The Arizona sentinel., 1896-06-27

of shel ella and Colorado rivers have tor the most
part deep seaimeEta-y soil OF b.ownsh, gray
sandy loan, resting, in most places, upon a gray
clay subsoA at depth OF from Ten 70 twenty feet
below the surface, The clay subsoil forms a hard
pan which is inpervious to water. These soils have
been slowly formed by the decomposition Of shaies
sandstones, marls imestones, etc., mixed with or
g2nic and vegetable matter, washed down by the
mighty rivers and have been gradually deposited
during the course OF centuries. The fcyt;lizing
brownish mud held in the wat tIof the Colorado
and CHA rivers resembles that from the Nile, ard
;ts quantity varies from OIL to O.5 Per cent,
though the water when even considerably Giscolor-
cd by mud is good to drink resembling in this res
pect the Missouri river water A chemical analysis
CT the sediments of the Colorado and of the Nile
ex,.:b:.s wonderful similarity in the constituent
parts ot each. That Of the Colorado exhibiting
tribe less potassa, most phosphoric acid and
bonadc Of limestone beds through which the Colo
RADIO pas5-s In other respects the sediment OF the
Colorado is almost identical with that Of the Nile
II viii 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
richest ferilizing elements The soil o! the valleys
and uncombincd carbon, readily abso bling the
aerial gases such especially, as oxygen, which ca
terng the soil, dccompose5 the organic matters so
that they can be taken up and nourish the plants
which may be considered leading featur, in It's
fertility. 1t also readily takes Up and retains
moisture while the Crnness Of its particles affords
every facility for percolat;on and the activity Of
capillary action. IL is 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 vci- radual, so that il re-
mains always warm and Is not subjec5 to sudden
changes Of heat and cold. Besides It's essential con-
stituents of water, organic or vegetable matter
sand and clay, chemical analysis shows that lime
soda, masnosia, iron, ammonia and available forms
OF nitrogen phosphoTic acid and potash enter into
composition in the proportions best adapted to
add to its fertility, though of course as is always
the cass in soil analysis, its composition varies in
different localities aad is not always constant.
The soil of the uplands, or mesas lighter and
more gravclly and in some places Of = ,ree loamy
calcarccus character. The mesa lands are warm and
generous. They seem especially adapted for the
grape olive and ci5rus fruits generally. Their soil
| contains more m2gnesia, lime or chalk than the
bottom lands. 1t never cracks and retains moisture
admirably in summer. It is ofthat character which
will produce wine that will keep good for fifty or
| hundred years, ard improve annually. not being
liable TO sour, exposure to the ar, after one
year old, 10 become tur6id and change color in the
bottle or glass.
We can safely say that the soil of Yuma County
can nowhere be surpassed, containing as it does all
the essential clements of richness ard fertility.