The Arizona sentinel., 1898-06-11
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 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 careinl 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 mostslept-
 ical, oitLe wonderful superiority of Yuma County
 over Southern California in fruit growing, and
 which must lead to large and varied production,
 oi thc most remunora5jye character.
 The Con missioner of immigration in bis report,
 published in SS6, writes as follows Of the rich
 valleys of the Gia, Colorado and Cal5 rirers
 The soil of these valleys is among the richest on the continent It ;s formed of the detritus
 which the streams for ages have brought down from their mountain homes in thc.r journey to the sea. By constant overiovs and change of channel. the deposit of his rich vegetable matter has form ed soil of ,Xtreme fertility Near ths streams ii is dark alluyjal mold, well adapted to small grains and grasses. Farther back there is 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 sIrpas ed by lonGs of equal area iu any part of the United States. So rapid and prolific is the growth of the fruits, cereals and vegetables that the labor gftho cultiyator is reduced to the minimum. ln nearly all Of them two crops a year can be growth. and vegetation is one month ahead Of California. The farmers plants a cottonwood .apIng hefcrchs door, ard within the year he has g shade tree twentyf five feet high, Alfalfa can b1 cut six times during the season. and it is ar actual
 o.t the 5rau3-cu-tings have produced .1in eigh- teen months, What State or Territory can make such a showing? The climate, t must be remcm- 3arai, is nearly perpetual summer. Snow never 'e-- iu those southern valleys. The farmer begins o plant in November, and by the middle of Way
 '7 harvest is ready. Roses are in bloom, fruit trees 2re hlos~oning, and tho grar fields seq 1f green, when the fields of the Eastern farmers Ire covered with snow and ice.
 Every variety grains grasses fruits and vege- ables grown in the temperate anu semitropic ! .ones eaa be produced in the valleys of Arizona ! Wheat, corn barley, oats and Ill the small grains give yield of from twenty five to fifty bushels to he acre. Alfalfa, clover, timothy, Bermuda and | Ill the cultivated grasses grow luXuriantly, the | oner giving from eight to ten tons to the acre ach year, Every variety of vegetable raised in he United States can be grown in Arizona, and i nowhere ar. they found of better quality.
 'Besdss the products mentioned, these semi tropical valleys produce cotton, sugar-cane, to- 'asc7, hemp and rice. With the exception of the u@ars}ne, but little attention is paid to the culti- alton of other staples; but it has been demonstrat d that the soil and climate are specially adapted Q their successful growth. Cotton growing is no experiment. in Arizona, for it is on record that yhen the Europeans first penetrated this region, hey found the Pima Indians wearing fabrics made Of cotton grown in the GiIa valley
 "Bp5itis their ada2ta5illty for fruit culture hat assures to these valley lands dense popula- ion and apyosperous future. Almost every var 'ty known can be raised in their fruitful soils The pple, pear plum, peach, apricot, quince and nee 2Iine, are of delicious flavor, and give a gen rous yield. The grape Of all varieties isa home these sunny wales. No place in the grape grow lg belC Of the Pacific Coast can show prolific Ie-d' The quality is all that could be desired; md the wine, although it's manufacture is yet eX ermoHiai is of a fine flavor delicious bouquet
 i4 Hu= 3rDs.-cd by any native product as tshl"l