The Florence tribune., 1898-04-16

tion will follow. Florence is at an eioyetiou of l553 feet above sea level. situated near the Gila river, tweaty-six miles northwest of the railroad station of Casa Grande, with which 1t Is connected by an elegantly equipped drily stage line. Going and coming stages run by the old Casa Graade ruins, and passengers are allowed short tina to iu- spect them. There are many handsome pri- vate residences in Florence, several brick stores, good hotel, sn excellent gleded school employing four teachers, churches, secret societies, n Commercial Club news paper (the only one in the cOuntyl, and the handsomest court house in the Territory. Here Is held the United States Court for the district composed of Gila, Graham and Pinai 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 Sila are fresh and pure; the soil contains no llkaii- is deep, rich gray ash, especially adapted to tho growth of the prune, olive, almond, peach, fig, pear, apricot and fruits of all kinds, mich pay largely on the invest ment. It is also the natural home of alfalfa, which grows in the most prolific manner. The grape does exceptionally well in this valley, and wine and raisin culture Is destin- ed to become prominent industry. Citrus fruits have been cultivated to limited extent; there are number Of orange trees their golden fruit each year without pro tection and few date palm trees are also in full bearing: Tho season is from six weeks to two months earller than Southern Califor mia, which gives fruit growers an appreciat- ed advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is formidable obstacle to the destructive and unsisshtly scale-bug, and the fruits of the valley are all bright and clean. All the agri- cultural products of temperate and semi tropic zones. are easily grown here, the long seasons giving succession Of crops that double or treble the productive value of the land.
 PRICES OF LAND.
 Improved lands, with government title and water right, cnn be bought for from SEQ to S5O per acre, according to location and im- hood and to the south of the Casa Grande ruins there are thousands of acres covered with a heavy growth of mesquite timber yet open to settlement. These are among the choicest in the valley. Water in inexhausti- ble quantity is found at depth of from twenty to thirty feet; in fact, river seems to be flowing underneath. Here Is splen- did opportunity to take up and improve land with pumping system of irrigation, which is said to be successful on small tracts.
 However, with the completion of the Butte resergoiT pumping dI wl, 6e bag 5a,ng or the the purpose of showing what can be done and to magnify the further fact that what was once considered
 AN UNINHABITABLR 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 to develop it. There Is no wa.er-storage scheme on the Pacific coast that has one half the natural advantages and 50 few engineer ing difficulties us the Butte reservoir. Here nature has built the aDutments in eYer-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 paltry 20 feet. country is drained through this narrow canyon 200 miles square, representing 40091 square miles. or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. The rainfall is suf- heieat to i'll the reservoir twice year, and the land to he brought under cultivation is practically, liinitless. This may read like fairy tale, but it is every word true, and has been verified time and again.