The Arizona sentinel., 1894-07-14

the Gila and Colorado rivers have for the most part a deep sedimentary soil of brownish, gray sandy loam resting, in most places, upon a gray clay subsoil at depth of from ten to twenty feet below the surface, The clay subsoil forms hard pan which is impervious to water. These soils have been slowly formed by the decomposition of shales, sandstones marls. limestones, etc., mixed with or ganic and vegetable matter, washed down by the mighty rivers and have been gradually deposited during the course of centuries. The, fertilzing brownish mud held in the water of the Colorado and Gila rivers resembles that from the Nile, and its quantity varies from O1 to O.5 per cent, though the water when even considerably discolor- ed by mud is good to drink, resembling in this pect the Missouri river water. chemical analysis of the sediments of the Colorado and of the Nile exhibits wonderful similarity in the constituent parts of each That of the Colorado exhibiting triie less potassa, most phosphoric acid and car bonade of limestone beds through which the Colo rado passos In other respects the sediment of the Colorado is almost identical with tbat of the Nile. It will be noticed therefore, that when this water is used for irrigation is superior to artesian waters since it is constantly supplying the land with the richest fertilizng elements The soil of the valleys is extremely rich in dedomposed vegetable matter and uncombined carbon, readily absorbing the aerial gases such especially, oxygen, which en- tering the soil, decomposes the organic matters that they can be taken up and nourish the plants which may be considered leading feature in it's fertility. It also readily takes up and retains moisture while the irmness of it's particles affords every facility for percolation and the activity of capillary action In ts mechanical composition it's particles are in a state of very fine division, which renders it more productive than coarser soils It acquires heat readily in the daytime, and the loss of the heat at night is very gradual so that 1t re- mains always warm and is not subject to sudden changes of heat and cold Besides it's essential con stituents of water, organic vegetable matter, sand and clay, 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 to add to it's fertility, though of course, is always the case in soil analysis it's composition varies in different localities and is not always constant.
 The soil of the uplands, or mesas, is lighter and more gravelly and in some places of free, loamy, caIcareous character. The mesa lands are warm and generous. They seem especially adapted for the grape olive and citrus fruits generally Their soil contains more magnesia, lime chalk than the bottom lands It never cracks and retains moisture admirably in summer It is of that character which will produce a wine that will keep good for fifty or hundred years, and improve annually, not being liable to sour on exposure to the air, after one year old to become turbid and change color in the bottle or glass.
 We can safely say that the soil of Yuma Co unty nowhere be surpassed, containing as it does all the essential elements of richness and fertility.