Arizona republican., 1909-02-07
Mesa City Orange Belt

1 this section but in year or so when lthe new Highland ditch Is completed | 1t will also cross an extension of the same area, doubtless just as good land for oranges.
 The warrant for saying that this | is a proved orange belt lies fin the flew experiments that have been made, and the temperature records
 that have been kept. The older set tiers are familiar with the name and fame of the Pritchard orange or chard a few years ago. It is locat- ed a little west of the northwest cor ner of Mesa City townsite, was once famous, fell under neglect, was fin ally secured by David Reed, who never saw an orange orchard until he went to Mesa and who is mak- ing a fine success of the business and has no trouble with frosts. 1m- mediately north of Mesa City is the grove of w. K Bowen, who has been doing what the orange men say he ought not to do and is still mak-
 ing money. He has grape vines
 planted between his tree rows. against the law of the modern hor-
 take some substance from the soil
 that would be good for the trees: Still they bring in a revenue that
 is worth while. The vines are too
 valuable to cut out but the oranges
 under the handicap keep doing their
 duty right along. East of Mesa
 City Is the Millet grove. also a fine
 bearing orchard. That is all the bearing orchards the settlement has though there are scattering trees
 here and there on the mesa plain that are doing we'll Dr. A. J. Chandler has a few trees in the
 yard at his home place beyond the northeast corner of the townsite and they bear beautifully. One tree that has stood for years out in an open field is among them. It was never given attention and often in the summer 1t has had no water when a tree should have 1t to store up vitality against the possible frosts of winter. Neverthless the tree re- fuses to do anything but prosper. The only effect of frost the doctor has ever noticed was the first year he put his trees out and that was so long ago he has forgotten what year 1t was. Anyhow the little trees were nipped somewhat that first winter on the ends of the limbs but were not seriously hurt, and young trees ought to have some protection during cold nights, In even the best orange sections.
 THE RECORDS
 The question of climate is best studied by records. For several years pr. Chandler was the volunteer weather observer of the weather bu- reau, having the government ther- mometers at his home northeast of Mesa in the heart of the orange belt now under discussion. He has still in his possession copies of the rec ords of temperatures for three years. The PanfIhliPan haraNyffh the material features of them in comparison with the records kept for the same time at the Ingleside orange grove, that being the ac- knowledged ideal spot, or as good as any, in the north side orange belt. There is no purpose in this com parison or in this article, to detract one jot CT little from the virtues of the north side orange belt for Mesa has no desire to knock" Indeed Mesa would prefer to widen to the uttermost, the orange acreage of the valley knowing there cannot be too much of 1t and every acre added means that much more wealth for the county and territory, with a the demand for orange land faster than the supply can possibly be furnished, even with a beneficent re- clamatiOn service. Ingleside is re- ferred to merely as the locally ac- cepted standard of perfection and the Mesa belt only asks considera- tion to the extent of its favorable comparison. And when the facts are squarely seen there isn't enough difference between the two sections to influence a choice. One year one has shade the best of 1t and another year the other has a better showing by a very narrow margin
 In the following figures given for each day of the month in question at both Mesa and Ingleside. the fig ures are all for minimum tempera- lures on the day in question. There is no trouble about the maximum re- cords for it is hot enough at the warm part of the day, all over the valley, especially along about Aug ust. It is also noted that tempera- lures are only given for the four colder months of the year, January, February, November and December There is no danger during any other months. While figures are given for only three years it is stated by those who are familiar with the facts that there has been no weather since, so cold as that cf December 1901. It is confessed that in that month h. gleside had the best of the mean average for the month by 16 de- Brees, having had only one day with a minimum of 20 while Mesa had three days with that record. That was once when the orange men had a close shave all over the valley but even the orange grower has to take some chance in this world. In the respective months the records are given consecutively from the first to the last day. without tabulating the dates:
 MESA MINIMUM TEMPERATURES