The Arizona sentinel., 1898-11-05
FRUIT CULTURE.


 Fruit production throughout Arizona is sub ject 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 thar 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 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, 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 SS6, writes as follows of the rich valle, of the Gila, Colorado and gat 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 journeF to the sea. By constant overfows and change of channel, the deposit of this rich vegetable matter has form ed soil of,Xtreme fertility, Near th5 streams it is dark alluyial mod well adapted to small grains and grasses. Farther back there is a 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 the cultivator is reduced to the minimum. Tn nearly all of them two crops a year can be growth, and vegetation is one month ahead of California. The farmers plants a cottonwood sapiing before his door, and within the year he has shade tree twenty-five feet hgh Alfalfa be cut six times during the season. and it is actual fact the grapecuttings have produced within eigh- teen months What State or Territa1 make such showing? The climate, it n:sss 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 Nis harvest is ready. Roses are in bloom, fruit trees are blossoming, and the grar fields are Sta of green, when the fields of the Eastern farmers are covered with snow and ice.
 Every variety o grains grasses, fruits and vege- tables grown in the temperate and sem-tropic zones can be produced in the valleys of Al izona. Wheat corn barley, oats and all the small grains tt 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 in the United States can be grown iD 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 cult vation of other staples but 1t has been demonstrat ed that the soil and climate are specially adapted to their successful growth. Cotton-groWinS is no experiment. 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 adaptabhty for frut culture that assures to these valley lands dense pepo'a- tion and aprosperous future. Almost e'e'1 var iety known can be raised in their fruitful -i.a The apple pear, plum, peach, apricot, quinct and i-. tarine, are of delicious flavor, and give gen. erous yield. The grape of all varieties i-a home in these sunny wales. No place in the giap. grow ing belt Of the Pacific Coast can show s' nr-llat eield. The quality is all that could | .-sife1' and the wine, although it's manufacture ct e@- nermeutal, is of fine flavor. deliciou- bouquet and ms lrp: -syd hy anl native product .~ it''-