The Arizona sentinel., 1898-05-14
FRUIT CULTURE.

Fruit production throughout Arizona is a sub 1 ject great interest at present, and will no doubt, be the principal industry in Yuma County l 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 1 resources is of the utmost importance and is at
 tracing 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 most skept-
 ical, of the wonderful superiority of Yuma County
 over Southern California in fruit growing, and
 which must lead to large and varied production, of the most remunerative character.
 The Con missioner of Immigration in his report
 published In io06, writes as follows of the rich
 valleys 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 journey to the sea. By constant overaows and change of channel, the deposit of this rich vegetable matter has form
 ed soil Of txtreme fertility Near ths streams it is a dark aliuyial mold, well adapted to small ~AN' AN1oCo IdIJitF B&Ck there IS q LlcL sandy loaIn, 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 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. in nearly all of them two crops year can be growth, and vegetation is one month ahead O. California. The farmers plants q cottonwood sapliDg before his door, and within the year he has a shade tree twenty y-ive feet hgh Alfalfa be cut six times during the season. and it is actual fact the grape-cutings have produced within eigh teen months! What State or Territory can make such showing? The climate, it must be remem- bered, is nearly perpetual summer. Snow never alls in these southern valleys. The farmer begins 10 plant in November, and by the middle of May 1 'i, harvest is ready. Roses are in bloom, fruit l rees are blossoming, and the grain fields are a sea )f 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 and semi-tropic ones can be produced in the valleys of Arizona. Wheat, corn barley, oats and all 5he small grains i've yield of from twenty five to fifty bushels to he acre. Alfalfa, clover, timothy, Bermuda and II the cultivated grasses grow Iuxuriantly, the ormer 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 owhere are they found of better quality.
 "Bosides the products mentioned, these semi ropical valleys produce cotton, sugar-cane, to- aeco, hemp and rice. With the exception of the
 Ear-cane but little attention is paid to the cult ation of other staples bat it has been denonstrat q that the soil and climate are specially adapted 3 their successful growth. Cotton growing is no experiment. in Arizona, for it is record that hcn the Europeans first penetrated this region, Ioy fonnd the Pima Indians wearing fabrics ade of cotton grown in the Gila valley. But it is their adaptability for fruit culture lat assures to these valley lands dense popua- $ ou and aptosperous future. Almost every var { ty known can be raised in their fruitful soils The 'plc, pear, plun peach, apricot, quince and nee rine, are of delicious flavor, and give gen ous yield. The grape of all varieties isa home d
 these sunny wales. No place in the grape-grow { 9 belt of the Pacific Coast can show prolific a \ cid. The quality is aN that could Dc deairei |. d the wine althougAito manufacture IS vet ex- rimc1tal, is Of fine flavor, delicious bouquet, d Uns Irpss5cd by any native product as table