The Arizona sentinel., 1898-05-28
FRUIT CULTURE.

Fruit production throughout Arizona is sub ject great interest at present, and Will no doubt, be the principal industry in Yuma County. Tie 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 tracting carefnl attention. Experiments have been made with care and facts in regard to the culture 5f different kinds of fruits have been collected which cannot fai to convince, even tbe most skept ical, ofthe wonderful superiority of Yuma County over southern California in fruit growing, and which must lead to a large and varied production, os the most rcInmer&tye character.
 l Tie Con missioner of Immigration ill his report, published in 8S5 writes as follows of the rich valleys Of the Giia, Colorado and calt rivers.
 'The soil Of these valleys is among the richest on the continent It is formed of the detrtus which the streams for ages have brought down from their mountain homes in their journey to the sea. By constant 0verfows and change Of channel, the deposit of this rich vegetable matter has form el soil of ,xtreme fertility, Near th5 streams it 1 is dark alluvial mold, well adapted to small grains and grasses. Farther back tnere is rich l sandy loam, mellow and porous, and especially l favorable for fruit culture. It has been already demonstrated that the productive pacity of these valleys s not surpassed by lanls of equal area in any part of the United States So rapid and prolific is the growth of the frits cereals and vegetables that the labor Of the cutiyator is reduced to the minimum. nearly all of them two crops year ] can be growth and vegetation is one month ahead 1 of California. The farmers plants cottonwood sapli1g beforehis door, and within the year he has a shade tree twenty-five feet high, Alfalfa can be cut six times during the season, and it is an actual tat the grape-cuttings have produced within eigh- teen months, What State 9r Territory can make 1 such showing? The climate, it must be remem- lered. is nearly perpetual summer. Snow never fll, in these southern valleys. The farmer begins ] to plant in November, and by the middle of May Ii, harvest is ready. Roses are in bloom, fruit trees are blossong, and the grair fields are ssa l of green, when the fields of the Eastern farmers are covered with snow and ice.
 1 Every variety O grains grasses, fruits and vege- tables grown ill the temperate and semi -troPic zones can be produced ill the valleys of Arizona Wheat corn barley, oats and ali the small grains give yield of from twenty-five to fifty bushels to 1 il,s acre. Alfalfa clover, timothy, Bermuda anl all the cultivated grasses grow luXuriantly, the former ciying from eight to ten tons to the acre each year, Every variety of vegetable raised il the United States can be grown in Arizona, and l nowhere are they found of better quality.
 "Bastdos the products mentioned, these semi troDfcal valleys produce cotton, sugar-cane, to- bacco. hemp and rice With the exception of tho sugarcane, but little attention is paid to the cult
 ration of other staples but it has been demonstrat c4 that the soil and climate specially adapted to their successful growth. Cotton-Srowing is no experiment in Arizona, for it is on record tha
 when the Europeans first penetrated this region
 they found the Pima Indians wearing tabric'
 made of cotton grown in the Gila valley
 'But it is their adaPtabihty for fruit culture
 that assures to these valley lands dense popuIa-
 ton and apsosperous future. Almost every var tty known can be raised in their fruitful soils Ih
 apple. pear, plum, peach, apricot, quinee and nee
 tarine, are of delicious flavor, and give gen
 erous yield. The grape of all varieties ia holn' in these sunny wales. No place in the grape-sro"
 inc belt of the Pacific Coast show so prcsiIic
 yield. The quality is all that could be desired
 and the wine althoughits manufacture Is vel eN
 rrriacrtal. isa. d fuo faco,. delicious bog iet
 qaf ua- lru.,.e,i b, any native product aS a '@h'