The Arizona sentinel., 1899-01-21
ARIZONA.

Arizona stands at the threshold of an era of wonderful social and industrial de- velopment. There cant be a doubt about the fact. The dawn for which she has waited so long is breaking at last. There is every promise of day of great pros- perity and permanent upbuilding just be- fore her. The impulse of new and ener- gizing hope is visible everywhere among her people. while the cumulative effect of many things, which made but small im- pression as they transpired siugly, is now commanding for her full share of atten- tion and interest abroad among home seekers and capitalists.
 l 4 lively competition has sprung up for the possession of things which have hereto fore gone a.begging for ownership. There is scramble for franchises. Nothing more surely indicates a great industrial awaken ing than this. The rates of interest are falling to moderate figures Nothing more surely indicates confidence and competition among the money lend, IS than this.
 Arizona has reached that climacticer period which every western state has ex. perienced sometime in it's history when, after long and weary struggle and doubt, with each side of the balance first up and then down, the clouds of despondency have suddenly rolled away, and sunburst of energiziug hope has thrilled the droop. ing spirits of the people to greater and braver endeavor than before.
 For the last twelve years the subsistence of the great Tombstone boom and the com. pletion of two transcontinental lines of railroad across her territory has rather dropped out of public attention, but in that time she has been quietly &C., cumulating fund of substantial wealth and force of moral character which qualify her now to rise up and take her
 destiny in her own hands.
 The population of Arizona is Mexican. This is a mistake of great importance frO,h the moral point of view. There Is but one
 considerable center of Mexican population
 in tho territory, the city of Tucson, and
 even there it is not by any means at pres , ent the predominating element. It think
 it is certain that Arizona has not to-day
 nearly so large Mexican population as
 Colorado and not above 0ne.tenth as much as New Mexico -"Fitz- Mac," in Denver News.
 l FRUIT CULTURE.
 Fruit production throughout Arizona is a sub- , ject great interest at present, and will nc doubt, 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 Yum, County arc peculiarly adapted for this branch o 3 agricultural enterprise The development of these f resources is of the utmost importance and is at tracting carefnl attention. Experiments have beer
 made, with care, and facts in regard to the cutur,
 of different kinds of fruits have been collected which cannot fail to eonVince even tbe most skept ical, ofth, Onderful superiority of Yuma Count! over Southern California in fruit growing, ant
 which must lead to large and varied production
 of the most remunerative character.
 The Coz missioner of Immigration in his report , published in SS6, writes follows of the ricl l valle, of the Gila. Colorado and Salt rivers
 ''The soil of theso valleys is among the riches
 on the continent. It is formed of the detrtus
 which the streams for ages have brought dowr
 
 sea- By constant overfows and change of channel tho deposit of this rich vegetable matter has form
 ed soil of extreme fertility, Near ths streams i
 is dark alluvial mold we'll adapted to smsl grains aud grasses. Farther back there is ricl
 sandy loam, mellow and porous, and especial,
 favorable for fruit culture. It has been alread!
 demonstrated that the productive apacity of these
 valleys is not surpassed by lands of equal area il
 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 th'
 minimum. In nearly all of them two crops veal
 can be growth, and vegetation is one month ahead } of California. The farmers plants a cottonwood sapng before his door, and within the year he hal shade tree twenty-five feet high! Alfalfa b.
 cut six times during the season, and 1t is an actua
 fact the grapecuttngs have produced within eigh teen months! What State or Territory make
 such showing? The climate, it must be remem bered, is nearly perpetual summer. Snow neFei falls in these southern valleys. The farmer begins
 to plant in November, and by the n,iddle of May
 lis harvest is ready. Roses are in bloom, frui trees blcssoming, and the grain fields are ssa ! of green, when the fields of the Eastern farmer 5 are covered with snow and ice.
 Every variety grains, grasses, fruits and vege
 tables grown in the temperate and semi-tropi
 zones can be produced in the valleys of Arizona Wheat, corn barley, oats and all the small grain give yield of from twenty five to fifty bushels tt , the acre. Alfalfa, clover, timothy, Bermuda an6 all the cultivated grasses grow luxurianty, tn,
 former giving from eight to ten tons to the acrt each year, Every variety of vegetable raised il the United States can be grown iD Arizona, ant nowhere arc they found of better quality. 3 Besides the products mentioned, these semi . tropical valleys produce cotton, sugar cane, to- bacco, hemp and rice. With the exception of th'
 sugarcane, but little attention is paid to the cuti
 vaton of other staples; but it has been demonstrat
 cd that the soil and climate specially adapted
 to their successful growth. Cotton-growing is D' :, experiment. in Arizona, for it Is on record tha
 when the Europeans first penetrated this region
 they found the Pima Indians wearing fabrics
 made of stton growD in the Gila valley. } 'But it is their adaptsbity for fruit cultur that assures to these valley lands dense popula
 tioD and aprosperous future. Almost every var
 jety kuown can be raised in their fruitful soils. Tn apple, pear, plum, peach, apricot, qunce and nee . tarine, arc of delicious flavor, and give gen erous yield The grape of all varieties isa hom
 in these sunny wales. No place in the Grape-groN
 ing belt of the Pacific Coast can show so prolific
 yield. The quality is all that could be desired : and the winc althoughits manufacture is yet eI rc.:-e.ta,, :s ': e-e a2rc-. delicious hou2ost aa6 v-s ;. p..:ss q. 4ry native product ss lAhl