The Arizona sentinel., 1896-03-21
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 emarkable 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, 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 remunerative character.
 The Commissioner of Immigration in his report, published in lSs6, writes as follows of the rich valleys of the Gila, Colorado and Calt 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 overflows 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, well 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 fruits, cereals and vegetables that the labor of the cultvator is reduced to the ! minimum. In nearly all of them two crops a year can be growth, and vegetation is month ahead l of California. The farmers plants a cottonwood sapling before his door, and within the he has shade tree twenty-five feet hgh 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 srair fields are sea of green, when the fields of the Eastern farmers | are covered with snow and ice.
 Every variety grains grasses, fruits and vege- tables 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 | 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 be grown in Arizona, and nowhere are they found of better quality.
 | ''Besides the products mentioned, these semi 1 tropical valleys produce cotton, sugarcane to- | bacco, hemp and rice. With the exception of the sugar-cane but little attention is paid to the cuti- vation of other staples but it has been demonstrate ed that the soil and climate are specially adapted to their successful growth Cotton growing is no | experiment in Arizona, for it is 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- tion and aprosperous future. Almost very var iety known can be raised in their fruitful soils. The apple pear, plum, peach, apricot, quince and nec- tarine, are of delicious flavor, and give gen erous yield. The grape of all varieties i> at home | in these sunny wales. No place in the grape-grow- ] ing belt of the Pacific Coast show prolific a yield. The quality is all that could be desired; and the wine although its manufacture is vet ex- | permental, is of a fine flavor, delicious bouquet, and unsurpassed by any native product as a table beverage Experiments with the raisin-grape have shown that this climate and soil possess | every advantage for the production and curing of this staple article of commerce.
 "Besides the fruits already mentioned, the or ange, lemon, lime, olive, fig, pomegranate, and others of the citrus family, can be grown success l 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 favoraby with the | best California.
 "In the valleys of the Colorado, the Salt and the Gila Iivers there is room for thousands It is not too much to say that nowhere within the limits of this broad Union be found a more desirable l region for the making of home No laborious
 "f the land is required; it lies almost : -a.a. hrubbery have so
 htePn months the le with attractions