The Florence tribune., 1899-02-04
TIE CASA eaANoE VALLEY.
information for Those Seeking Homes
 In the Garden Spot of the West.

could be made productive by a systematic storage Ct the surplus water now running to waste Next to Maricopa it is the most im- portant agricultural county nthe Territory. It 1t trayersed from east to west by the Southern Pacific railroad, and a branch of the great Santa Fe system is now approach ing from the north. The objective point of this road is a connection with the Sonora road, of the same system. The Southern Pacific is also building in this direction from Tempe, and it is confidently believed that work will not cease until the Deer Creek coal fields are reached and connection Is made with another branch of that road rum ming from Bowie to Globe and now complet- ed to Fort Thomas
 Thus it will be seen that Pinal county is the theater of railroad building at the pres ent time, and inside of year Florence, the county seat. will be
 RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present it contains a population of aboot l9ec, but with the completion of these two railroads and the Butte reservoir no city in Arizona can approach tt for natural advantages, and Il large increase Tn popuia- tion will follow. Florence is Ut an elevation of 1858 feet above sea level, situated near the Gila river. twenty -six miles northwest of the railroad station of Casa Grands, with which it is connected by an elegantly. equipped duly stage line. Going and coming stages run by the old Casa Grande ruins, and passengers are allowed short time to In- spect them. There are many handsome pri- rate residences in Florence, several brick stores, good hotel, an excellent graded school employing four teachers, churches, secret societies, a Commercial Club, news paper tthe only one in the coitntyl. and the handsomest court house in the Territory Here Is held the United States Court tor the district composed of Giia' NrnEan 5.a ana and shade trees, which impart an air of comfort on the warnsest days.
 PRODUCTS OF THE VALLEY.
 Unlike the Salt river, the waters of the fraS h nn tlkali, is deep rich gray ash, especially adapted to the growth of the prune, olive almond, peach, fig, pear. apricot and fruits of all kinds, which pay largely on the invest ment. It is also the natural home of alfalfa, which grows ill the most prolific manner. The grape does exceptionally well in this valley, and wine and raisin culture is dsstin- ed to become 6 prominent industry. Citrus fruits have been cultivated to limited extent; there are number of orange trees in the neighborhood Of Florence " hich bear their golden fruit each year without pro lection, and few date palm trees are also in full bearing. The season IS from six weeks to two months earher than Southern Caiator- nia, which gives fruit growers an appreeiat- ed advantage in
 TIE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is 2 formidable obstacle to the destructive and uHsighfly seale-bug, aud the fruits of the valley are all bright and clean. all the agri- cultural products of temperate and semi tropie zones are easily grown heFe, the long long seasons giving a succession of crops that double or treble the productive value of the land.
 PRICES OF LAND.
 Improved lands. with government title and water right, can he bought for from so to $50 per acre, according to location and iIn- proVeneuts. In the immediate ueighoor- hood and to the south of the Casa Grande ruins there are thousands of acres covered with heavy growth of mesquite timber yet open to settlement. These are among the choicest in the valley. Water in inexhauSti- ble quantity is found at a depth of from twenty to thirty feet; in fact, river seems to be flowing underneath. Here is spieu- did opportunity to take up and improve land with pumping system Of irrigation, which is said to be successful on small tracts
 However with the completion of the Butte reservoir pumping will be thing or the past. and it is only mentioned here for the purpose of showing what can be done, and to magnify the further fact that what was once considered
 AN USIEHABITABLE DESERT
 is in truth the most productive land on the globe and that there is water in abundance to bring every foot of it under cultivation, only waiting for the magic wand of capital to develop 1t. There is wafer-storage scheme on the Pacific coast that has one-half the natural advantages and so few engineer ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. Here nature has built the abutnsents in ever-iiy- in rock, and all that is left for man to do Is to put in the headgate. the bluffs which form ths gorge being only separated by paltry 22J feet. 4 country is drained through this narrow canyon 20O miles square, representing 40,000 square miles. or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. The rainfall is sui ficient to fill the reservoir twice year, and the land to be brought under cultivation is practically linitless. This may read like fairy tale, but it is every word true, and has been verified time aud again.
 CASA GRASDE RESERVOIR.
 The reservoir of the Casa Grande Valley Canal company is the largest in the territory. Iteovers a surface of 15p0 acres, with an aver- age depth of l2 feet. and contains about eight thousand million gallons of water. It is sit- uated fifteen miles southwest of Florence. A levee of earth has been thrown up across a depression in the plain Il i,000 feet in length, 125 feet in width at the bottom and Q feet in width at top. to 1 slope on each side, and an average height of 9 feet. The waste is regu- lated by east iron pipes feet in diameter. tower. This reservoir cost Sl50,ce0, and sup plies water for 6,009 acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern ment maintained station ct Florence from 1874 to 1882. The reports covering the period from Jtts IS9o to April, 1882 gives the follow Ing statistics, which may be taken as a safe guide to the prevailing temperature given during the series of six yeas:
 1880. Mean. Max. Min. July ly-...................... e58 III 61 August. .-...-....--.....-.-- -s5.9 ll2 69 September ber..-...--......-..-ol.0 lOI ze October .-....-.....-.-... OoU s) 55 November -...--...--...-.2d .2dd eg z2 a2 December ....-..---. .eV-9 ff zi Iauuarv 457 78 2f