The Arizona sentinel., 1896-10-17

of 5bel Gila and Colorado rivers have for the most part deep sedinentary soil Of brownish gray sandy loaIn, resting, in most pieces, upon gray clay subsoil at depth Of from ten to twenty feet below the surface, The clay subsoil forms hard pan which is inpervicus to water. These soils have been slowly formed by the decomposition of slales sandatones, marls limestones etc., mixed with or glHc and vegetable matter, washed down by the mighty rivers and have been gradually deposited during the course of centuries. The fertilizing browush mud held in the wat tIof the Colorado and Gila rivers resembles that from the Nile and it's quantity varies from o1 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. 4 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 trife less potassa most phosphoric acid and car bonade of limestone beds through which the Colo rado passos Tn other respects the sediment of the Colorado is almost identical with that of the Eile It will De noticed therefore, that when this water used for irrigation it is superior to artesisn waters since it is constantly supplying the land with the richest fertilizing clements. 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 anl nourish the plants which may De considered a leading feature in its fertility. It also readily takes up and retains moisture, while the irmness of its particles affords every facility for percolation and the activity of capillary action. hi mechanical composition it's particles are in a state of very fine dvision which renders it more productive than coarser soils It acquires heat readily in the daytime and the loss of the heat at night is very gradual, SO that it mains always warm and is 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, magEesia iron, ammonia and available forms of nitrogen, phOsphoric acid and potash enter into composition in the proportions hest adapted to add to its fertility, though, of course is always the case in soil analysis, it's composition varies in different localities and is not always constant.
 The soi the uplands, or mosaS, lighter and more gravely and in some places of a lree, loamy, calcareous 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 Yuma County can nowhere be surpassed, containing as it does all the essential elements of richness and fertility.