Arizona republican., 1910-04-25
THE PROSPECTS FOR
 \ FRUIT CROP A BUMPER ONE ON THE SOUTH
 SIDE. The Promising Outlook on One
 Ranch.
The Promising Outlook on One

In view of the fact that yesterday
 mornings dispatches conveyed the
 startling information that lhe fruit
 csat throughout the middle western
 and- northern states had been damaged
 to the extent of several millions of dol
 lars. the news that the fruit trees in
 the Salt river valley is giving evidences
 of bumper crop for the coming sea
 son will be welcomed.
 :. David Reed. the well known fruit
 grower who a few years ago purchased
 the Prichard orange grove west of
 Mesa, Is responsible for the statement
 that his trees unless the unforeseen
 should happen will bear better crops
 next season that at any time since he
 has been resident of the valley. In
 the first place it might be explained
 that MT. Reed has on his ranch no less
 than fifty distinct varieties of fruits
 and that furthermore there is not a month in the year. but what he has fruit on the trees. At the present time
 Tor Instance. he has orange trees of the Parson Brown variety which have the fruit on them and he also has d variety of grape fruit which he does not expect to finish picking until along
 in August Quite d while before the grape fruit has been picked he will have begun the harvesting of his april
 cots and peaches. Mir. Reed was asked to give his opinion on the com ing fruit crop for two reasons; first, because he is such an extensive grow er. and, second because he is d close observer and may be depended upon to have a pretty good idea as to the real conditions of the fruit outlook
 According tn Mir Reed. his almond trees give promise of producing well. even better than last season. The al monds are the early trees to blossom and are. as a result the more liable to e:kiiled on account of the cold wealth CT. The pears are coming on well and a fair crop is assured. Plums are coming on exceedingly well and un- less they begin dropping of before ripening. their weight twill break the branches unless they are supported The peach trees are full of fruit and there will evidently be a bumper crop. According to Mir Reed the Thompson Seedess grape vines are not showing bp dS VI Fiir dS AiiiN liliif idSN fdI- lt appears that the fruit will be fully as good but the punches are not as num- erous
 In the opinion of MT. Reed the orange crop the coming season will be as good if not better than last sea- son. However while it is fully be- leVed that the trees above referred to a fs fair averages there is one thing tlYat should b taken into consideration a nd that is q pomegranite hedge which ncarfy surrounds the entire grove. This hodge may have something to do with the present conditions of the trees and a gain it may not It is simply given from the fact that it may have a di rect bearing on the present condition of the coming fruit Mir Reed. how ever. looks upon the hedge of pome granites rather as q valuable asset more than he does as q protector of his other trees. Last year it netted him over a dollar a rod simply from the sale of the pomegranites. This fruit was sold principally to Indians WirO have lately evidenced fondness fog if and will come for miles to gath err it. He has counted twenty seven wagons along his hedge row at one time. driven by Indians and there for the purpose of getting pomegranites.
 There has never been much difficult ty in recent years of finding a market for all the fruit produced here. and with the execution of the oranges and seedless grapes there has been demand enough within the ter rtory to take care of the crop. but | with the shortage in fruit of the mid | 1le states it can not he but to the i advantages of the growers of the Salt i ,..al