The Arizona sentinel., 1898-08-13
FRUIT CULTURE.

Fruit production throughout Arizona is a sub iect o great interest at present, and will no doubt be the principal industry in Yuma County. The remar kablc 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 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, even tbe most skept- ical, of t,s 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 Commissioner of Immigration in his report, published i'll l9S6 writes follows of the rich vallel of the Gila, Colorado and Salt rivers.
 ''The soil of these valleys is among the richest on the continent It is formed of the detrtus which the streams for ages have brought down from their mountain homes in their journeS to the sea. By constant overiows and change Of channel, the deposit of this rich vegetable matter has form ed a soil of ,Xtremc fertility Near ths streams it is a dark alluvial 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 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 cutivator is reduced to the minimum. in 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 the year he has @ ashade tree twenty five feet hgh Alfalfa can be cut six times during the season. and it is an actual fact the grapecuttings have produced within eigh- teen months, What State or Territory can make 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 are in bloom, fruit trees are blossomng, 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 ill the temperate and semi-tropic zones can be produced ill the valleys of ALizona. Wheat, corn barley, oats and all the small grains give yield of from twenty-five to fifty bushels to the acre. Alfalfa, clover timothy, Bermuda and all the cultivated grasses grow luXuriantly, 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 iD Arizona, and nowhere are they found of better quality.
 ''Besdes the products mentioned, these semi tropical valleys produce cotton, sugar-cahe' to- bacco hemn and rice With the exception of the sugarcane but little attention is paid to the culti
 vation of other staples but it has been demonstrat ed that the soil and climate are speclally auapteu to their successful growth CottOn-growlhG Is no experiment i'll Arizona. for 1t IS on record Ch"' when the Europeans first penetrated this reSloh' they found the Pima Indians wearing taDrlcs made of cotton grown in the Gila valley.
 1 ''But it is their adaptabiIty for fruit culture that assures to these valley lands dense popuia- tion and aprosperous future Almost every var iety known can be raised ill their fruitful sols Inc apple pear, plum, peach, apricot, quince and nee tarine are of delicious favCr, and give a gen erous yield. The grape Of all varieties isa home in these sunny ,alcs. No place in the grape gro" ing belt of the Pacific Coast can show so proIhc yield. The quality is ali that could be desired and the wine, although it's manufacture Is yet eN perimental, is of fine flavor, delicious bouquet and uns lrPassed by any native product as table