Tombstone epitaph., 1915-08-15
SOUTHERN ARIZONA
 \ FLORAL PARADISE

In the July issue of the Sunset Ma . zire appeared the following tribute to Southern Arizona by we'll known reproductions:
 ' "It is hard to eradicate a prejudice. to overcome preconceived notion. The funny papers still publish pictures of thc automobile owner stretched full length underneath the car, even though
 ma chimes needing attention from that direction have long since joined the | dodo. By the same token. there still exists in many quarters the belief that southern Arizona is monotonous des- ert.
 At Bowie in April I wandered just beyond the station grounds and pick ed poppies. the cups of deep gold that cause the California poets 10 break forth into rapturous paeans every ! spring. l took an armiul of the flowers int" the Pullman when the Sunset Ex- l press came 10 halt. chorus of
 "Ah's'' and "Oh's" greeted the respIrn- dert bouquet
 Where did you get the heauries ? asked white haired. grandmotherly
 woman Do they grow them out here to sell them ?
 On both sides of the track hum drei square miles covered almost sciif- i ly with the deep orange of the Califor- mia poppy were visible; clear to he horizon stretched the golden leagues, climbed up the slope of the purple mountains. For miles the train had ! rolled between marvellous masses of la- | rninouS blossoms. but the passengers would not believe the testimony of their eyes The resplendent sheen they saw must be some humble yellow bloom: [ t could not be Cal'fornia's glory flung prodigally over the Arizona plains No,
 up'il they had picked masses of peoples with their own hands at the next sta tion were they convinced.
  Southern Arizo has distinctly arid climate Agriculture without irr- gatiOn is impossible. But the southern Arizona landscape pc does not present the monotcnous, treeless, gray aspect of the Great Plains Because it has two dis tiuct rainy seasons, one in winter and one in midsummer. and because the most continuous growth the year round whenever moisture is supplied, the plains and hills des have covered them selves with a mantle of vegetation re- markable in its density Mesquite trees twenty to forty feet high dot the ground like vast orchards: the green columns of the sajuaro or giant cactus rise fully as high a dozen other forms of cacti, greasewood bushes and other shrubs give the southern Arizona lanG- scape an aspect of almost tropical lux uriance.
 'In fall and early winter the soil be- tween the shrubs is dry. bare and blk- ed But the winter rains work a mag ical transformation In the spring month there is no region of earth which can display any equal wealth, an equal variety of flowers. Because an arid eli mate does not allow a cover of turf to form and choke out the flowers. thrr seeds spread everywhere waiting for rains to gcrminate.
 T have seen in southern Arizona. es- pecially in the mountain passes oi the automobile trip from Globe to Pi oenix, ten. twenty. thirty square miles hidden under an almost solid mass of blue lupines and -larkspur, fanked by an equally tremendous area of solid yellow The effect of this riotoue wealth of massed floral decorations flung over the hiilsides is overpowering And when the cactus is in bloom little later, when vivid yellow. bright purple. deep red and solid blue flowers break out of stems and spiny. sIabsided leaves in the most unexpected places, the charm of hull. canyon and plain presents itself in a new aspect.
 There is a fascination about the horizon. the sparkling air. the clear sil- houeties of the wonderful blue noun tain ranges of southern Arizona that