The Arizona sentinel., 1897-01-02

of thel Gila and Colorado rivers have for the most part deep sedmentary soil of brownish, gray sandy loon, resting, in most places, upon a gray clay subsoil at depth of from ten to twenty feet below the surface, The clay subsoil forms hard pan which is impervioGs to water. These soils have been slowly formed by the decomposition of shales, Sandstones, marls. limestones, etc., mixed with or glnic 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 tlof the Colorado and Gila rivers resembles that from the Nile, and its quantity varies from O.. to O.5 per cent, though the water when even considerably discoior- 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 iR the constituent parts of each. That of the Colorado exhibiting trife less potassa, most phosphOric acid aAd car
 bonade of limestone Reds through which the Colo rado pass"s. In other respects the sediment of the Colorado is almost identical with that of the Nile
 1t will be noticed therefore, that when this water is used for irrigation it is superior to artesan 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 nncombined carbon, readily absorbing the aerial gases such especially, oxygen, which en- tering the soil decomposes the organic matters so that they can be taken up and nourish the plants which may be considered leading feature in it's fertility. It also readily takes up and retains moisture, while the frmness of it's particles affords every facility for pereolation and the activity of capillary action. In ts mechanical composition it's particles are in state of very fine division, which renders it more productive than coarser soils It acquirics heat readily in the daytime, and the loss of the heat at night is very gradual 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, phesphoric acid and potash enter into composition in the proportions best adapted to add to its fertility, though, of course, always the case in soil analysis, it's composition varies in different localities and is not always constant
 The soi the uplands, or mesas lighter and more gravelly and in some places of 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, or on exposure to the air, after year old, to become tafbd 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 and fertility.