The Arizona sentinel., 1898-05-21
FRUIT CULTURE.

Fruit production throughout Arizona is sub 1 ject great interest at present, and will no deubt, 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
 tracing 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,
 or the most remunerative character.
 The Con missioner of Immigration in his report
 published in SS6, writes 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 overfows and change of channel the deposit of this rich vegetable matter has form ed soil of extreme fertility, Near ths streams it IS dark alluvial mold, well adapted to small grains and grasses. Farther back there is rich sandy ioan, 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 ill any part ot 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 a year | can be growth, and vegetation is one month ahead 'f California. The farmers plants cottonwood | apling before his door, and within the year he has ! shade tree twenty-five feet high. Alfalfa can be ut six times during the season. and it is an actual act the grape-cuttings have produced within eigh- cen months. What State or Territory can make uch a showing? The climate, it must be remem- 'ered, is nearly perpetual summer. Snow never alls in these southern valleys. The farmer begins O plant in November, and by the middle of May
 is harvest is ready. Roses are in bloom fruit rees are blossoming, and the grain fields a sea f green, when the fields of the Eastern farmers re covered with snow and icc
 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 the small grains i've yield of from twenty-five to fifty bushels to he acre. Alfalfa, clover, timothy, Bermuda and Il the cultivated grasses grow luxurianty, the : ,rmer giving from eight to ten tons to the acre ach year, Every variety of vegetable raised in ne United States can be grown in Arizona, and owhere are they found of better quality.
 "Besides the products mentioned, these semi I ropical valleys produce cotton, sugar-cane, to- i acco, hemp and rice With the exception of the cane, but little attention is paid to the cult ltion of other staples; but it has been demonstrat that the soil and climate specially adapted | ) their successful growth. Cotton growing is no a lperiment in Arizona. for it is on record that [ hen the Europeans first penetrated this region, . icy found the Pima Indians wearing fabrics ade of cotton grown in the Cila valley. u 'But it is their adaptabihty for fruit culture lat assures to these valley lands dense popula s on and aprosperous future. Almost every var d ty known be raised in their fruitful soils. The
 ple, pear, plum, peach, apricot, quince and nee r1ne, are of delicious flavor, and give gen ous yield. The grape of all varieties isa home |"
 these sunny wales. No place in the grape-grow- u g belt of the Pacific Coast can show so prolific N cid. The quality is all that could be desired; al u the wine, although it's manufacture IS yet eX is of fine flavor, delicious bouquet, r- d ms 1rpfSsed by any native product as ta5lei