The Arizona sentinel., 1899-02-04
ARIZONA.

Halfa, but somewhat cooler.
 ARIZONA.
 l Arizona stands at the threshold of sn era of wonderful social and industrial de-
 velopment. There can't be doubt about the fact. The dawn for which she has
 waited SO long is breaking at last. There is every promise of day of great pros perity and permanent upbuilding just be- fore her. The impulse of a new and ener-
 gizing hope is visible everywhere among
 her people, while the cumulative effect of many things, which made but small i'm. pression as they transpired siugly, is now commanding for her full share of atten- tion 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 l is scramble for franchises Nothing more surely indicates 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 reached that climacticer period which every western state has ex. perienoed sometime in its history when, after long and weary struggle and doubt,
 with each side of the balance first up and then down. the clouds of despondency
 have suddenly rolled away, and sunhurst of energizing hope has thrilled tho droop- ing spirits of the people to greater and braver endeavor than before.
 i For the last twelve years the subsistence of the great Tombstone boom and the com pletion of two transcontinental lines of
 railroad across her territory has 1 rather dropped out of public attention,
 but in that time she has been quietly &C., cumulating a fund of substantial wealth 1 and a force of moral character which qualify her now to rise up and take her destiny in her own hands.
 The population of Arizona is Mexican. This is mistake of great importance fro,.l
 the moral point of view. There is but one Ol 1 in the territory, the city of Tucson, and ent the pred0minating element. It think it is certain that Arizona has not to-day nearly so large Mexican population as as New Mexico. -"Fitz- Mao," in Denver News.
 FRUIT CULTURE.
 Fruit production throughout Arizona is sub jcct great interest at 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- 1 monstrated that the soil and climate of Yuma County arc peculiarly adapted for this branch of agricultural enterprise. The development of these resources is of the utmost importance and is at tracting careful 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 mostskept- ical, ofth1 onderful superiority of Yuma County over Southern California in fruit growing, and which must lead to 8 large and varied production, of the most remurerative character.
 The Commissioner of Immigration in his report published in sS6, writes as follows of the rich valle, of the Gila, Colorado and cslt 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 journey to the sea. By constant overfows and change of channel, the deposit of this rich vegetable matter has form cd soil of extreme fertility, Near ths streams it is dark alluvial mold, we'll adapted to small grains and grasses. Farther back there is rich sandy loam, 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 fruts cereals and vegetables that the labor of the cultvator is reduced to the minimum. Tn nearly all of them two crops year can be growth, and vegetation is one month ahead of California. The farmers plants 8 cottonwood sapng before his door, and within the year he has a shade tree twenty-five feet high! Alfalfa can be cut six times during the season, and it is actual fact the cuttings have produced within eigh- teen months! What State or Territory can make such showing7 The climate, it must be remem- bored, is nearly perpetual summer. Snow never falls in these southern valleys The farmer begins to plant in November, and by the middle of Nay lis harvest is ready. Roses are in bloom, fruit trees blossoming, and the grain fields are sea of green, when the fields of the Eastern farmers are covered with SHOW and ice.
 Every variety grains grasses, fruits and vege- tables grown in the temperate and somi-tropic zones can be produced in the valleys of Arizona. Wheat, corn barley oats and 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 luxurantly, the former giving from eight to ten tons to the acre each year, Every variety of vegetable raised in 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-cane, to- bacco hemp and rice. With the exception of the sugar but little attention is paid to the cuti vatou of other staples; but it has been demonstrat cd 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, l they found the Pima Indians wearing fabrics | made of c1tton grown in the Gila valley
 ''But it is their adaptabilIty for fruit culture that assures to these valley lands derse popua- tion and aprosperous future. Almost every var iety known be raised in their fruitful soils. The apple, pear, plum, beach, apricot, quince and noc- tarne, are of delicious flavor, and give gen erous yield. The grape of all varieties isa home in these sunny vales. No place in the grape-grow ing belt of the Pacific Coast can show prolific yield. The quality is all that could be desired; and the wine although its manufacture is yet ex- pcrimeutal, is of fine flavor, delicious bouquat, and uus 1T .,aa7ed hy any nstivo product @ sbl9