The Arizona sentinel., 1897-01-23

of thel Gila and Colorado rivers have for the most part deep sedmentary soil of brownish, gray sandy loam, resting in most places, upon a gray clay subsoil at depth of from ten to twenty feet below the surface The clsy sRbsoil forms hard pan which is impervous to water. These soils have been slowly formed by the decomposition of shaes, sandstones, R4arls. lmestones etc. mixed with or glnic and vegetable matter, washed down by the mighty rivers and have been grad1ally deposited during the course of centuries. Tho 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 0.5 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. A chemical analysis of the sediments of the Colorado and of the Nile exhibits wonderful similarity ia the constituent parts of each. That of the Colorado exhibiting a trihe less potassa, most phosphoric acid and car boriade 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 richest feStins 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 decoRFoses the organic matters so that they can be taken tp and neGrish the plants which may be considered leading feature in its fertility. It also readily takes up and retains moisture, while the rmness of it's particles affords every facility for percolation and the activity of capillary action In ts mechanical composition its rticles are a state Ofy 6na d;vicion ,phsob 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 re- mains always warm and is not subject 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, magnesia, iron, ammonia and available forms of nitrogen, phOsphoric acid and potash enter into composition in the proportions best adapted to add to its fertility, though, of course is alway the case in soil analysis it's composition varies in different localities and is not always constant
 The soi o the uplands, or mesas, lighter and more graveliy and in some places of a lree, loamy calcareons character. The mesa lands are warm and generous. They seem especially adapted for the grape, olive and citrus fruits generally. Their soil l contains more magnesia, lime chalk than the bottom lands. It 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, or on 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 it does all the essential elements of richness and fertility.