The Arizona sentinel., 1899-03-11
ARIZONA.

! the Nile between Assouan and Wady- ] H&lia, but somewhat cooler
 ARIZONA.
 Erizona stands at the threshold of an era of wonderful social and industrial de- velopment. Thers can't be doubt about the fact The dawn for which she has xa;te3 SO long is breaking at last. There is every promise of day of great pros perity aud permanent upbuilding just be- fore her. The impulse of 8 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 fall share of atteu ton and interest abroad among home seekers and capitalists.
 4 lively competition has sprung up for the possession of things which have hereto fore gone a-begging for ownership. There IS a 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 rs than this.
 Arizona has reschet that climacticer period which every western state has ex, perieuced 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 despondeney have suddenly rolled away, and sunhurst 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 aud the con- pleti0u of two trausc0ntuenta lines of railroad across her territOrv v-Arizona has rather dropped out Of public attention, but in that time she has been quietly ac- cumulatin9 fund Uf substantial wealth and force of moral character which qualify her now to riae up and take her destiny iu her own hands.
 The populat tion of Arizona is Mexican This is mistake of great importance fro,I the moral point of view. There Is but one considerable center of Mexican population in the territory, the city of Tucson, and even there 1t IS not by any means at pres eut the nrsdominating element It think 1t is eel tain that l,riAOna has net to-day nearly so large 6 MexIcan popu ation as Colorado and not above 0ne-teuth as much as New Mexico -"Fitz- Mac," in Denver News.
 FRUIT CULTURE.
 Fruit production throughout Arizona is sub ieci O great interest ct 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- monstrateG thai the soil and climate of Yuma County peculiarly adapted for this branch of agricultural enterprise. Tine development of these tesources is of the utmost importance and is at tracing caTeinl 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 off, onderful superiority of Yuma County oyer Southern California in fruit growing, and which must lead to large and varied production, Of the most rernunecative character.
 The 70 missioner of immigration in his report,
 
 yaiie, of the Gila Colorado and Calt rivers The soil of these valleys is among the richest ou the continent. It is formed of the detrtus which the streams for ages have brought down from their mountain homes in their journe to the sea By constait overAows and change of channel, the depo-it of this rich vegetable matter has form ed soil Of ,xtrenle fertility, Near ths streams it is 2 dark aluval mold, well adapted to small grains and grasses Farther back there is rich sandy loan, mellow and porous, and especially favorable for fruit culture. It has been already demonstrated that the productive apacity 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 cfthe oultiyator is reduced to the minimum. Ir nearly all of them two crops year can be growth, and vegetation is one month ahead of California. The farmers plants cottonwood sapng before his door, and within the year he has shade tree twenty five feet h;ph! Alfalfa can be Cut six times during the season and it is an actual fact the grape cuttings have produced within eigh- teen months! What State or Territory can make such a showing? The climate, 1t must be reniem- bered, is nearly perpetual summer. Snow never falls in these soaeier valleys. The farmer begins to plant in November, and by the middle of Nay lis harvest is ready. Roses in bloom, fruit trees ara blossom:ng, and the grair fields are sea 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 semi-tropic zones can be produced in the valleys of Al izona. Wheat, corn barley, oats ard 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 hxuriantly, the former giving from eight to ten tons to the acre each year, Every variety of vegetable raised im 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-eane, to- bacce, hemp and rice. With the exception of the sugsrcane but little attention is paid to the cuti- vaton of other staples but it has been demonstrat- ed that the soil and climate specially adapted to their successful growth Cotton growing 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 oi os tton grown in the Gila valley.
 ''B1t ;t is their adaptsbihty for fruit culture tha5 assures to these valley lands dense popula- c;on and aprosperous future. Almost every var iety known be raised in their fruitful soils The apple, pear, plum peach, apricot qainee and nec- tarjne, are Of delicious flavor, and give gen erous yield The grape Of all varieties isa home in these sunny wales. No place in the grape-gTow- ing belt of the Paclc Coast can show go prolific 8 yield. The quality is all that could be de5iredi and tAe wine. althouehits manufacture IS yet e1- perinental. is Of fue flavor, deiiaions bouquet, and uuslrpt,sod 5y any native product as 5saie