The Arizona sentinel., 1898-06-18
FRUIT CULTURE

Emit production throughout Arizona l.s suh-
 ject great interest at present. and VIII 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 ot
 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
 of different kinds of fruits have been collected
 which cannot fail 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, ofthe most romunerative character.
 The Commissioner of Immigration in his report,
 published i'll 1886, writes as follows of the rich
 valleys Of the Gila 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 oyerows and change Of channel, the deposit of this rich vegetable matter has form ed soil of ,Xtremo fertility, Near ths streams il is q dark aliuyial 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. Ir nearly all of them two crops year Ia nd ;r 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 actual fact the grape-cuttiDgs have produced within eigh- teen months. What State or Territory can make such a showing? The climate it must be remem- hered, is nearly perpetual summer. Snow never fall, !n these southern valleys. The farmer begins to plant in November, and by the middle of May 'i5 harvest is ready Roses are in bIoom fruit trees are Jlossoming, and the grain fields sea of green, when the fields of the Eastern farmers are covered with snow and ice.
 Every variety grains. grasses, fruits and yege tables grown in the temperate and semi-tropic 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
 "Besidcs the products mentioned, these semi tropical valleys produce cotton, sugareane to- bacco, hemp and rice. With the exception of the sugar-cane but liJe attention is paid to the cuiti yation of other staples but it has been demonstrat ed that the soil and climate specially adapted to their successful growth. COtton-srowing 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 1 made of cotton grown in the Gila valley.
 "But is their adaptabillty for fruit culture that assures to these valley lands dense popula- tion and aprosperous future. Almost every var iey known can be raised in their fruitful sols The apple, pear, plum, peach, apricot, qunee and nee-l tarine, are ef delicious flavor, and give gen arous yield. The grape of all varieties iss home in these sunny ralos. No place in the grape grow ing belt Of the Pacific Coast show 50 prolific yield. The quality is all that could be desired aud thr wine, ltEouch it5 manufacture is Vet eX- 7erln4n'a| is of fno flavor, delicious ho1qust, s"1 pGs 'tp.sscd ol ,n, native product as t'nl"