The Arizona sentinel., 1898-12-03
FRUIT CULTURE.

Fruit production throughout Arizona is a sub ject 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 tracting 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, tbe most skept- cal, oftas wonderful superiority of Yuma County over Southern California in fruit growing, and which must lead to a large and varied production, of the most remunerative character.
 The Commissioner of Immigration in his report, published in 1886, writes as follows of the rich yalle, of the Gila, Colorado and Salt 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 journeg to the sea. By constant overfiows 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 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 apacity 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 ruits 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 sapling before his door, and within te year he has a shade tree twenty-five feet high! Alfalfa can be cut six times during the season, and it is an actual fact the grape-cuttngs have produced within eigh- teen monthsl What State or Territory can make such Q showing? The climate, it must be remem- 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 semi -tropic zones can be produced in the valleys of A1izona. Wheat, corn barley, oats and all the small grains give yield of from twenty-five to fifty bushels to the acre. AlfaIfa, ClONer, bllnOJLS, DeILnuud anu 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 sugar-eane but little attention is paid to the culti vaton of other staples but it has been demOnstrat ed 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 adaptabillty for fruit culture that assures to these valley lands dense popula- tion and aprosperous future. Almost every var
 ety known can be raised in their fruitful soils The apple, pear, plum, peach, apricot quince and nee tarine are of delicious flavor, and give gen erous yield. The grape of all varieties isa home 1 in these sunny wales. No place in the grape-grow ing belt of the Pacific Coast can show so prolific yield, The quality is all that could be desired and the wine, although it's manufacture IS yet ex
 perimental, is of a fine flavor, delicious bouquet
 aud uns TIT, s-scd by any native product 2 table