The Florence tribune., 1899-03-11
TIE CASA aRANpE VALLEY.
information for Those Seeking Homes In the Garden Spot of the West.

Pinal county was organized in 1875 from portions of Pima, Maricopa and Yavapai counties, aud contains an area of 5 S66 square miles. or S5,520 acres, one-third of which could be made productive by a systematic storage { 7 the surplus water now running to waste. Next to Marieopa it is the most inn portanf agricultural county inthe Territory. It 1t traversed 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 ill this direction rom Tempe, and it is confidently believed that work will not cease until the Deer Creek coal fields are reached and connection is mide with another branch of that road run ming from Bowie to Globe and now complet- ed to Fort Thomas.
 Thus it win be seen that Pinal county is the theater of railroad building at the pres ant time, and inside of year Florence. the county seat, will be
 4 RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present it contains population of about 1500, but with the completion of these two railroads and the Butte reservoir no no city in Arizona can approach it for natural advantages, and large increase Tn popuia- tion will follow. Florence is at an elevation of 1858 feet above sea level situated near the Gila river twenty-six miles northwest of 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, and passengers are allowed a 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, Commercial Club, news paper (the only one in the countyl, and the handsemeSt court house in the Territory Here is held the United States Court for the district composed of Gilu, Graham and Pinai counties. The streets are lined with shade trees. which impart an air of comfort on the warmest days.
 PRODUCTS OF THE VALLEY.
 Unlike the Salt river, the waters of the Sila are fresh and pure; the soil contains no ilkali, is a deep rich gray ash, especially adapted to the growth of the prune; olive, almond, peach. fig, pear, apricot and fruits of all kinds, " hich 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 a limited extent; there are number of orange trees in the neighborhood of Florence which bear their golden fruit each year without pro- lection, and a few date palm trees are also in full bearing: The season is from six weeks to two months earlIer than Southern Califor- nia. which gives fruit growers an appreciat- ed advantage in
 IdE EAhL1 MAhhEIs.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is a formidable obstacle to the destructive and unsightly seale-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 i'm 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 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 splen- 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 q thing Of 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 USISHABIrABLE DESERT 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 it. There is no water-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 abutments in eyer-liy- ing rock, and all that is left for man to do is to put in the headgate the bluffs which form the gorge being only separated by paitry 20 feet. 4 country is drained through thls narrow canyon 200 miles square, representing 40,000 square miles. or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. The rainfall is suf- ficient to fill the reservoir twice year, and the land to be brought under cultivation is practically limitless. 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 surface of 1890 acres, with an aver age fleDth of F feet and contains about eight thousand million gallons of water. It IS sit mated fifteen miles southwest of Florence. levee of earth has been thrown up across a depression in the plain +, ,000 feet in length I25 feet in width at the bottom and 9 feet in width at top, 2 to 1 slope on each side, and an average height of g 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 $l5O,OOO and sup plies water for 6.O0O acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern ment maintained station at Florence from 1874 to 1892 The reports covering the period from Jnly, 1880, to April, 1882 glyes the follow