The Florence tribune., 1899-08-12
TIE CASA eRANDE VALLEY.
information for These Seeking Hoaes
 In the earaen sRot Of the West.

waste. Next to Maricopa it is the most in- portant agricultural county in the Territory. It 1t traversed from east to west by the Southern Pacific railroad aud 2 branch of the great Santa Fe system is now approach. ing from the north. The objective polnt or this road is connection with tns 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 Beer Creek coal fields are reached and connection Is made with another branch os that road run ming from Bowie to Globe and now eomplet- ed to Fort Thomas.
 Thus 1t 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 population of about 15O9, but W ith the completion or these two railroads and the Butte reservoir no city in Arizona can approach It Tor haturai advantages, and large increase Iii popAiA- tion will follow. Florence is at an eieNNtion of 1858 feet above sea level, situated near the Gila river. twenty-siz miles nQruhWes0 or tlie l railroad station of Casa GrRnde. wlth when it is connected by an elegantly equipped adBily stage line. Going and coming stages run by the old Casa Grande ruins and passengers are allowed short tune to ln- spect them. There are many handsome pfl- vate residences in Florence, several pFlo5 stores, good hotel, an excellent graded school employing four teachers, eharciles'
  paper (the only one in the eountyl, and ths handsonest court house in the Territory. Here is hold the United States Court tor the district composed of Giia, Graham and Pinal counties. The streets are lined with shade trees which iFcpart an oIr or 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 Alkali, is deep, rich gray ash, especially adapted to the growth or tho. p-unei oiiye, almond, peach, hg, pear, apricot and fftiits of all kinds, which pay largely on the invest ment. It is also the natural homo of alfalfa, which grows ia the most prolific manner. The grape does exceptionally well III tils valley, and wine and raisiE culture IS t.estiE- ed to become prominent industry. Citrus fruits have been cultivated to limited extent: there are a number of orange trees In the neighhorhood of Florence. which bear their golden fruit each year without pro lection, and few date palm trees are also m full bearing: The season is from six weeks to two months earlIer than Southern Cahtor- nia, which gives fruit growers an apprseiat- ed advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is a formidable obstacle to the destructiYe and unsighsly scaie-bug, end the fruits of the valley are all bright and clean. All the G-sri- cultural products of temperate and ssml- tropic zones are easily grown here, the long
  double or treble the productive value of the land.
 Improved lands, with government title and water right, can be bought for from SD to $50 per acre, according to location and iin- provements. In the immediate nelg hbor- 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 ohOt T.fe in 1r.aE sbie quantity is found at 6 depth et from twenty to thirty feet; in fact, river seems to be flowing underneath Here IS spien- did opportunity to take ID and improve land with a pumping system or irrigation, which is said to be successful on small tracts.
 However, with the completion oi the Butte reservoir, pumping will be 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 " hat was once considered
 AN UNIEHABITABLE DEsERT
 is in truth the most productive land on the globe, and that there is water in abunJauce to bring every foot of 1t under cultivation, only waiting for the magic wand of capital to develop 1t. There is no water-storage scheme on the Pacific coast that has one-halt the natural advantages and so few engineer ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. Here nature has built the abutments in ever-liy- ing rock. and all that is left for maa to do is to put in the headgate. the bluffs which form the gorge being only separated by paltry 20 feet. A country is drained through this narrow cany ron 200 miles square, representing 10000 square miles, or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. The rainfall Is s5lf- 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 GRASDE RESERVOIR.
 The reservoir of the Casa GTnnde Valley Canal company is the larges. in the territory. Jtcoyers a surface of l6g0 acres, with an aver age depth of 1Z feet and contains about eight thousand million gallons of water. It is sit- iIated fifteen miles southwest of Florence. A leyee of earth has been thrown up across 6 depression in the plain II, ,J90 feet in length. 125 feet in width at he bottom and l5 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 i'll diameter; set in solid masonry, regulated by gates and tower. This reservoir cost SlJ0G00, and sup plies water for 6.0O0 acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern ment maintained a station at Florence from 1871 to 1882. The reports covering the period from Jnly, 1880. to April, 1882. gives the follow ing statistics, which may be taken as a safe guide to the prevailing temperature given during the series of six yeas:
 1880. Mean. Max. Min. July y......................-..s5 s5.b III 6l August. t......................e6.5 .e6.5 1l2 6O September. .61.0 1OI 45 October r...-.-..-........... bo.O 0 sz November .........-.......5 5z.l 5g z5 December er.................-.5O.9 .5O.9 U 21
 1881.
 January. .457 5s M February y...4...s-..-s-..... D4.f SJ q