The Arizona sentinel., 1898-04-02
FRUIT CULTURE.

Fruit production throughout Arizona is a sub. ject great interest at present, and will nc
 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 oi
 agricultural enterprise. The development of these
 resources is of the utmost importance and is at
 tracing carefnl 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 Con missioner of Immigration in his report, published in iS86, writes as follows of the rich
 valleys of the Gila, Colorado and Salt rivers
 l The soil of thesc valleys is among the richest 1 on the continent It is formed of the detritus which the streams for ages have brought down
 from their mountain homes in their journeg to the
 sea. By constant overhows and change of channel,
 the deposit of this rich vegetable matter has form
 ed soil of ,xtreme fertility, Near ths streams it
 IS a dark alluvial mold, well adapted to small grains and grasses. Farther back there is Q 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 cutivator 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, and 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 grapecuttiDgs 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 Hay lis harvest is ready. Roses are in bloom, fruit trees are bloSsoming, and the grar 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 ill the temperate and semi-tropic zones 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 ill the United States can be grown in Arizona and nowhere are they found of better quality.
 "Besdes the products mentioned, these semi tropical valleys produce cotton, sugarcan to- bacco, hemp and rice With the exception Of the sugarcane but little attentcu is paid to the cuti- yaton of other staples; but it has been demonstrat ed that the soil and climate are specially adapted to their successful growth. Cotton-groWlng IS no experiment. in Arzona for it is on record that when the Europeans first penetrated this region, they found the Pima Indians wearing faDrlcs | made of cotton grown in the Gila valley.
 "But it Is their adaptabhty for fruit culture | that assures to these valley lands dense popuia- 5ion and aproSperous future. Almost every var ety known can be raised in their fruitful solls The apple, pear, plum, peach, apricot quince and nee arine, of delicious flavor, and give gen 'rous yield. The grape of all varieties isa home n these sunny wales. No place in the gfapc-groW- ng belt of the Pacific Coast can show so proiifc 'ield. The quality is all that could be desired; md the wine, although it's manufacture IS yet e&- 'crimental, is of fine flavor. delicious bouquet Hd uus trp>ssed by any native product aa tahio