The Florence tribune., 1899-02-11
THE CASA eRANDE VALLEY.
information for Those Seeking Homes
 In the Garden Spot of the West.

bt AHC 0dfuCH 0pOt VI ttlC WCSts
 Pinal county was organized in 1875 from portions of Pima, Maricopa and 1avapal counties, and contains Rn area of 5,S6S square miles, or 3, 4s5, ,520 acres, oEe-third of which could be made productive by systematic storage cf the surplus water now running to waste. Next to Maricopa it is the most im- portant agricultural county in the Territory. It it traversed from east to west by the Southern Pacific railroad, and branch of the great Santa Fe system Is now approach Ing from the north. The objective point or 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 run ming frem Bowie to Globe and now complet- cd 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 sof about l500, but with the completion of these two railroads and the Butte reservoir no city in Arizona can approach it for natural advantages, and a large increase In popula- tion will follow. Florence is at an elevation of 1858 feet above sea level, situated near the Gila river, twenty-six miles northwest ot the railroad station of Casa Grande, with which it is connected by an elegantly equipped duly stage line. Going and coming stages run by the old Casa Grande ruins, ana passengers arc allowed a short time to m spect them There are many handsome pri- Vate residences in Florence, several DflciS stores, good hotel, an excellent graded school employing four teachers, churches secret societies a Commercial Club, news paper (the only one in the. countyl and the handsomest court house in the Territory. Here is held the United States Court tor the district composed of Gila, Graham and Pinal counties. The streets are lined with shade trees, which impart an air of comfort on the warmest days.
 PRODUCTS OF THR VALLEY.
 Unlike the Salt river, the waters of the .iila are fresh and pure; the soil contains no 1llkali, 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 in the most prolific manner. The grape does exceptionally well in this valley, and wine and raisin culture IS destin- ed to become prominent industry Citrus fruits have been cultivated to limited extent; there are a number of orange trees in the neighborhood of Florence which 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 earller than Southern Caliior- mia, which gives fruit growers an appreeiat- cd advantage in
 rHE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is Q formidable obstacle to the destructive and nnsiehtly scale-bug, and the fruits of the valley are all bright and clean. All the agri- cultural products of temperate and semi tropic zones are easily grown here, the 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 be bought for from so to $50 per acre, according to location and im- provements. In the immediate neighbor- 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 Tn lnexhaustl- ble quantity is found at a depth of from twenty to thirty feet; in fact a river seems to be flowing underneath. Here Is splen- did opportunity to take up and improve land with a 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 of the mast 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 UxIsHABITABLR DESERT
 Is in truth the most productive land on the
  to bring every foot of it under cultivation only waiting for the magic wand of capital to develop it. There is no Water-stOrage scheme on the Pacific coast that has one-hali the natural advantages and so few engineer ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. Here nature has built the abutments in eyer-liv- ing rock and aIl that is left for man to do is to put in the headgate the bluffs which form the gorge being only separated by paltry .220 feet. country is drained through this marrow canyon 5OO miles square, repre:entlng g 10000 square miles, or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. The rainfall is suf- fcient to fill the reservoir twice year, and the land to be brought under cultivation is practically liInitless. This may read like q fairy tale, but it is every word true, and has been verified time and again.
 CASA GRAEDE RESERVOIR.
 The reservoir of the Casa Grande Valley Canal company is the largest in the territory. It covers a surface of l600 acres, with an aver thousand million gallons of water. 1t is sit- uated fifteen miles southwest of Florence. leyee of earth has been thrown up across a depression in the plain II, 600 feet in length. 125 feet in width at the bottom and 25 feet in width at top, ? to slope on each side, and an average height of 9 feet. The waste is regu- lated by cast iron pipes feet in diameter, set in solid masonry, regulated by gates and tower. This reservoir cost Sl50,000 and SUD- plies water for 5000 acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern ment maintained station at Florence from 1874 to 1882. The reports covering the period from JuIy, 1880, to April. 1882, gives the follow ing statistics, which may be taken as a safe guide to the prevailing temperature given I..-- 4I. .fsf-r