The Arizona sentinel., 1895-05-18

the Cila and Colorado rivers have for the most
 part deep sedimentary soil of brownish, gray sanfy loam, resting, in most places, upon 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 mars. 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 fertilizing
 brownish mud held in the water of the Colorado
 and Gils rivers resembles that from the Nile, and
 it's quantity varies from oI to o5 per cent,
 though the water when even considerably discolor
 ed by mud is good to dFinlr resembling in this res
 pect the Missouri river water A 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 triHe less potassa, most phosphoric acid and car
 bonadc of limestone beds through which the Colo
 rado passos In other respects the sediment of the Colorado is almost identical with that of the Nile.
 It will be noticed therefore, that when this water is used for irrigation it is superior to artesan waters since it is constantly supplying the land with the richest tertlzinG elements. The soil of the valleys is extremely rich in dedomposed vegetable matter and uncombned carbon, readily absorbing the aerial gases, such especially, as oxygen, which en-
 tering the soil, decomposes the organic matters so that they can be taken up and nourish the plants which may De considered leading feature in its fertility. It also readily takes up and retains moisture, while the rmness of it's particles affords every facility for percoation and the activity of capillary action In ts mechanical composition its particles in a state of very fine division, which renders it more productive than coarser soils It aequires heat readily in the daytime, and the loss of the heat at night is very gradual, that it 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 tn, proportions best adapted to add to its fertility, though of cOurse as is alway 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 warm and generous. They seem especially adapted for the grape, olive and citrus fruits generally Their soil contains more magnesia, lime or chalk than the | bottom lands. It cracks and retains moisture admirably in summer It is of that character which will produce wine that will keep good for fifty or hundred years, and improve annually, not being l liable to sour, exposure to the air, after one year old to become turbid and change color in the bottle or glass
 We cam safely say that the soil of Yuma County | can nowhere be surpassed, containing it does all the essential elements of richness and fertility.