The Arizona sentinel., 1898-12-10
FRUIT CULTURE.

Fruit production throughout Arizona is 9 sub- ject great interest at present, and will no doubt, be .he principal industry in Yuma County. The remarkable results that have sprung from very superficial and imperfect culture has de- monstrated tha' the soil and climate of Yuma County are peculiarly adapted for this branch of agricultural enterpris>. 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- ical, oft, 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 Co missioner of Immigration in his report, published in S86, writes as follows of the rich valle, 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 overfows and change of channel, the deposit of this rich vegetable matter has form ed a soil of ,xtreme fertility, Near ths streams it IS a dark alluvial mold, well adapted to small
 
 sandy loam, mellow and porous, and especially favorable for fruit culture. It has been already demonstrated that the productive apacity of these valleys is 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. nearly all of them two crops year can be growth, and vegetation is one month ahead of California. The farmers plants cottonwood saplng 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 an actual fact the grape-cuttings have produced within eigh- teen months. What State or Territory can mako such a 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 in bloom, fruit trees are blossoming, and the grair fields are sta 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 Al izona. Wheat corn barley, oats and all the smai, grains give yield of from twenty-five to fifty bushels to the acre. Alfalfa, clover, timothy, Bermuda and all the cultivated grasses grow luxuriautly, the former giving from eight to ten tons to the acre each year, Every variety of vegetable raised ill 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 sugarcane but little attention is paid to the culti- vaton of other staples; but it has been demonstrate ed that the soil and climate specially adapted to their successful growth. Cotton growing is no experme ent 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 adaptabilty for fruit culture that assures to these valley lands dense popula- tion and aprosperous future. Almost every var ietv known can be raised in their fruitful sols 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 in these sunny wales. No place in the grape grow ing belt of the Pacific Coast show so prolific c 1 yield. The quality is all that could be desired and the wine, although its manufacture is yet cX pe-inlsptal, ia cf 3 fine flavor, delicious bouquet and Ir,a ,-,,,sstd by any native product as t.bl'