Arizona republican., 1907-12-13
PHOENIX ARIZ. DEC. lS. 1907.
ORANGE GROWING.

The Republican Is in receipt or the following communication from Mir. R. w. Clothier of the University of Ari- zona. professor of agriculture and sup erintendent of farmers institutes:
 II received a letter few days ago from Mir A. Warren Patch, secretary of the National Commission Merchants League. New York City, stating that Arizona oranges are the best oranges on the market in New York City this year. The publication of this statement ought to be of great value to the or ange growers of Arizona and should also stimulate them to renewed efforts To retain for their product the high reputation it has gained
 The orange growers of the Salt Riv- CT Valley were never so highly eiated over the prospect as they are now. and they never before had such good req son to be. This locality as an orange growing region possessed certain ad- yantages of which all were aware. but from the earliest times it possessed one drawback which rendered the business of orange growing and even the very existence of the orchards uncertain. That was the undependable water sup ply. But that drawback has been al- most entirely eliminated and will be wholly so b. next season.
 The present crop. though the water was not received until late in the sea son. will be almost seven times as great as that of any previous season. 1T is safe to say that it will be inn mensely greater. perhaps twice as great next season. for there is nothing uncertain about orange growing here when there is an abundance of water.
 Another drawback was the supposed limited area within which oranges could be grown. IL was thought for time that the orange belt was restrict ed to narrow zone along the Arizona canal adjacent to the foot hills. If that were so. while the business might be profitable to those who were en- gagged in it it could never become an important industry helpful to the whole valley But # has since been ascertained that anywhere in that vast region north of the Appropriators' canal. there is good orange land, any part of it equal to the orange land of southern California, and less liable to visitation by frost. IL is probable that the orange belt may extend even far ther south and We know that oranges thrive abundantl- on the south side. l. will perhaps be developed that this valley contains the largest compact body of orange land in the United States.
 This much being settled we can fall back upon our known unequaled ad- vantage. The first is the superior quality of the fruit which is recogniz- ed in al markets. Hitherto much of it was sold as California fruit which had already attained a reputation, but this year for the first time. our oranges are knov-n b.. name That came about by the attempt of California growers to enter into competition with our early oranges. There could not be two kinds Of California oranges. the green. sour kind. and the large. luscious yellow kind. Then dealers and the public learned of Arizona oranges and the California product has been crowded out of the market or forced to sale at such reduced prices that early ship ments hare ceased.
 The Salt River Valley growers will always be without competition in the early market and will also be without competition in the matter of the best oranges.
 For the first time. local growers this year are beginning to reap the profit which is supposed to belong to The business. Conservative estimates show that many of the orchards will yield return of $500 an acre.