The Arizona sentinel., 1899-04-08

Fruit production throughout Arizona is a sub iect 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- nOnstrated that the soil and climate of Yuma County peculiarly adapted for this branch of agricultural enterprise. Tine 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, even tbe skept- ical, oftas onderful superiority of Yuma County over Southern California in fruit growing, and which must lead to a large and varied production, of the most remunerative character.
 The Commissioner of Immigration in his report, published in 1886, writes as follows of the rich valle, of the Gila, Colorado and Salt rivers,
 ''The soil of these valleys is among the richest on the continent. It is formed of the detrtus which the streams for ages have brought down from their mountain homes in their journey to the sea. By constant overlows and change Of channel, the deposit of this rich vegetable matter has form ed . soil of extreme fertility Near tho streams it is dark alluvial mold, well adapted to small grains and grasses. Farther back there is a rich sandy loam, mellow and porous, and especially favorable for fruit culture. It has been already demonstrated that the productive apacity ef 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 fruits cereals and vegetables that the labor of the cultvator is reduced to tho minimum In nearly all of them two crops year can be growth, and vegetation is one month ahead of California The farmers plants a cottonwood saping before his door, aud within the year he has shade tree twenty five feet hgh Alfalfa can be cut six timesdIring the season. and it is an actual fact the grapecuttings have produced within eigh- teen months What State oT Territory can make such showing? The climate, it must be remem- bercd, is nearly perpetual summer. Snow never fals in these southern valleys. The farmer begins to plant in November, and by the middle of May lis harvest is ready. Roses are in bloom, fruit trees are blossomng, and the grain fields are sea of green, when the fields of the Eastern farmers are 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 ard 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 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 ip Arizona, and | nowhere are they found of better quality.
 "Besides the products mentioned, these semi tropical valleys produce cotton, sugar-cane, to- l bacco hemp and rice. With the exception of the sugar-canc but little attention is paid to the cult
 vaticn of other staples but it has been demonstrat ed that the 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 ot cotton grown in the Gila valley.
 ''But it is their adaptabilIty for fruit culture that assures to these valley lands dense popula- tion and aprosperouS future Almost every var
 ety known can be raised in their fruitful sois The apple, pear, plum, peach, apricot, quinee and nee tarine, are ef delicious flavor, and give gen erous yield. The grape of all varieties isa home ;p these sunny vaics. No place in the Srape-grow ins belt of the Pacific Coast can show so prolific a yield, The quality is all that could be desired and the wine althoughits manufacture is yet ex
 psr.lneu.sl, i5 of 8 fine flavor. delicious bouquet
 and u-s 1rr1-scd by any uatigc prodCo. sS table