The Arizona sentinel., 1895-02-09

the Gila and Colorado rivers have for the most
 part 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 a hard
 pan which is mpervious 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 O.l to O5 per cent, 1 though the water when even considerably discolor- ed by mud is good to drink resembling in this psct the Missouri river water. A 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 @ trife less potassa, most phosphoric acid and car
 bonade of limestone beds through which the Colo rado passes. 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 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, as oxygen, which en- tering the sol decompcses the organic matters so that they can be taken up and nourish the plants which may be considered e leading feature in it's fertility. It also readily takes up and retains moisture while the rmness of its particles affords every facility for percoation and the activity of capillary action. In ts mechanical composition it's particles in state of very fine division, which renders it more productive than coarser soils It acquiries 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 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 t6 add to it's fertility though of course as is always the case in soil analysis, it's composition varies in different localities and is not always constant.
 The soil of the uplands, mesas, is lighter and more gravely and in some places of a free, loamy, calcareous character. The mesa lands warm and generous. They seem especially adapted for the grape, ove and citrus fruits generally. Their soil contains more magnes1a, lime or chalk than the bottom lands. It never 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, exposure to the air, after one yeah old, to become turbid and change color in the bottle or glass.
 We can safely say that the soil of Yuma Co unity can nowhere be surpassed, containing as it does all the essential elements of richness and fertility.