The Arizona sentinel., 1896-06-06

of thei Gila and Colorado rivers have for the most part deep sedmehtary soil of brownish, gray san1y loam, resting, in most places, upon gray clay subsOil at depth Of from ten to twenty feet below the surface, The clay subsoil forms hard pan which is impervious 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 fertilizing brownish mud held in the wat tIof the Colorado and Gila rivers resembles that from the Nile, and its quantity varies from o.1 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 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 a | trile less potassa, most phosphOric acid and car | bonade of limestone beds through which the Colo rado pGssos Tn 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 artes;an waters since it is constantly supplying the land with the richestfertiIizing 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 en- teriag the soil, decomposes the organic matters that they can be taken up and nourish the plants which may be considered a leading feature in it's fertility. It also readily takes up and retains moisture while the irmness of its particles affords every facility for percoation and the activity oi capillary action. In ts mechanical composition its particles are in state of very fine division, which renders it more productive than coarser soils Il acquiries heat readily n the daytime, and the loss of the heat at night s very gradual so that it re mains always warm and is not subject to sudder changes of heat and cold Besides it's essential con- stituents of water, organic vegetable matter sand and clay, a chemical analysis shows that lime soda, magnesa, iron, ammonia and available form of nitrogen, phesphoric acid and potash enter int composition in the proportions best adapted t add to its fertility though of coufse as is alway the case in soil analysis, its composition varies il
 different localities and is not always constant. The soil of the uplandS, or mesas, lighter ant more gravely and in some places of a .ree, loamy ealcareous 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 thGn 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 o f hundred years and improve annually, not bein
 liable to sour, exposure to the air, after on year old, to become turbid and change color in tn , bottle or glass.
 We can safely say that the soil of Yuma Count can nowhere be surpassed, containing it does al
 the essential elements of richness and fertility.