Arizona weekly citizen., 1891-08-22
FRUIT CULTURE.


 FRUIT CULTURE.
 There vas period not long past Il
 the history of California when th'
 wealth of her mines of precious metal
 were considered her chief resource, anC it was believed by the great majority O her people that as they should decline in production, the country would de crease ia population. The idea of the production of fruits becoming ohlet factor of her commerce was scarcely dreamed of by her foremost citizens The central idea of all was to acquire money, and eventually return to the east whence they came. But how changed is the situation today! It is estimated that four -fifths of the emi- grants to California go there with the hope of securing homes in her lovely climate. It IS supposed by many that "climate" is the chief attraction. This is erroneous. People are not so foolish as to think that they can live on climate. No; it is the wonderful products of her soil that draws them tbither, and among these products are the varieties of the luscious fruits indIgenious to her soil. This is the winning card in the case of B majority who go there. Now we ask in all candor WAS not this precisely the situation of Arizona at a more recent date; and have we not many people among us today who plofess to see but little in the possibilities of our future out side of mining and stock raising? Men who have been here for some length of time, being accustomed to look back, are inclined to judge the future entirely by what they have seen in the past. They cannot fully realize the progress that IS being made around them, and that, in the very nature of things, the next five years will, in all probability, witness greater advancement, especially in the culture of fruits here in southern Arizo- ns, than in all the proceeding years of her history. Enough has already been dcne to demonstrate her adaptsbility to the production of almost an infinite variety of the choicest fruits of this con- tinent. The accomplishments of fruit growers in the Salt River Valley has placed the subject beyond an experi- ment. producing in large quantities earlier and finer favored peaches pears, plums, apricots and grapes than even California, and boast ing of the largest fg orchard in the worldl
 Who doubts that the Santa Cruz valley is capable of all that is done, or being done, in the Salt river valley? If there are any who gre undecided on this question let such visit the homestead of A. V. GrosRetta, two and half miles north of town, which we had occasion to do last Saturday. He will see forty acre plantation of as thrifty fruit trees and vines, just coming into full bearing, AS can probably be found in our ter ritcry. The notable fact in the case is that on the spot where the trees and vines grow, lees than three years ago wss 8 mesa, of similar soil to that of a quarter of A million of acres lying a waste in this valley. Mir. Grossetta solved the irrigation problem by the introduction of two San Jose pumps and two Cyclone windmIlls, with a combined capacity of 26,O0O gallons per hour, and in case of necessity, he can resort to a twenty-horse power engine (tubular boiler) for pumping. The plant is sui ficient to furnish irrigation for over 100 acres, and it is managed by one man, W. L. Herbert. The cost of the entire plant WAS sbout s3,OOO.
 Too much importance cannot be placed upon the efforts of such men in this direction. They not only show what can be done, but their example will en- courage many attempts that will prove successful ia aiding toward the develop ment of one of the finest fruit growing districts in the territory.
 On smaller scale are many others in and around this city, who can show the most gratifying results. We can not do more than mention the names of few of such at present, but visit to their places would be sufficient, if "seeing is believing" to convince any reasonable person that as soon as the great Santa Cruz water storage system shall be completed, the business of fruit culture will become, as it has in the golden state, one of the most prominent of any ID Pima county.
 The following is a list of few who have proved, ID greater or less degree, the capacity of the Santa Cruz valley to be equal to almost any spot on earth for fruit growing: Judges T. D. Satter- white, Wm. Lowell, W. J. Osborn and Mess-s. Parker and Hughes.