The Arizona sentinel., 1898-11-19
LANDS AND SOILS,

The lands of Yuma County comprise the r,ver bottoms and valleys and the uulands or nesas The bottom ands are rOister and slightly mere fertile if, indeed, it is possible to m Ike comparisons where all wonderfully productive and prolific The uplands or mesas are warmer and, perhaps. lightly fer better the cultivation of the citrus fruits Yuma contains ysriety of Soil The valley land of thei Gila and Colorado rivers have for the most part deep sedimentary soil of brownish. gray sanfy loam, resting, in most places, upon q gray clay subsoil at depth of from ten 70 twenty feet below the surface, The clay subsoil forms 6 hard pan which ia impervious to water These soils havr been slowly formed by the decomposition of shales sandstones, mars. limeSGones etc., mixed with or ganle and vegetable matter, washed down by the mighty rivers and have been gradually deposited during the course of centuries. The fsrtilizina orownlsh mud held in the wat ,Iof the Colorado and Gila rivers resembles that from the Nile, and It's quantity varies from OI to O.5 per cent. though the water hen even considerably discolor- ed by mud is good drink, resembling in this res- pect the Missouri river water. chemical analysis of the sediments of the Colorado and of the Nile exhibits wonderful similarity in the constituent pe5f. Is Is each. --"tQf the Colorado exhibiting q "fiio losS.-4.sea. = bonade of limestoma beds throth9ris sGk Gk iie tssr gar rado pass's. In other respects the sediment of the Colorado is almost identical with tbat of the Nile. It will be noticed, therefore, that when this water used for irrigation it is superior to artesan waters since it is constantly supplying the land with the riehestfertilzing clements The soil Of the valleys is extremely rich in dedomposed vegetable matter and uncombined carbon, readily absorbing the aerial gases, such especially, oxygen, which en- tering the soil, docomposes the organic matters SC that they can be taken up and nourish the plants which may 5e considered leading featur3 in It fertility. It also readily takes up and retains moisture, while the frmpess of it's particles affords every facility for percolation and the activity o1 capillary action. In it's mechanical composition it's particles are in a state of very fine division which ! renders it more productive than coarser soils I acquries heat readily in the daytime and the les, of the heat at night is very gradual so that t re 1 m0ins always warm and Is not subject to sudde 2 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 ntC composition in the proportions best adapted tc add to it's fertility though, of course is alway: the case Tn soil analysis, it's composition varies il | different localities and Is not always constant
 ! The sol o the uplands, or mesas, lighter anc more gravelly and in some places of lree, loamy calcareOus character. The mesa lands are warm ant | generous. They seem especially adapted for tht grape, olive and citrus fruits generally Their soi 1 contains more magnesia, lime CT chalk than th' bottom lands. It cracks and retains moisture admirably in summer. It is of that character whel will produce wine that will keep good for fifty O.
 hundred years, and improve annually, not being liable to sour, exposure to the air, after on' year old, to become turbd and change coler in tht
 bottle or glass