The Florence tribune., 1897-07-17
THE CASA eRANDE VALLEY.
Information for Those Seeking Homes h the Garden Spot of the West.

In the Garden spot or the west.
 Pinal county was organized in 1915 from portions of Pima, Maricopa and 1avapal counties, and contains an area of ,Sos square miles or & 4S5. .520 acres, one-third of which could be made productive by systenla.ic storage of the surplus water nov running 70 waste. Next to Marieopa 1t IS the hlest @ lIh- portant agricultural county lnthe territory. 1t it trayersed from east to west Dy the Southern Pacific railroad, and branch or the great Santa Fe system is now approach ing from the north. The obJective polhe oI this road is connection with the sonora road, sf the same system: The southern Pacific is also bHilding in this directlon rom ron, Tempe, and it is confidently believed a.e 1h1e work will not cease Hntil the Deer Creek coal fields are reached and connection IS made with another branch of tkat road run- ming from Bowie to Globe and HOW compiet- sJl to Fert Thomas. |, the theater of railroad building at the pres ent time, and inside of year Florence, the county seat, will be
 RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present it contains population Eol about 150e, but with the completion of these two railroads and the Butte reserVolr ho city in Arizona can approach it for natural advantages, and large increase lh popule- tisn will follow. Florence is at an elevation of 1858 feet absve sea level, situated near tIls Gila river, twenty-six miles northwest or the railroad station of Casa Grande, wlth whlcn n 1t is connected by an elegantly equipped daily stage line. Going and coming stagess run by the old Casa Grande ruins, anu passengers are allowed a short time to ln- spect them. There are many handsome pri- vatesresidences iR Florence, several prlc6 school employing four teachers churches, secret societies, a Commercial Club, news paper lthe only one in the countyl, and the handssmest court house in the Territory. Here is held the United States Court for the district composed of Gila. Graham ana Pinal counties. The streets are lined with 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, especilaly adapted to the growth of the prune; olive almond, peach, fig, pear, apricot and frults ment. It is also the natural home ot alfalfa, which grows in the most prohnc manner The grape does exceptionally well n tnis valley, and wine and raisin culture is destin- ed to become prominent industry. Citrus fruits have been cultivated to limited extent; there are a number of orange trees in the neighborhosd of Florence which bear their golden fruit each year without pro- tectioR, and few date palm trees are also m full bearing. The season Is from SIX weeks to two months eariler than Southern OahIor- mia, which gives fruit growers an appreciat- ed advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence Of logs and uGWs is u formidable obstacle to the destructive and unsightly scale-bug, and the fruits Of the valley all bright and clean All the agrl- cultural products of temperate and seml- tropic zones are easily grown here, the long seasons giving a succession of crops that double or treble the productive value Of the land.
 PRICES OF LAND.
 Improved lands. with government title and water right, can be bought for from S2V to provements. In the Immediate neighbor- hood aud to the south of the Casa Grande ruins there are thousands of acres covered with aheavy growth ef mesquite timber yet open to settlement. These are among the choicest in the valley. Water in inexhausti- ble quantity is found at depth or rom twenty to thirty feet; in fact, river seems to be flowing underneath. Here IS splen- did opportunity to take up and improve land with a 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 it is only mentioned here for the purpose of showing what can be done, and to magnify the further fact that what was once considered
 AN UKINHABITABLE DESERT
 Is in truth the most productive land on the globe, and that there is water in abundance to bring every foot of it under cultivation, only waiting for the magic wand of capital 50 develop it. There is water-storage scheme O5i the Pac1nc coast that iaS one naiI the natural advantages and so few engineer ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. Here nature has built the abutments in ever-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 a paltry 220 feet. 4 country is drained through this narrow canyon 200 miles square. representing 10000 square miles, or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. The rainfall is suf icient to fill the reservoir twice year, and the land to be brought under cultivation is practically limitless. This may read like fairy tale, but it is every word true, and has been verified time and again.
 CASA GRASDE RESERVOIR.
 The reservoir of the Casa Grande Valley Canal company is the largest in the territory. It covers surface of 1600 acres, with an aver age depth of F 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 14, ,090 feet in length width at top to slope on each side, and an average height of 2j feet. The waste is regu- lated by cast iron pipes feet in diameter, set in solid masonry, regulated by gates and tower. This reservoir cost Sl5O0O0, and sup plies water for 6.0OO acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern ment maintained a 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 during the series of six yeas:
 1850. Mean. Max. Min. July ..................-......9 III 6I August .-.....--.-.-..-... .ss.5 IF 50 September aSl.0 107 l8 October ....................69 69.0 e6 g November 52.1 80 25