The Arizona sentinel., 1909-01-14

the Colorado on both sides, incident to the depositidg of this mass of debris during all
 the past ages. Going through the country ! on the Arizona side of the river, for several
 miles below Yuma, one encounters the same type of country and soil that is found in the | Imperial Valley country around Brawley, Calexico and other points west of the river
 The fertility of the black prairie soils of llli-
 nois has astonished people engaged in agr1- culture for nearly one hundred years. The fertility of the valleys Of the Nile has been a
 matter of history for at least coco years. Those who are familnr with Illinois prairie soil, and those who know what the valley of the Nile is for agriculture. know that this lower Colorado River region scrpasses both of them. ! you ask farmer along this stretch of coantry if the soil is six feet his eyes will open with astoaishnent ai your ignorance. lie will fell you MO one knows whether it is
 O feet, ECe or6 90 feet deep. It is practically
 without bottom. IL is so thoroughly well
 mixed with sand, disintegrated granite and other rocks that it never breaks. 1t is as easily worked as a heap Of ashes, and re-
 spends to cultivation in q way that is mar velous.
 CUT SEVEN CROPS YEARLY.
 Arizona has established an experiment
 station in the heart of this big valley, which Is some twenty-four miles long, and in spots ten ko twelve miles wide, down on the lower level. The results are wonderful. Last week they were cutting a crop of alfalfa on this eX- perimental farm, and for seven consecutive
 months they will cut succeeding crops. The
 only months when the crop IS not cut here are
 December and January.
 Cotton and tobacco grow with the greatest luxuriance, and this rich alluvial soil will be noted in a very few years aS the ideal spot in the whole country for dairying, hog raising the production of poultry and vegetables, which
 one heSitates to call early or late, as they will
 be perennial. New potatoes will be produced in the middle of January, tomatoes will be ripe by the first of March, ripe grapes will be
 gathered in the early days of May, and apri- cots by the middle of tho same month. Chic
 kens and turkeys flourish there in the winter
 time beyond all experience anywhere else.
 The rainfall is exceedingly light and comes
 only three or four times in whole winter.
 With an abundance of green alfalfa and veget- able the dry and not overheated climate prevailing in the winter months chickens are free from the disease that make their raising difficult elsewhere There is no spot in South ern Illinois or Missouri so adapted to the pro- duction of corn as this valley along the Cobra
 do River. With alfalfa and corn, the butter. cheese eggs, poultry and pork to be raised on q twenty-acre farm will amaze those who have
 the experience in American agricultural affairs The winter climate around Yuma is thing so intoxicatinglY salubriouS that words caD describe il. Those desorts oF America. as we
 have regarded them heretofore. seem to defy the ills that human nature elsewhere is so prone to contract and suffer from. The ntrnos phere is as dry as punk, the skies eloudlessly clear the air mild as possible, and every breath seems to be an inspiration Of new l:e. The United States has an experiment farm on : the mesa just on the outskirts of Yuma. Here ults even more marvellous than in the valley are produced. Down on the lower levels there
 are little nips of frosty mornIugs occasionally during December and January, but or the mesa
 the breath of frost never touches the most del 1 icate vegetation. Oranges grown at the Feeder i al experiment. station are unsurpassed in their delicious quality.
 Yuma iS a busy, upto-datc town. The more
 modern improvements consist of several blocks Of attractive brick buildings. three-story post
 office building, also of brick, and many other nice structures Among some Of the greater Improvements which are being made arc a
 S35 eco school building, a &75.CO0 ice plant, 8 { fine clubhouse for the railroad employees, a 1 larger passeuger depot, and the probability Of
 a new court house to cost S75, coo. There is con
 siderable business done there but the people have not begun to awaken to the vast possibili tics Of the place. They should at once erect an up-to-date tourist hotel. It should have ample grounds around it and be planted with all kinds of tropical vegetation. II atmosphere
 were only tranSportable like mineral wOters, and one could send consignments of this Yuma winter air to the East, the inspiration of it's
 health-giving qualities would bring 25.O00 tourists every winter to the banks of the Colo
 rado River.
 Yuma needs only to make known it's climatic
 attractions in the parts Of the East swept every year by blizzardS and snowstormS to attract 3 city full every winter The fertility of the val
 ley below will almost make itself known with
 cut enort on the part of the people. But with a
 vallev full of intelligent and industrious rural population. producing fruits and vegetables, poultry, eggs. fresh milk and fragrant butter,
 yuma should bc one Of the most delightful
 winter resorts in all America. There is every
 thiro there to furnish tourists with the most