The Arizona sentinel., 1894-02-17
YUMA PRGSON EARss.
TERRITORIAL PRISON.

has ever been made tO make convict labor sustain in whole Or in part the maintenance of the institution. Ab- solutely nothing has ever been receiv- ed from this source. Thus the law abiding, industrious citizen is taxed to maintain the criminal in idleppss. An effort is now being made to bring about change.
 I would call attention to the fact that body of 1000 acres of land, subject to inundation, adjoins the prison grounds on the north, all of which is unoccupied and could be re- claimed to agriculture by prison labor. I confidently beIIeved that the pro- ducts of this iand would almost, ii not wholly, maintain the prison. would therefore recommend that the Said tract of land, located near the intersec- tion of the Gila and Colorado rivers, in the county of Yuma, Territory of Arizona, be granted to Arizona for the benefit of the Territorial prison, to wit, all the fractional sections num- bered l2, 13, IA, l5, g, and g, Y. S s, R. g w. located between the Gila and Colorado rivers aforesaid and containing 2,0l5 acres, more or less.
 An act of congress was promptly passed and approved granting the land mentioned to the Territory of Arizona for the purpose desired.
 It now devolves upon the au- thorities of the Territorial Govern ment to utilize the land granted for the purpose of diminishing or obliterating the expense of the Territorial prison; so ably set forth in the Governors report.
 The land subject to inundation can be utilized without the cx pense of irrigation by planting bamboo, willow, and other tropical plants which in tke Yuma sun will rival the growths of the Nile or China.
 The bamboo has been grown very little in America, but the Chinese could not live without it; the ten der shoots furnish food nearly equal to asparagus and the ripened stem is manufactured into every class 1f fu...frre.
 The willow will ars a~t- a1'E #--' rla-5r7e the root. form the best .. the permaueHev of dam. The usefulness of the ef.- low in nanufac,Oses k weI,-suaru
 The sunfower is indigenous to the delta of the Gila and Colorado, and the Yuma suG will bring it's namesake to perfection. The seeds of the sunfower can be utilized for poultry, hogs and cattle, and the oil expressed by simple process is nearly equal to olive oil for table use. It is cultivated extensively in Southern Russia for the oil. The stalks are used for fuel.
 Wild hemp IS indigenous to the bottom lands of the Gila and Col orado rivers. but as nature pro- duces nothing perfectly its culti- vation in the delta would be worthy of experiment. and a staple for cord age, bagging and clothing may be produced.
 Rice grows abundantiy on such lands in Asia and the experiment might be tried at Yuma.
 The aborigines have produced pumpkins, melons and corn on the same land, time immemorial and ;here Is no reason to doubt tho ability of the present race to i'm prove upon their mode of cultiva- tion.
 Vineyards will produce an ex- traordinary amount of sacchavine and yield grapes fit for raisins or sweet wines.
 Sugar cane grows luxuriantly in precisely tine same soil and climate elsewhere, and there is no reason why it should not be grown at Yuma.
 Experiments may also be made with sorghum and sugar costs.
 The essences of flowers are most ly imported into the United States.
 There is no reason why they should not be made at home.
 CANAIGRE (Sour caue).
 Great interest is felt in the culti- vation of the ca1aigre for tannic acid and medicinal purposes and the soil and sun of the Gila seems well adopted to its growth.
 If successful experiments can be