The Arizona sentinel., 1895-11-23
FRUIT CULTURE.

Fruit production throughout Arizona is sub iect 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 tractug 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, tbe most skept ical, of the 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 ill his report, published in lSS8, writes as follows of the rich valleys of the Gila, Colorado and Gait rivers.
 oThe 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 ii Jhei- journey to the sea- By constant orurdows and change of channel the deposit of this rich vegetable matter has form ed soil of ,Xtreme fertility, Near the streams it
 is a dark alIuvial mold, well adapted to small grains and grasses. Farther back there is a rich sandy loan, 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 fruits, cereals and vegetables that the labor of the cultvator 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 cottonwood sapling before his door, aud within the year he has shade tree twenty five feet high Alfalfa can be cut six times during the season. and it is an actual
 fact the cuttings have produced within eigh- teen months, What State or Territory can make such a showing? The climate, it must be remem- hered, 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 bIossoming 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 vese
 tables grown in the temperate and semi-tropie
 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 luXuriantly, 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 novhe.e are they found of better quality.
 Besides 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 cult
 vation of other staples but it has been demonstrat ed that the soil and climate specially adapted
 to their successful growth Cottongrowing is no
 experiment in Arizona, for it is on record that when the Europeans first penetrated this region 1 they found tbe Pima Indians wearing fabrics
 made of cotton grown iii the Gila valley.
 '.But it is their adaptabiIty for fruit culture
 that assures to these valley lands dense popUla- tion and aprosperous future Almost every var
 iety known be raised in their fruitful soils The apple pear, plum, peach, apricot quince and nee | tarinc are of delicious flavor, and give gen
 erous yield The grape Of ail varieties is at home in these sunny yales. No place in the grape-groW l ing belt of the Pacific Coast show prolific yield. Tine quality is all that could be desired and the wine, although it's manufacture Is vet ex i pernlental, is of fine favor, delicious bouquet and unsurpassed by any native product as Q tablc i beverage. Experiments with the raisin-grape | have shown that this climate and soil posses. every advantage jor the production and curing oi | this pie article of commerce.
 1 Besides tBe fruits already mentioned. tho or 1 ange, lemon, lime, olive, fig, pomegranate, and others of the citrus family, 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 flavor will compare favorably with the 1 best California.
 ''In the valleys @. the Colorado, the Salt and the
 Gila iveCs there Is room for thousands. It is not too much to say that nowhere within tine limits of
 this broad Onion ,an he found a more desirable region for the making of home. No laborious clearing of the land is required, it lies alDlost ready for the blow. Trees and shgubhcry have so
 rapid growth that within eighteen months the immigrant oan surround his abode with attractions
 Unica would require years to 'aatur in less favored climates Fruits ril.cn and ale ready tvr market 1 8 null month D fore the California prodaet Tle bright sunshine makes life luxury, and the pure,
 dry atmosphere brings health to al who ihhale it. For the establishment Of colonies, s1ch as We have
 -a5s of Southern California 3 arden, Arizona
 r-esorts 7r-~irsIed. cYrertu0iJiss Thc1eapis Of