The Arizona sentinel., 1899-12-09
ARIZONA'S AGRICULTURAL PRO:
 DUCTS.

land are under cultivation Tn ArI- zona, the agricultural development of the Territory has only begun. Hundreds of thousands of acres of the most fertile soil on the con- tinent, in a land of perpetual sum- shine and in climate conducive to the growth of all the products of temperate and seni-tropic zones, await only tine life-giving touch of water to convert them from desert tracts into luxurious gardens. This year the hot sands defy the propa- gatiUn of vegetable life; next year these same sands will feel tue ,hrob of the irrigation veln, and where only the desert shrubs once grew there will spring up luxuriant vine- yards, orchards heavy with delici- ons fruits, beautiful gardens and broad fields of grain and grasses. A prosperous population will find homes in the valleys of Arizona's, rivers, attracted not only by the luxury of life in land of eternal sunshine: whero every breeze carries with 1t message of health and vigor; where the scourges of otcer lpcalities-blizzards, snow storms, floods and cyclones-are unknown, but also by the fertile soil whose wonderful fecundity will enable man to reap the fruits of his labors within an almost incredibly short space of time.
 The soil of the A.;zona valleys is a1 inexhaustible as it is fertile. For ages the streams have carried down from the mountain districts ths detritus which forms this soil. Fre- quent inundations and shifting of channels have caused the deposit of the rich vegetable matters which have made the valleys of the Terri. tory, and especially those of the Salt, Gila and Colorado rivers, so wonderfully fertile. The soil ranges from a black, alluvial mold near the water to a rich, mellow, porous loam further back from the streams. The former is especially adapted to to the growth of grain and grasses, wbils the sandy !oan fnlfills all the conditions for successful fruit cui- ture, The growth of all products fruits, cereals and vegetables-is rapid and prolific. In many in. stances two crops are grown ill 8 single year, while as many as SIX crops of alfalfa have been harvested within that period.
 There is scarcely locality on ilo gl be that can successfully grow 2 great variety of grains, grass, fruits and vegetables as Arizora Wheat, oats, barley, corn and all tis smaller cereals yield enorme os crops; every variety of vegeta b-= known in the country is grown ] 1 Arizona, and every variety reaches the acme of perfection. Alfalia, clover, timothy, Kaffir corn, r'i.le5 and all tee grasses have luxurI4D5 growth; cotton, sugar-cane, sugar beets. hemp, rice and tobacco tlrirs in the soil while there is scaTcsly fruit under the sun-apples, peas. plums, peaches, ap:Icots, qrinces, nectarines, dates, grapes, ore ageE, lemons, figs, lines, olives, 2ome- granates and others of the citEus genus, all of delicious flavor that cannot be raised in he rich, sandy loam. Fruits ripen month earlier in the Territory .h4o il California, and in conseo ooc1cs Df their being placed on tts early market bring better pe-o5 tlan the fruit products of the coast.
 The prolific and rapid growth Of vegetation is a remarkat;a s3sture ot Arizona soii. A co.tc1vos3 saplirg becomes a shadetre twenty five feet high within tro years; grape cuttings often prodre5 within eighteen to twenty mon, .Ao farmer plants Tn November and 5y May his crop is ready to lo aare,st- ed. Alfalfa yields from eight .5 ten tons per acre each year, i43 .hs cereals from twenty-ffa to lt.y bushels per acre.
 A review of the agricr .eral con ditions that prevail l. Ar'107a shows that the future of he Terrj- tory depends not upon her mining industries alone, nor or her ..m6er, nor her herds and flocE= at stock; but in later years It VI be t,grd .I,, Lo oro of roo;ol. ...t l--s-t