The Arizona sentinel., 1896-10-10

of thelCia and Colorado rivers have foI tae most part deep sedimcntarF soil Of Srownisb, gray san.ly ioain, resting in moss places, upon Q gray cas suJscu at depth of from ten 10 twenty feet below the suface Ire clay sUbsoiI forms a hard r5n NIlish k imperyous to water. These soils have 5ocn slowly formed by She decomposition o shaes, sandstoaeS, rlarls. Emestones e5e, mixed with or .nic and vegetable matter, washed down by the i mighty rivers and have been gradually deposited during the ooTrse of centuries. The fertilizing
 brownish mud hold in the wat 'Iof the Colorado and Gila rivers resembles that from the Nile, and its quantity varies from o.I to O5 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 4 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 a triAe less potassa, most phosphorc acid and car bonade of limestone beds through which the Colo
 rado pGssss In other respects the sediment Of the Colorado is almost identical with that of the Nile
 It will be notieed therefore, that when this water is
 used for irrigation it is superior to artessa waters
 since it is constantly supplying the land with the
 rchestfertizing elements. The soil of the valleys is extremely rich in dedomposeG vegetable matter and cneombned carbon, readily abso. bing the aerial gases, such especially as oxygen, which en-
 tering the soil, decomposes the organic matters go that they can be taken up and nOu-ish the plants which may be considered a leading feature in its i 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 it's rfpicS in Sfa If b;fb
 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 oi heat and cold Besides it's essential con-
 stituents Of water, organic or vegetable matter,
 sand and clay, 8 chemical analysis shows that lime soda, magnesa, iron, ammonia and available forms
 of nitrogen, phesphoric 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 ill different localities and is not always constant.
 l The soi 0 the uplands, or mesas, lighter and
 more gravelly and in some places of a .ree, loamy,
 eacarcous character. The mesa lands are warm and 1 generous They seem especially adapted for the
 grape, olive and citrus fruits generally Their soil 1 contains more msgnesia, lime chalk than the
 bottom lands. It cracks and retains moisture
 admirably iii summer It is of that character which
 will produce wine that will keep good for fifty or hundred years, and improve annually, not being
 liable to sour, 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 County
 nowhere be surpassed, containing it does all the essential elements Of richness and fertility.