The Arizona sentinel., 1904-10-12
COL ORADO and GILk VALLEYS

In the valleys of the Colorado and ella rivers
there is room for thousands. 1t is not too uIuch
to say that nowhere within the limits of this
broad union can be found more desirable re-
gion for the making of a home. No labOriouS
clearing of the land is required: it lies almost
ready for the pioW. Trees aud Shrubbery have
so rapid a growth that within eighteen months
the immigrant can surround his abode with at
fractions which would require years to mature
in less favored climates. Fruits ripen and are
ready for the market q full month before the
California products. The bright sunshine
makes life luxury, and the pure dry atmOs-
phere brings health to all who inhale it. For
the establishment of colonies, such as are made
in Southern California, Arizona presents un-
rivaled opportunities. Thousands of acres now
protitleSS can be made productive by the con-
struction of irrigating bitches, and there Is no
investment which assures larger and more per-
manent return.
The statements in this article onYuma county
are not exaggerated; in fact they fall short of
doing justice to this wonderful bit of country
PineappleS, dates almonds and walnutS will do
well. Strawberries, raSpDerricS, blackberrleS,
currantS, gOoSeberrieS and all varieties of
small fruits can be successfully cultivated. In
deed, Yuma county is not only the natural
home of the citrus and SemitropicGl fruits, as
almost every fruit, nut, plant, grain grass, or
of the temperate zones will thrive III the rich
and fertile soils.
With the bright prospects ahead Of the town
of Yuma and Yuma county there can be no bet
ter investment for cBpital seeking large and re-
munerative returns than is afforded here. With
a matchless climate, where all forms Of dis
ease known to the damp and rigorous regions
of the east and north are unknown where the
bright sunshine kiSSe' into bloom and fra
GRANGE every form of vegetation, and where the
clear days and cool balmy nights are one long
continued poem of happiness and delight, VIC
can offer to capitalists an ideal field for invest
ment and to homeSeekers'a a vcritable paradise
in which to settle.
: The soil of these valleys is among the richest
on the continent. 1t 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 oyerhowS and change
of channel, the deposit OF this rich vegetable
matter has formed soil OF extreme fertility
Near the streams It Is 2 Gark alluvlal mold
ther back there is q rich sandy lean, mellow
and porous. and especially favorable for fruit
culture. 1t. has been already demonstrated
that the productive capacity of these valleys IL
not surpassed by lands of equal area in any
part of the United States. So rupid and pro-
life is the growth of thefru1tS, cereals and veg
etLbleS that the labor Of the cultivator is re-
duced to the minimum, In nearly all of them two
crops n year can be grown, and vegetation Is
one month head of California. The farmer
plants q cottonwood Sapllng before his door,
and within the year he has shade tree twenty
five feet high! Alfalfa can be cut six times dur
ing the season, and it is an actual fact that
grape cuttings have produced within eighteen
months! What state or territory can make
such showing? The climate, 1t must be re-
mem bered. is nearly perpetual summer. snow
never falls in these southern valleys. The far
mer begins to plant in November, and by the
middle of May his harvest is ready. Roses are
in bloom, fruit trees are blooming, ana the
grain fields are a sea of green, when the fields
of the Eastern farmers are covered with snow
and ice.
Every variety of grains grasses, fruits and
vegetables grown in semitropic zones can be
produccd in the valleys Of Arizona. Wheat,
corn barley oats and all the small grains give
q weld of from twenty-five to nifty bushels per
acre. Alfalfa, timothy clover. bermuda and
all the cultivated grasses grow luXurlantly, 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 In AllZona, anu
| nowhere are they found of better quality.
| Besides the products mentioned, these semi
| tropical valleys produce cotton, Sugarcane, to-
bacco, hemp and rice With the exception OF
| the Sugarcane, but little attention Is palu 20
the cultivation Of other staples; but it hes been
demonstrated that the soil and climate are
specially adapted to their successful growth
! Cotton-growilg 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 ella valley.
..F1ut il is their adlptabiIity for fruit culture
that assures to these valley lands dense pop
ulation and u prosperous future Almost every
variety known can be raised in their fru!tfui
| soils The apple. pear. plum, peach, apricot,
ounce and nectarine are OF delicious naNOr,
and give Il generous yield. The grape OF all va
rietieS is at home in these sunny wales 20
place in the grape-growing belt OF the Paclnc
| coast can show so prolific yield The quallty
is all that could be desired: and tie wine,
although its manufacture Is yet experimental,
! is of a fine flavor delicious bouquet, and un-
| surpassed by any native product as table bev-
eraere Experiments with the raisin grape have
shown that this climate and soil possess every
advantage for the production and curing of this
staple article of commerce.
Besides the fruits already mentioned, the
orange lemon. lime. olive, fig. pomgranate ana
! others of the citrus family. can be grown sue
| cesSfully in the valleys OF Southern Arizona
Orange trees are now in bearing In Salt rlver
valley and at Yuma; while the banana u also
being cultivated at the latter place. The Ari-
zona orange in quality and flavor will compare
favoraDly with the best California.
In the valleys of the Colorado, the Salt and
the ella rivers there is room for thousands
1t is not too much to say that nowhere within
the limits of this broad Union can be found
more desirable region for the making OF a
home No laooriOuS clearing of the land i re-
0uired: it lies almost ready for the plow.
Trees and Shrubbery have so rapid growth
that within eighteen months the Immigrant can
surround his abode with attractions Whlch
would require years to mature IN less favored
climates Fruits ripen and are ready for mar
kni q full month before the California product
The bright sunshine is a luxury, and the pure,
dry atmosphere brings health to all who l1halc
it. For the establishment of colonies, such as
have made of Southern California i garden,
Arizona presents unrivaled opportunities.
Thousands of acres, now pr0htleSS, can De
made productive by the construction OF lrrlgat-
ing bitches. and there is no investment which
assures larger or more permanent returns.