The Arizona sentinel., 1895-07-27

the Gila and Colorado rivers have foI the most part Geep sedimentary soil of brownish, gray saniv 10 r, resting, in most places, upon gray cla, subsoil at depth Of from len to twenty feet below the surface, The clay subsoil forms hard pan which is inreryious to water These soils have been slowly formed by the decomposition Of shalos, sauistoncs, marIs. limestoacs etc., mixed w,h or gauic 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 wat tlof the Colorado and GiIa 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 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 tri1e less potassa, most phOsphOric acid and car bonade of limestone beds through which the Colo rado pass7s 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 artesian waters since it is constantly supplying the land with the richest fertizing 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 soi dccomposes the organic matters so that they can be taken up ani nourish the plants which may ne considered leading featur2 in its fertility. It also readily takes up and retains moisture while the rmness of its particles affords every facility for percolation and the activity of capillary action. In it's mechanical composition it's i'm, cto If Gna bicb renders it more productive than coarser soils It aoquirios heat readily in the daytime, and the loss of the heat at night is very gradual so that it re- mains always warm and is not subject to sudden changes of heat and cold. Besides its essential stituents of water, organic vegetable matter, sand and clay, chemical analysis shows that lime, so5t, mag nes6, iron, ammonia and available forms of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash enter into composition in the proportions best adapted to add to its 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, lighter and more gravelly and in some places of free, loamy, calcareous 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 cracks and retains moisture admirably in simmer. It is of that character which will produce wine that will keep good for fifty or a hundred years, and improve annually, not being liable to sour, exposure to the air, after year old, to become turbid and change color in the bottle or glass.
 We can safely say that the soil of Yuma County can nowhere be surpassed, containing does all the essential elements of richness and fertility.