The Arizona sentinel., 1896-02-08


 The soil of the uplands, or mesas, S lighter and more gravelly and in some places of free, loamy, calcareous character. The mesa lands are warm and generous. They seem especially adapted for the grape olive and citrus fruits generally Their soil contains more magnesia, lime chalk than the bottom lands It never cracks and retains moisture admirably in It is of that character which will produce wine that will keep good for fifty or a hundred years, and improve annually, not being liable to sour, exposure to the air, after one year old, to become turbid and change color in the bottle or glass.
 We can safely say that the soil of Yuma County nowhere be surpassed, containing it does all the essential elements of richness and fertility.
 FRUIT CULTURE.
 Fruit production throughout Arizona is a sub ject great interest at present. and wlli 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 ere 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 a large and varied production, of the most remunerative character.
 The Commissioner of Immigration in his report, h bad in writes fellows 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 sea. By constant overlows and change of channel, the deposit of this rich vegetable matter has form ed soil of extreme fertility, Near the streams it l is dark alluvial mold, well adapted to small grains and grasses. Farther back there is a rich sandy loam, mellow and porous, and especially favorable for fruit culture. It las 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 cutivatOr is reduced to the minimum. In nearly all of them two crops ayear ! can be growth and vegetation is one month ahead | of California. The farmers plants cottonwood saplng before his door, and within the year he has q shade tree twenty-five feet high. Alfalfa can be cut six times during the season, and it is actual fact the grapecuttings 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 l I,v4 4Io l,1 of MaV his harvest is ready. Roses are in bloom, fruit trees are blossoming and the grair fields are sea | of green, when the fields of the Eastern farmers are covered with and ice.
 Every variety of grains, grasses, fruits and vege | tables grown in tine temperate and scmi-tropic l zones can be produced in the valleys of Arizona Wheat corn barley, oats ard 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 ill the United States can be grown in Arizona, and nowhere 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 sugar-cane but little attention is paid to the cult vaton of other staples; but it has been demonstrat ed that the soil and climate are specially adapted to their successful growth. Cotton-growng is TIC 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 Gia valley.
 ''But it is their adaptabillty for fruit culture that assures to these valley lands dense popula- tion and aprosperous future. Almost every var ietv known can be raised in their fruitful soils Tho apple, pear, plum, peach, apricot, quinee and nee tarine, are of delicious flavor, and give gen erous yield The grape of all varieties is at home in these sunny vales No place in the grape-grow ing belt of the Pacific Coast show so prolific 6 yield. The quality is all that could be desired and the wine although it's manufacture IS yet eX perimental, is of fine flavor, delicious bouquet | and unsurpassed by any native product as tabl' beverage Experiments with the raisn grape have shown tliat this climate and soil possess every advantage for the production and curing O this staple article of commerce.
 Besides the fruits already mentioned, the or ange, lemon, lime, olive, fig, pomegranate, anC 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 il quality and flavor will compare favorably with tho best California.
 'In the valleys of the Colorado, the Salt and the Gila rivers, there is for thousands. It is not teo much to say that nowhere within the limits o this broad Union can be found more desirable region for the making of home. No laborioul clearing of the land is required; it lies almos ready for the blow. Trees and shrubbery have SC rapid growth that within eighteen months tho immigrant can surround his abode with attractions which would require years to mature in less favored climates Fruits rpen and are ready for market a full month b fore the California product. The bright sunshine makes life luxury, and the pure dry atmosphere brings health to all who inhale it For the establishment of colonies, such as we have made of Southern California arden, hrizona presents unrivaled opportunities Thousands o