The Arizona sentinel., 1895-11-16
FRUIT CULTURE.

Fruit production throughout Arizona is a sub ject 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
 tracting 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 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 remuneratiye character.
 The Commissioner of Immigration in his report,
 published in 1886, writes follows of the rich
 valleys of 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
 ssa By f9p8tant % ant Gyer0ws and change @f os~a
 is dark alluvial mold, well adapted to small
 grains and grasses. Farther back there is a rich 1N
 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 fruits, cereals and vegetables that the labor of the cultiyator is reduced to the
 minimum. In nearly all of them two crops a year can be growth, and vegetation is one month ahead
 of California. The farmers plants cottonwood
 saping before his door, and within the year he hes
 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 cigh- teen months, What State or Territory can make
 such a 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 blossomng, 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- tables grown in the temperate and semi-tropc 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, Bermuda and all the cultivated grasses grow iuxuriantly, 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 better quality.
 "Besdes the products mentioned, these semi tropical valleys produce cotton, sugar-cane, to- bacco, hemp and rice With the exception of the sugarcane, but little attention is paid to the culti vaton of other staples but it has been demonstrat- cd hat tbn o,,J. .l; to their successful growth. Cotton growing is no 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 Gila valley
 "But it is their adaptabillty for fruit culture that assures to these valley lands dense popula- ion and aprosperous future. Almost every var ety known be raised in their fruitful soils The pple, pear, plum, peach, apricot, quince and nee arine, of delicious flavor, and give gen rous yield. The grape of all varieties is at home n these sunny wales. No place in the grape-grow- ng belt of the Pacific Coast can show so prolific field. The quality is all that could be desired; nd the wine, although it's manufacture is yet ex- $ is of fine flavor, delicious bouquet, nd unsurpassed by any native product as a table average Experiments with the raisngrape I ave shown that this climate and soil possess I very advantage for the production and curing of a his staple article of commerce. V Besides the fruits already mentioned, the or t nge, lemon, lime, olive, fig, pomegranate. and h thers of the citrus family, be grown success O lily in the valleys of Southern Arizona. Orange Il 'ees are now in bearing in the Salt River valley D nd at Yuma; while the bananas is also being cuI. vated at the latter place. The Arizona orange in lality and flavor will compare favorabIy with tbe r est California. IL
 ln the valleys of the Colorado, the Salt and the ri fla rivers, there is for thousands It is not 70 much to say that nowhere within the limits of e lis broad Union be found a more desirable al gion for the making of home. No laborious | caring of the land is required; it lies almost '" ady for the blow. Trees and shrubbery have Sc rr pid a growth that within eighteen months the :, migrant can surround his abode with attractions - lich would require years to mature in less favored ; mates. Fruits ripen and ready for market a, full month before the California product The on ight sunshine makes life luxury, and the pure it. atmosphere brings health to all who inhale it. ne r the establishment of colonies such as we have G de of Southern California a arden, Arizona as scents u8r.vaIed opportunities Thousands of N