The Arizona sentinel., 1896-09-19

ci ciGls and Colorado rivers have foI the most part deep sedimentary soil Of brownish, gray sanly foam, resting, in rloss places, upon 3 gray clay subsoil ct a depth Of from ten to twenty feet below the surface, The clay subacil forms a hard ps4, which apervious to water. These soils have been slowly formed by the decomposition of shales, sands5os a resrls. nr.2stones, etc. mixed with or g1nic and vegetable matter, VI shed down by the mighty rivers and have been gradually deposited during the course Of centuries. The fertilizing brownish mud held in the wat ,1of the Colorado and Gila rivers resembles that from the Nile and i's quantity varies from O.l to O.5 per cent, though the water when even considerably discolor- cd by mud is good to drink resembling in this res pect the Missouri river water. A cae34ical analysis oi the sediments of the Colorado and of the Nile exhibits @ wonderful similarity in the constituent parts of each. That of the Colorado exhibiting a trie less potassa, most phosphOric acid and car bonade of limestone beds through which the Colo rado p2ssss. In other respects the sediment of the Colorado is almost identical with tbst of the Nile It will be nnced therefore, thas when 6liiq wa ter is used for irrigation it is superior to artesan waters since it is constantly supplying the land with the richest lertiIizing clements The soil of the valleys is extremely rich in dedonposed vegetable matter and Gncombined carbon, readily absorbing the aerial gases sucd especially, oxygen, which en- tering tic soil dcaoaP5sgs thn organic matters so that they can be taken up al.1 nourish the plants which may be consideye1 leading featur. iG its fertility. It also readily takes up and retains moisture, while the fnness of it's particles affords every facility for percolation and the activity of capillary action. h it's mechanical composition it's particles are in a state of very fine division which renders it more productive than coarser soils It acquires heat readily in the daytime and the loss oi the heat tt night is vsiy gradual, that it mains always warm and ls not subject to sudden changes of heat and cold Besides its essential con stituents Of water, organic or vegetable matter sand and clay, chemical analysis shows that lime, soda, magnesia, iron, ammonia and available forms of nitrogen, phosphoric ac.d and potash enter into composition in the proportions best adapted to add to its fertility though of course, as is always
 the casa in soil analysis, its composition varies in different localities and is not always constant.
 The soi the upllnds, mesas, lighter and more graveiiy and a some places of a lree, loamy, ealc4reous character The mesa lands are warm and generous They seem especially adapted for the grape, olive and citrus fruits generally Their soil contains more magnesia, 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 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 Yums County can nowhere be surpassed, containing it does all the essential elements Of richness and fertility