The Florence tribune., 1896-02-15
THE CASA eRANDE VALLEY.

7E CRoH GtANDE VALLEY. Information for Those Seeking Homes
 In the Garden Spot of the West.
 Pinal county was organized in 1875 from portions of Pima, Maricopa and Yavapai counties, and contains an area of 5, ,s6S square miles, or 5, ,sS5, ,520 acres, one-third of which could be made productive by systematic storage of the surplus water now running to waste. Next to Maricopa it is the most i'm portant agricultural county in the Territory. It it traversed from east to west by the Southern Pacific railroad, and branch of the great Santa Fe system is now approach ing from tine north. The objective point of this road IS connection with the Sonora road, of the same system. The Southern Pacific IS also building in this direction from 1empe,and it is confidently believed that work will not cease until the Deer Creek coal fields are reached and connection is made with another branch of that road rum ming from Bowie to Globe and now complet- ed to Fort Thomas.
 Thus it will be seen that Pinal county is the theater of railroad building at the pres county seat, will be
 RAILRoAD CENTER.
 At present it contains n lpopulation Eof about l500, but with the conaplation of these two railroads and the Butte reservoir no city in Arizona can approach it for natural aavantages and a large increase in popula-
 
 sf lo5S feet above sea level, situated near tle Gila river, twenty-six miles northwest of the railroad station of Casa Grande, with which It IS connected by an elegantly equipped daily stage line. Going and coming stages run by the old C"~a C4-anfe r,,ins and passengers are allowed short time to in- spect them. There are many handsome pri- stores, good hotel, an excellent graded school employing four teachers, churches secret societies, Commercial Club Q news taGn la handsomest court house in the Territory Here Is held the United States Court for the district composed of Gila. Graham and shade trees, which impart an air of comfort on the warmest days.
 PRODUCTS OF THE VALLEY.
 Unlike the Salt river, the waters of the Gila are fresh and pure; the soil contains no alkali, is deep, rich gray ash, especially adapted to the growth of the prune, olive, of all kinds, which pay largely on the invest ment. It Is also the natural home of alfalfa, which grows in the most prolific manner. the grape does exceptionally well in this valley, and wine and raisin culture Is destin- cd to become a prominent industry. Citrus fruits have been cultivated to a limited extent; there are number of orange trees in the neighborhood os Florence which bear their golden fruit each year without pro tection, andsa few date palm trees are also in full bearing: The season is from six weeks
 
 mia, which gives fruit growers an appreciat- od advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is A formidable obstacle to the destructive and uns1ghtly scale-bug. and the fruits of the valley are all bright and clean. All the agri- cultural products of temperate and semi- tropic zones are easily grown here, the long seasons giving a succession of crops that land.
 PIECES OF LAND.
 Improved lands, with government title and water right, can be bought for from SEQ to SS0 per acre, according to location and irn- proponents. In the immediate neighbor- hood and to the south of the Casa Grande ruins there are thousands of acres covered with heavy growth of mesquite timber vet open to settlement. These are among the choicest in the valley. Water in inexhausti- pie Quantity IS found at depth of from twenty to thirty feet; in fact, a river seems to be flowing underneath. Here is splen- did opportunity to take up and improve lana with pumping system of irrigation. which Is said to be successful on small tracts. However, with the completion of the Butte reservoir, pumping will be thing of the past, and t $ only mentioned here for the purpose ot showing what can be done, and to magnify the further fact that what was once considered
 AN UNIEHABITABLE DESERT
 Is in truth the most productive land on the globe, and that there is water in abundance to bring every foot of 1t under cultivation, only waiting for the magic wand of capital to develop 1t. There is no water-storage scheme on the Pacific coast that has one-half the natural advantages and so few engineer Ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. Here nature has built the abutments in eyer-liv- ing rock, and all that is left for man to do is to put in the headgate, the bluffs which form the gorge being only separated by paltry 20 feet. country is drained through this narrow canyon 200 miles square representing 40,000 square miles, or larger than Maine and Hcient to i'll the reservoir twice year, and the land to be brought under cultivation is practically hmitless. This may read like a fairy tale, but it is every word true, and has been verified time and again.
 CASA CYANIDE RESERVOIR.
 The reservoir of the Casa Grande Valley Canal company is the largest in the territory. It covers surface of l600 acres, with an aver age depth of 12 feet, and contains about eight thousand million gallons of water. It is sit uated fifteen miles southwest of Florence. A levee of earth has been thrown up across a depression in the plain II, 900 feet in length. 125 feet iii width at the bottom and g feet in width at top, to slope on each side and an average height of 25 feet. The waste is regu- lated by east iron pipes feet in diameter, set in solid masonry, regulated by gates and tower. This reservoir cost S150OOO and sup plies water for 5000 acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern menf maintained station at Florence from 1874 to 1882. The reports covering the period from July, 1880, to April 1882, gives the follow ing statistics, which may be taken as safe guide to the prevailing temperature given
 1880. Mean. Max. Min. July y.....................86 .86.6 III 61 August -..-.--.....--..... s6.5 112 80 September 61.0 107 48