attention of the fruit growers in Arizona seems to be that of pruning which must be severe, to correspond with the enormous growth that is made each year. These gentlemen seem to have appreciated this fact in the treat ment of the orchards under their charge. Already on some apricot trees there were branches five feet in length of this years growth.
 Ths growth on the young tree, one, two or three years from the planting, should be cut back to fourteen or fifteen inches each year. This may seem harsh treatment and farmers hate to cut off fruit blossoms when pruning, but it must be done or the future fruitiulness of the tree will be destroyed.
 The fig orchards of the Bartlett farms, each forty acres in extent, consist of two-year old trees, now standing about eight feet in height.
 They are layed out with mathematical precision and words fail to convey the impression of beauty and luxuriance that must be given by them. All of them consist of trees of the White Adriatic variety. which will bear heavy crop this season.