The Arizona sentinel., 1894-11-17
FRUIT CULTURE.

the essential elements Of richness and fertility.
FRUIT CULTURE.
! Fruit production throughout Arizona is o sub
ject Of great interest at present, and will no
doubt, be the principal industry in Yuma County.
The remar kable r@sults that have sprung from
very superficial and i'm. erect culture has de-
monstrated thai the soil and climate of Yuma
County are peculiarly adapted for this branch Of
agricultural entorp-is The development Of these
esources is Of the utmost importance and is at
| tractiug careful attention. Experiments hive been
made with care and facts in regard to the culture
| of different kinds of fruits have been collected
which cannot fail to 'nvince, even the most skept
zeal, fthe wonderful superiority of Yuma County
over southern California in fruit growing, and
which must lead to a large and varied production,
of the most remuneratiVe character.
The Commissioner of immigration in his report,
| published in 1885, writes follows of the rich
valley Of the ella. Colorado and Salt rivers.
THE soil of these valleys is among the richest
on the continent 1t is formed of the detr:tus
| which the streams for ages have brought down
from their noun ain homes in their journey to the
| sea. BY consta, overfows and change of channel,
the depo it of this rich vegetable matter has form
ed soil of Extreme fertility, Near the streams it
| is dark alluvial mold, we'll adapted to small
grains and grasses. Farther back there is a ri h
favor lble for fruit culture. l. has been already
demonstrated that the produ :tive pacty Of these
valleys is not surpassed by Ian Is of equal area in
any part of the United States So rapid an prolific
is the growth of the fruits, cereals and vegetables
fl1off Lob,
minimum. In nearly all of them two crops year
can be growth, and vegetation is one month ahead
of C'iiforni.. The farmers plants cottonwood
saplng before his door, and within the year he has
| a shade tree twenty-five feet hirh Alfalfa can be
cut six ii during the season. and it is actual
tact the grapecnttihgs have produced within eigh-
| teen mo, tbs! What State or Territory can make
| such showing? The cliu.ate, It must be remem-
bered, is nearly perpetual summer Snow never
falls in these southern valleys. The farmer begins
to plant in Vovember, and by the middle of way
| his harvest is ready. Roses are in bloom, fruit
trees are bios ouing, and the graiI 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-
tables grown in the temperate AMI 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
the acre. Alfalfa, clover, timothy, Bermu la AMI
all the cultivated grasses grow luxurilntly, the
former giving from eight to ten tons to the acre
each year, Every variety of vegetable raised in
the United States can be grown in Arizona, and
nowhere are they found of bett r quality.
''Besides the products mentioned, these semi
| from al.
baccO, hemp and rice With the exception of the
sugarcane but little attention. is paid to the cult.
tation of ether staples hut il has been demonstrat-
ed that the soil and climate are spec; aly adapted
to their successful growth. Cotton growing is no
experiment in Arizona, for it is on record that
when the Europeans first penetrated this region,
they found the Pima Indians wearing fabrics
made of cotton grown in the ella valley
"But it is their adaptabilIty for fruit culture
that assures to these valley lands dense papula-
ton and aprosperous future. Almost every var
ety known be raised in their fruitful soils. The
apple, pear, plum, peach, apricot, quine and ne:-
tarine, of delicious flavor, and give gen
erOus yield. The grape OF all varieties at home
in these sunny wales. No place in the grape-grow-
ing belt of the Pacif Coast car show so prolific
yield. The quality is all that could be desired:
| ana the VINE, although It's manutac ure is vet eX-
perimental, is of fine flavor, d!aIcious bouquet,
and unsurpassed by any native product as a table
| beverage. experiments with the raisin grape
| have shown that this climate ana soil possess
every Vantage for tire pro ;uc:ion and caring of
this stlple article of commerce.
Besides the frIts already mentioned, the or
ange, lemon, lime, olive, fig. pomegr nate, and
others Of the citrus family, can be grown success
fully in the valleys of Southern Arizona Orange
trees are now in bearing in the Salt River valley
and at Yuma; while the bananas is also being cul
tivated at the latter place. The Arizona orange in
quality and favor will compare fayoTably with the
best California.
"In the valleys of the Colora 10, the Salt and the
ella rivers, there is room for thousands 1t is not
too much to say that nowhere within the limits o.
! this broad Union be found more desirable
re-ion for the making of home. No laborious
clearing of the land is required it lies almost
ready for the pillow. Trees and -hrub' cry have Sc
rapid growth that within eighteen months the
immigrant surround his abode with attractions
which would require years to natur in less favored
climates. Fruits rpen and are ready for market
a full month fore the California product. The
bright sunshine makes life luxury, and the pure
dry atmosphere brings health to all who inhale it
For the establi shment of colonies, suci have