The Arizona sentinel., 1896-06-13

of het Gila and Colorado rivers have for the most part deep sedimentary soil of brownish, gray sandy loam, resting, in most places, upon gray clay subsoil ct depth of from ten to twenty feet below the surfaee The clay subsoil forms hard pan which ig impervious to water. These soils have been slowly formed by the decomposition of shales, sandstones, marls limestones, etc., mixed with or ganc and vegetable mattor, washed down by the mighty rivers and have been gradually deposited during the course of centuries. The fertilizing brownish mud held in the wat CIof the Colorado and Gila rivers resembles that from the Nile, and its quantity varies from 0.1 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. 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 a trihe less potassa, most phosphoric acid and 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 it is superior to artesian waters since it is constantly supplying the land with the richestfertilizing 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 soil, dccomposes the organic matters | that they can be taken up and nourish the plants which may be considered a leading featurs in it's | fertility. It also readily takes up and retains moisture while the irmness of it's particles affords every facility for percolation and the activity o capillary action. In ts mechanical composition it l fno cI renders it more productive than coarser soils l
 acquiries heat readily in the daytime, and the los
 of the heat at night is very gradual, that it re
 mains always warm and is not subject to suddel
 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 form of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash enter int
 composition in the proportions best adapted t
 add to it's fertility, though, of course, is alway
 the case in soil analysis, it's composition varies i
 different localities and is not always constant.
 The soil of the uplands, or mesas, lighter an more gravelly and in some places of lree, loamy
 calcareous character. The mesa lands are warm an
 generous. They seem especially adapted for tn
 grape, olive and citrus fruits generally. Their so
 contains more magnesia lime or chalk than tn
 bottom lands It never cracks and retains moistur
 admirably in summer. It is of that character whic will produce wine that will keep good for fifty a hundred years, and improve annually, not bein
 liable to sour, or exposure to the air. after or
 year old, to become turbid and change color in tl bottle or glass.
 ! We can safely say that the soil of Yuma Count can nowhere be surpassed, containing as it does a the essential elements of richness and fertility