AGRICULTURE. Isolation and aridity have held Arizona in a backward state of development. Railroads and irrigation, however, are overcom ing these obstacles. Stock-raising has been here tofore the leading agricultural industry, and the absence of climatic extremes, such as are com mon to the regions farther north. is very favor able to this industry. In 1900 the neat cattle in the Territory numbered 607,000: sheep, (168, 000; horses, 106,000; the first of these doubled in number during the decade, while the two latter increased threefold. The pasture lands are con fined principally to the northern plateau, the rainfall of the southern portion of the Territory being insufficient for the growth of grasses, ex cept on a few favored mountain slopes.
With the development of irrigation, mixed farming is becoming common. The most favor able region for irrigation is the valley of the Gila River and its tributaries. The most exten sive irrigated district is that surrounding the city of Phoenix. During the last decade of the century the irrigated land (outside of Indian reservations) increased from 65,000 to 185.000 acres. This constitutes SI per cont. of the im proved land of the Territory. The farm land aggregates but 2.7 per cent. of the total area. The
rainfall is so small that the ordinary flow of water in the streams supplies but a small portion of the irrigable area, and the further extension of irrigation is dependent upon the construction of storage reservoirs. Alfalfa is the most im portant crop. The acreage devoted to its culti vation (including the reservations) increased during the decade 231.4 per cent. Wheat and barley are next in importance, and the acreage of these and other cereals is rapidly increasing. In the southern part of the Territory many of the semi - tropical fruits — figs, raisin - grapes, almonds, etc.—are successfully raised, ripening earlier than in any other part of the United States. Recent experiments seem to show that Egyptian cotton can be successfully grown in this region. The more distinctively temperate zone crops—potatoes, apples, and various kinds of fruits—flourish in the northern counties.
MANITFAcTuaF.s. Manufactures within the limits of the Territory are confined largely to the building trades, to car construction and re pair shops, and to the smelting and refining of copper.