2270 NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



liiiuls of Arizona nivos rise to n\iiiu'ioiis iiovcr-fuiliiit; 

 stroiuns, which couverfio to form tho Little Colorado, 

 Sjilt ami (iila rivers. Those streams finally emi)t.v into 

 the Colorado Hiver of-the West, whieh diTivcs its main 

 flow from the distant watersheds of Colorado, Itah and 

 Wyoming. The Salt, t!ila. and other .smaller streams, 

 as they How westward through tlie arid plains border- 

 ing upon the I'olorailo Hiver, gra<lually evaiiorate, or 

 arc absorbed, and iinally become intc'rmittcnl in char- 

 acter, floods reaching their months only at infrequent 

 intervals. 



Xiunerous storage sites exist which arc gradu.ally 

 becoming utilized for the storage of flood-waters, and 



2529. Arizona, showing the areas of horticultural development, 



the ground-waters of the region are being rapidly 

 develoiied by means of pumjiing-plants and artesian 

 wells. 



In a region where the rainfall is so inadequate for 

 the irrigation of the entire area, horticultural pursuits 

 can only be developed under tlie constant streams of 

 higher Arizona, and the never-failing ("olorado; where 

 fiood-watcrs can be stored, or where groimd-vvaters are 

 avaijable. Only in higher or more favored areas is it 

 pf>8.<iiblf; to cultivate orchards or gardens, dei)ending 

 upon rainfall only. The horticultural districts of the 

 state, therefore, are located almost entirely according 

 to available irrigating water-supply. These districts, 

 so far a.s they are at all developed, are indicated upon 

 the accompanying map. 



Irrigation wiis first practised at favorable points 

 throughout Arizona by prehistoric i)eoples, the ruins 

 of whose dwellings and ditches yet exist. Among the 

 crops cultivated by the Indians, are quick-growing 

 varieties of Indian com, native beans, squashes, pumj)- 



kins, martynias, ami, in former times, probably, cotton 

 and tobacco. Following the Indians came the Span- 

 iards, from Mexico, who establishetl themselves in the 

 iSanta Cniz Valley early in the eighteenth century. 

 The .Icsuits at their missions introduced Old \^■orld 

 crops, including barley, wheat, apricots, cotton, dates, 

 figs, grapes, melons, olives, onions, citrous fruits, 

 lieaches, pears, pomegranate, quinces and vegetable 

 crops. 



With the advent of Americans, dating from the Gails- 

 dcn Purchase in 1S.'J4, agricultural and horticultural 

 develoi)ments have been rapid, especially in irrigated 

 parts of the state. Improved varieties of the crop- 

 plants introtluced by the Jesuits have 

 been developcil in large number, 

 and in addition some crops new or 

 previously little known have been im- 

 ported, among them, alfalfa, apples, 

 sugar-beets, the sorghums, cowpeas, 

 eucalypts, millets, oats, plums, sweet 

 and Irish potatoes, strawberries, 

 tomatoes, and other fruits and vege- 

 tables. 



Horticulturally, the state is divided 

 into the northeastern elevated por- 

 tion, best suited to deciduous fruits, 

 summer vegetables and those orna- 

 mentals common in temi)erate cli- 

 mates; and the southwestern half of 

 .the state, of low altitude and higher 

 temperatures, in which may be grown 

 those subtropical plants which resist 

 mild frosts and in which winter-grow- 

 ing vegetables and heat-resistant 

 ornamentals thrive. 



In the northeast, the leading horti- 

 cultural products are apples, peaches, 

 pears, plums and grapes. Strawber- 

 ries, blackberries and a wide range 

 of vegetabl* crojis may also be grown, 

 chiefly under irrigation. The most 

 imjiortant of all horticultural crops 

 at the present time is apples, which 

 thrive vigorously at altitudes of 3,000 

 feet and above. The principal apple- 

 growing districts are irrigated from 

 the Gila River in Graham County 

 and from the Verde and its tribu- 

 taries in Yavapai County. Occasional 

 orchards are scattered at higher alti- 

 tudes throughout the state. 



In the southwest, a great varictj' 

 of subtropical and temperate-region 

 crops are possible. Among the more 

 distinctly subtropical plants, resistant 

 to both heat and mild frost, are 

 apricots, dates, eucalypts, figs, olives, oranges, pom- 

 elos, lemons, pomegranates and quinces; while many 

 plants common to more temperate regions may be 

 adapted to these lower altitudes, such as grajies, 

 peaches, pears, plums, strawberries, and many vege- 

 tables which may be grown during the cooler fall, 

 winter and spring seasons. Among the most im- 

 portant horticultural features of the southwestern half 

 of Arizona, are the olive, the date jialm, figs, gra])es, 

 and specialties, such as sugar-beets, cantaloupes and 

 winter-grown vegetables. An atti'active array of flowers, 

 grown chiefly in the winter season and having commer- 

 cial iiossibilities, includes roses, sweet peas, dahlias, 

 anfl many flowering b\ilbs. 



Various horticultural specialties are possible in 

 Arizona at all seasons of the year. At higher altitudes 

 ai)i>les are the most important horticultural crop. 

 Among the most satisfactory varieties growii are Ben 

 Davis, Arkansas Black, Gano, White Winter Pear- 

 rnain, .Jon.athan. Limber Twig, and others. Excellent 



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