The Arizona sentinel., 1899-02-18
FRUIT CULTURE.

Fruit production throughout Arizona is sub jecG 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 moIstraeed that the soil and climate of Yuma County arc peculiarly adapted for this branch o agricultural enterprise The development of these
 resources is of the utmost importance and is at
 tracting eGreinl attention. Experiments have been
 made, with carc and facts in regard to the culture of different kinds of fruits have been collected
 which cannot fail to convince, the most skept ical, oft77, underful superiority of Yuma County over Soathern California in fruit growing, and
 which must lead to large and varied production of the most remmeratiye character.
 The Conmissioner of immigration in his report published in 8S6, writes as follows of the ricf
 yae, of the Gia, 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 ourneg to tho sea. B constsrt cyertloTs and change of channel
 the deposit of this rich vegetable matter has form
 ed soil of ,xtrenle fertility, Near ths streams il | is dark alluvial mold, we'll adapted to smsl grains and grasscG. Farther back tnerc is Q rici
 sandy Ioa,n, mellow and porous, and especially favorable for fruit culturo IL has been already
 demonstrated that the productive apacity of these
 vaIloys is not surpassed by ianis of equal area E
 any part c the United States. So rapid md prolit,
 is tho growth of the fruits, cereals and vegetables
 that the labor cf the culsiator is reduced to the mlaimun. Ir nearly all of them two crops year can be growth and vegetation is one month ahead of California The farmers plants cottonwood
 sspling before his door, and within the year he has a shade tree twenty five feet hi2h. Alfalfa can De cut six times during tine season, and it is an actual
 fact the ape-cuttings have produced within eigh teen months! What State or Territory make
 such showing? The climate, 1t must bc remen bcred is nearly perpetual summer. Snow never falls in these southern valleys. The farmer begin; to plant in November, and by the middle of May
 lis harvest is ready. Roses are in bloon frui'
 trees blossouing, and the grain fields are sea of green, when the aelds Of the Eastern farmer;
 arc covered with snow aud ice.
 ! Every variety 0 grains grasses, fruits and vege tables grown in the temperate and senli-tropi' zones can be produced in the valleys of Arizona Wheat, barley, cats and all the small grain;
 give yield of from twenty-five to fifty bushels tc the acre. Alfalfa, clover, timothy, Bermuda and
 ali the cultivated grasses grow luxuriantiy, the former giving from eight to ten t0us to the acre
 each year, Every variety of vegetable raised il l tho United States can he grown iD Arizona, and
 nowhere are they found of better quality.
 1 "Besides the products mentioned, these semi tropical valleys produce cotton, sugar-cane, to- l bacco, hemp and rice With the exception Of tho
 su@arcane but little attentieu is paid to the cult
 vation other staples; but it has been demonstrat 1 cd that tho soil and climate specially adapted ! to their successful growth. Cctton-growng is nc experiment in Arizona, for it is on record that l when the Europeans first penetrated this region ! tiOy found the Pima Indians wearing fabrics
 made of cs ton grown in the Gila valley.
 ] But it is their adaptabihty for fruit culture
 that assures co these valley lands dense popula.
 ton and aprosperous future Almost every var
 icty known be raised in thoiF fruitful soils Tht
 apple pear, plum, peach, apricot, quince and nee
 tarjre, are of delicious flavor, and give gen
 erous yield. The grape of all varieties iSa home ! in these sunny va!cs. No place in the e:apcgrow
 ing bel. q the PaciGc Coast can show sn prolific .
 yiold. The quality s all that could be desired
 and the wine, although it's manufacture IS vet ex ! permentsl, Is Of ine favor, cieiicisus bouquet
 and uas l-Ysss,t hy ,np na' irc p'fduct a- table