The Arizona sentinel., 1895-04-27

| o the Gila and Colorado rivers have for the most part deep sedimentary soil of brownish, gray | sandy lo7m, resting, in most places. upon a gray clay subscil at depth of from ten to twenty feet below the surface, The clay subsoil forus hard pan which is imperVious to water. T1rese esos have been slowly formed by the decomposition of shales
 sandstones, marls. llmestones etc., mixed with l ganic and vegetable matter, washed down by the mighty rivers aud have been gradually deposited during the course of centuries. The fertilizing brownieh mud held in the water of the Colorado and Gils rivers resembles that from the Nile. and l it's quantity varies from 0.i to 0.5 per cent.i though the water when even considerably discolor- ed by mud is good 60 drink resenbling in this res
 pect the Missouri river wster. A chemical analysis l of the sediments of the Colorado and of the Nile exhibits 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 passps In other respects the sediment of the Colorado is almost identical with that of the Nile. Tt will be noticed therefore, that when this water is used for irrigation it is superior to artesian waters since 1t is constantly supplying the land with the richest fertiiizng 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 tering the soil, decomposes the organic matters that they can be taken up and nourish the plants which may be considered leading featur, in its fertility. It also readily takes up and retains moisture, while the frmness of it's particles affords every facility for percolation and the activity of capillary action. In ts mechanical composition its particles are in 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, that it mains always warm and is not subject to sudden changes of heat and cold Besides it's essential 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 sdapted to add to it's fertility, though Of corrse as is always the in soil analysis its 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 OfA free, loamy, calcareous character. The mesa lands warm and generous They seem especially adapted for the grape, olive and citrus fruits generally Their soil contains more magnesis, lime 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 a hundred years, and improve annually, not being liable to sour, or exposure to the air, afterOne year old, to become tarbid and change color in the bottle or glass.
 We safely say that the soil of Yuma County can nowhere be surpassed containing as it does all the essential elements of richness and fertility.