The Arizona sentinel., 1898-06-25
FRUIT CULTURE.

Fruit production throughout Arizona is a sub iect great interest at present. and will 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 are peculiarly adapted for this branch of agricultural enterprise. The development of these resources is of the utmost importance and is at tractng 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 remuneratve character.
 The Commissioner of Immigration in his report published ill 1886, writes follows of the rich valleys of the Gila, Colorado and Salt rivers
 'The soil of theso valleys is among the richest on the continent. It is formed of the detritus from their mountain homes in their journeg to the sea- By constant overfiows and change of channel the deposit of this rich vegetable matter has form ed soil of extreme fertility, Near th9 streams it is a 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 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 cultivator is reduced to the minimum. Tn nearly all of them two crops year can be growth, and vegetation is one month ahead of California. The farmers plants cottonwood sapng before his door, and within the year he has a shade tree twenty-five feet high! Alfalfa be cut six times during the season. and it is actual fact the grape-cuttings have produced within eigh teen months! What State or Territory can mako such a showing? The climate, it must be renlem- 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 lis harvest is ready. Roses are in bloom, fruit trees are blossoming, and the grain 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 seml-troplc 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 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 sugarcanc but little attcnticu is paid to the cult vaton of other staples; but it has been demonstrat cd that the soil and climate specially adapted to their successful growth. Cotton-growing is no 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 Gila valley
 But it is their adaptabilIty for fruit culture that assures to these valley lands dense popula- tion and prosperous future. Almost every var iety known can be raised in their fruitful soils The apple, pear, plum, peach, apricot, quince and nee tarnc, are of delicious flavor, and give gen orous yield. The grape of all varieties iSa home in these sunny wales. No place in the grape-grow- ing belt of the Pacific Coast can show so prolific q .e auliitv io all that could be dssi7cdi
 inc although it's manufacture IS yet eH-
 ,I, is of fine flavor, delicious bouquet, ... passed by any native product as taOie