Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1893-10-24
A SUNDAY DRIVE.
FIourishing Orange Groves
Northeast of the City.
Trees Laden with Fruit Whose Gold
en- Color Begins to Glow Under
Dark Green Leaves.

For the first time a REPUBLICAN re-
porter last Sunday saw an orange grove
and for that matter half dozen of
them, the sight of which gave him a
broader view of the possibilities of the
valley. Accompanying Major Evans,
Mr.. J. McDyer, a Kentucky gentleman,
and Mr.. J. H. McClintock, he set out in
the face of a threatening rain storm to
visit the various orange orchards lying
northeast of the city within distance
of eight miles.
A description of what was seen ought
to include the broad. green fields of al
falfa and the thousands of blooded and
well.kept cattle along the way; droves
of splendid horses and hundreds Of
Hourishing ranches which within half
dozen years have sprung up from the
sands of what might then have seemed
an irreclaimable desert. But in the
language of Kipling, "tbat is another
story" which will be reached in its
turn.
The first orange orchard in the way is
that OF W. J. Gotten. set out two years
ago in Washington navels. The trees
are in fourishing condition. into
which they have been brought and
kept by assiduous care.
After these came the orchards of
Henry Kemp and Mr.. Harbert whose
faith in the valley as an orange belt is
shown in large tracts of land lying near
the Crosscut.
These orchards, however, are not yet
in bearing, but the owners feel assured
that the investment will yield large and
early profits. 3
Next comes the famed orange groves
of the Arizona improvement company
which four years ago undertook to
demonstrate the success of orange grow
ing in the valley and none who see the
laden and vigorous trees can now doubt
that the experiment has closed and
that the demonstration has been sue
cessfully made. The Improvement
company's farm consists of about ITO
acres probably ten of which is set to
almonds, olives, pears and other fruits
all of which are in hourishing condi-
ton. But the great object of the COM
pany was to grow oranges, and prove
tnat they could be easily and profitably
grow.
The original orchard consisted of six
teen acres, set out four years ago.
These trees all Washington nayels, are
now laden with fruit within month of
maturity, which will still be month
in advance of the season in the most
favored districts of California. A more
beautiful sight than the growing crop
can be hardly imagined. The rich
golden color Of the fruit is beginning to
glow under the cool and deep green
leaves. The oranges are of good size
and the yield will be bounteous. Two
years ago the company was satisfied
with the experiment and set out an
other tract OF seventy acres. containing
5000 trees. Of these only IL were lost
and all are now thrifty and vigorous.
The small percentage of loss means
much to one who understands the cul-
ture of oranges and if no other evidence
were offered him, he would be satisfied
| with the experiment of orange growing
, in the Salt River valley.
On the return from this farm the al
mond and orange orchards of W. A.
Wilson was visited. The almond or.
chard of Mr.. Wilson, fifteen acres, is
said to be one of the most beautiful in
America. A ten-acre orange grove ad-
joining, is promising of graat future
profit. Mr.. Wilson is resident OF
Kansas City, connected with the great
Armour Packing company, and he iE
looking forward to an early day when
he can retire from the busy cares OF
commercial life to luxurious, profit
able and semi-tropical existence in the
Salt River valley.
These are only few of the orchards
visited on a single hurried trip. There
were many others which are flourish.
ing under proper care and unfortun.
ately others which have not received
sufficient attention and in which young
trees struggle for existence against en-
reaching weeds, showing that there are
careless orange growers as well as care
less farmers.