The Arizona sentinel., 1894-06-16
FRUIT CULTURE.

Fruit production throughout Arizona is a sub
 ject of great interest at present, and will no
 doubt, be the principal industry in Yuma County
 The remarkable results that have sprung from
 very superficial and imperfect culture has de-
 monstrated that the soil and climate of Yuma
 County are peculiarly adapted for this branch of
 agricultural enterprise. The development of these
 resources IS of the utmost importance and is at
 tracing careful attention. Experiments have been
 made, with care and facts in regard to the culture of different kinds of fruits have been collected
 which cannot fail to convince even tbe most skept
 ical, of the wonderful superiority of Yuma County
 over Southern California in fruit growing, and
 which must lead to large and varied production
 of the most rsmunerative character
 The Commissioner of Immigration in lis report
 published in 'S86, writes follows of the rich valleys cf the Gila. Colorado and Salt rivers
 "The soil of these valleys is among the richest on the continent It is formed of the detritus, which the streams for ages have brought down from their mountain homes in their journey to the sea. By constant overiows and change of channel the deposit of this rich vegetable matter has form ed soil of ,xtreme fertility, Near the streams it is dark alluvial mold, we'll adapted to small grains and grasses. Farther back there is rich sandy loam, mellow and porous, and especially favorable for fruit culture. It has been already demonstrated that the productive capacity of these valleys is not surpassed by lands of equal area in any part of the United States So rapid and prolific is the growth of the fruis cereals and vegetables that the labor of the cultivator is reduced to the minimum. In nearly all of them two crops year can be growth, and vegetation is one month ahead of California The farmers plants a cottonwood sapling before his door, and within the year he has a shade tree twenty five feet high Alfalfa can be cut six times during the season. and it is an actual fact the grape-cuttings have produced within eigh- teen months! What State or Territory can make such showing? The climate it must be remem- bered, Is nearly perpetual summer. Snow never | falls in these southern valleys The farmer begins to plant in November and by the middle of May his harvest is ready. Roses are in bloom, fruit | trees are blossoming, and the grain fields are sea of green, when the fields of the Eastern farmers are covered with snow and ice.
 Every variety of grains, grasses, fruits and vege 5ables grown in the temperate and semi-tropic zones can be produced in the valleys of Arizona. Wheat, corn barley, oats and all the small grains give yield of from twenty-five to fifty bushels to he acre. Alfalfa, clover, timothy, Bermuda and Ill the cultivated grasses grow luxuriantly, the ormer giving from eight to ten tons to the acre each year, Every variety of vegetable raised ill he United States can be grown in Arizona, and nowhere are they found of better quality.
 'BeSides the products mentioned, these semi tropical valleys produce cotton, sugar-eane to- 'acco, hemp and rice. With the exception of the ugarcane, but little attention is paid to the culti 'aon of other staples; but it has been demonstrat d that the soil and climate are specially adapted O their successful growth. otton-growing is no experiment. in Arizona, for it is on record that ghen the Europeans first penetrated this region, hey found the Pima Indians wearing fabrics made of cotton grown in the Gila valley.
 "But it is their adaptabilty for fruit culture hat assures to these valley lands dense pouuIa- ion and aprOsperous future. Almost every var ,ty known be raised in their fruitful soils The ppe. pear, plum, peach, apricot, quince and nee lrne, are of delicious flavor and give a gen rous yield. The grape of all varieties is at home these sunny vaes No place in the grape-erow- lg belt Of the Pacific Coast can show so prolific ield, The qualtg is all tha. could be desired.