The Arizona sentinel., 1894-08-18

O the Gila and Colorado ivers have for the most part @ deep sedimentary soil Of brownish, gray sandy 10 m, resting, in most places, upon gray clay subsoil at a depth Of from len to twenty feet below the surface, The clay subsoil forms hard pan which is imperyious to water. These soils have been slowly formed by the decomposition of shales, sandstoEes, mars. imestones, ete., mixed with or ganic and vegetable matter, washed down by the mighty rivers and have been gradually deposited during the course Of centuries. The fertilizing bro7nish mud held in the water of the Colorado and GiIa rivers resembles that from the Nile, and its quantity varies frcm O.l to 05 per cent, though the water when even considerably diseolor- ed by mud is good to drink, resembling in this res pect the Missouri river water. chemical analysis of the sediments of the Colorado and of the Nile exhibits a wonderful similarity in the constituent parts of each That of the Colorado exhibiting a triae less potassa, most phoSphoric acid and car bonade of limestone beds through which the Colo rado passos In other poets thc sediment of the Colorado is almost identical with that of the Nile. It will be noticed therefore, that when this water used for irrigation it is superior to artesian waters since it is constantly supplying the land with the richest fertilizing elements. The soil of the valleys is extremely rich in dedomposed vegetable matter and uncombined carbon, readily absorbing the aerial gases, such especially, as oxygen, which eh tering the soil, dccomposes the organic matters SC that they can be taken up and nourish the plants which may be considered leading featur? in it's fertility. It also readily takes up and retain; moisture while the frmness of it's particles affords every facility for percolation and the activity o capillary action In ts mechanical composition its particles are in state of very fine division which renders it more productive than coarser soils Il acouires heat readily in the daytime, and the los of the heat at night is very gradual, so that it re mains always warm and is not subject to sudder changes of heat and cold Besides its essential con stituents of water, organic vegetable matter sand and clay, a chemical analysis shows that lime soda, magnesia, iron, ammonia and available forms of nitrogen phosphoric acid and potash enter into composition in the proportions best adapted tC add to it's fertility, though of course, as is alway the case in soil analysis its composition varies il different localities and is not always constant.
 The soil of the uplands, or mesas, is lighter anC more gravelly and in some places of a free, loamy a-careous character. The mesa lands are warm an' generous. They seem especially adapted for th grape, olive and citrus fruits generally Their soi contains more magnesia, lime or chalk than tn bottom lands It never cracks and retains moisture admirably in summer. It is of that character whic will produce a wine that will keep good for fifty a hundred years, and improve annually, not beini liable to sour, or on exposure to the air. after on year old, to become turbid and change color in tn bottle or glass.
 We can safely say that the soil of Yuma Count ! al the essential elements of richness and fertility.