The Arizona sentinel., 1898-10-29
FRUIT CULTURE.

Fruit production throughout Arizona is @ 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 eima.a ofYuma County are peculiarly adapted for this branch of agricultural enterpris-, The development of these 1 resources is of the utmost importance and is at tractiug careful attention. Experiments have been made, with care, and facts in regard to the culture of different kinds of fruits have been collected which canot fail to convince, even tbe most skept- ical, oft'7 wonderful superiority of Yuma County over &oath6Yn California in fruit growing, and which must lead to a large and varied production, Of the most ramunerative character.
 The Con missioner of Immigration in his report, published in 8S8, writes as follows of the rich yalle, of the Cila. Colorado and Calt rivers.
 ''The soil Of these valleys is among the richest on the continent. It is formed of the detritus which the streams for ages have brought down from their mountain homes in their journey to the sea. By constant overiows and change of channel, the deposit of this rich vegetable matter has form ed a soil of extreme fertility, Near ths streams it is a dark aIluvial mold, well adapted to smalt grains and grasses. Farther back there is a rich sandy loan, 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 0 year bo is month o1,aaJ of California. The farmers plants cottonwood sapling before his 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 t the grape-cuttings have produced within cigh- teen mott What State or Terri, F can make such a showing? The climate, it 4Ss be remem- L5rod, is nearly perpetual summer. Snow never falls ia these southern valleys. The farmer begins to pl mt in November, and by the middle of Nay lis harvest is ready Roses in bloom, fruit trees are blossomng, and the grair 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 semi-tropic zones can be produced in the valleys of Al izona Wheat, corn barley, oats and all the small grains rive yield of from twenty-five to fifty bushels to inc 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 ip Arizona, and
 here are they found of better quality.
 Besides the products mentioned, these semi
 aical valleys produce cotton, sugar-cane, to-
 O. hemp and rice With the exception of the
 rcanc. but little attention is paid to the culti-
 Yn of other staples; but it has been demonstrat- . nat the soil and climate are specially adapted Il. cir successful growth. CottOn-growing is no
 riment in Arizona, for it is on record that
 ! the Europeans first penetrated this region,
 found the Pima Indians wearing fabrics of cotton grown in the Gila valley. lB it is their adaptabilty for fruit culture --. assures to these valley lands dense popula-
 . md aprosperous future Almost every var nown can be raised in their fruitful soils. The
 pear, plum, peach, apricot, quince and nee
 .-, are of delicious flavor, and give gen
 yield. The grape Of all varieties isa home SC sunny wales. No place in the grape-grow-
 lt of the Pacific Coast can show so prolific
 The quality is all that could be desired;
 wine although it's manufacture IS yet eX-
 3ntal, is Of a fine favor delicious bouquet l
 surpassed by any native product as atable