The Arizona sentinel., 1899-01-07
FRUIT CULTURE.

Fruit production throughout Arizona is a sub ject 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- monstrated that the soil and climate of Yuma County are peculiarly adapted for this branch of agricultural enterprise. The development of these resources is of the utmost importance and is at tracting carefnl 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, tbe most skept cal, oft, Onderful superiority of Yuma County over Southern California in fruit growing, and which must lead to a large and varied production, cf the most remunerative character.
 The Co., missioner of Immigration in his report, published in SS6, writes follows of the rich valley of the Gila Colorado and Salt 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 ovorfows and change of channel, the deposit of this rich vegetable matter has for1l cd soil of ,xtreme fertility, Near th3 streams it is a dark alluvial mold, well adapted to small
 
 sandy loam, mellow and porous and especially favorable for fruit culture It has been already demonstrated that the productive opacity Of these valleys is not surpassed by lans 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 of the cutivator is reduced to the minimum. In nearly all of them two crops year can be growth and vegetation is month ahead of California. The farmers plants a cottonwood sapling 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 an actual fact tho grapecuttings have produced within eigh- teen months! What State or Territory can make such Q showing? The climate, it must be rcmem- bered is nearly perpetual summer. Snow never falls in these southern valleys. The farmer begins to plant in November, and by the middle of May 'is harvest is ready. Roses are in bloom, fruit trees are blossoming, and the grain fields are Sea of green, when the fields of the Eastern farmers arc covered with snow and ice.
 Every variety grains grasses, fruits and vege- tables grown in the temperate and semi-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, JlIhotHJ, betihuua anu all the cultivated grasses grow luxuriantly, 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 susar-cane but little attention is paid to the culti vation of other staples but it has been demonstrate ed that tho soil and climate are 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 of cotton grown in the Gila valley.
 'But it is their adaptabilIty for fruit culture that assures to these valley lands denso popula- ton and . apyosperous future Almost every var cty known can be raised in their fruitful soils The apple, pear, plum, peach, apricot quince and nec- tarine, are of delicious flavor, and give gen erous yield. The grape of all varieties iSs home in these sunny wales. No place in the grape-grow- ing belt of the Pacific Coast can show so prolific yield. The quality is all that could be desired; and the wine, althoughits manufacture Is yet eX- pcriMeptal is of a fine flavor, delicious bouquet aId uns lrl~->ed hy lua native proJnct ao table