The Arizona sentinel., 1898-06-11
LANDS AND SOILS.

The lands of Yuma County comprise the river bottoms and valleys and the upland. or 1,osas Tn, bottom ands are moister and slightly mere fertile IT, indeed, 1t is possible to make comparisons where all are wonderfully productive and prolific 1 The uplands or mcsas are warmer and, peraaug. lightly for betterthe cultivation 1.-the citrus fruits Fuma contains a variety of soil The valley land Of thel Gila and Colorado rivers have for the most part deep sedimeHta-y soil of brownish, gray san1y loam, resting, in most places upon a gray ciaJ subsoil at a depth Of from ten to twenty feet below the surface, The clay subsoil forms a hard pan which is impervious to water These soils have been slowly formed by the decomposition of shaIes Sandstones, marls limestones etc., mixed with or g1nic and vegetable matter, washed down by the m'ghty rivers and have been gradually deposited Gurng the course of centuries. The fertiIiziDa ofownish mud held in the wat tlof the Colorado and Gia rivers resembles that from the Nile. and hs quantity varies from 0.I to O5 per cent. though the "ater when even considerably discolor- ed oy mud IS good to drink, resembling in this res pect the Missouri river water. chemical analysis O. the sediments of the Colorado and of the Nile exhibits wonderful similarity in the constituent parts of each. That of the Colorado exhIbtino a
 
 bonade of limestone beds through which the Colo rado pass"s h other respects the sediment of the Colorado is almost identical with that of the Nile VIII be noticed, therefore, that when this water is used for irrigation it is superior to artesia waters since 1t IS constantly supplying the land with the richest ieriziug elements The soil of tbe valleys Is extremely rich in dedomposed vegetable matter and uneombined carbon, readily absorbing the aerial gases, such especially, as oxygen which en- terlng the soil decomposes the organic matters so ILa5 they can be taken up and nOurish the plants winch may 3e considered leading featur5 in ii ! iefllliIy' It also readily takes up and retains | moisture, while che irmness of it's particles affords every facility for percostion and the activity of capillary action. Inits mechanical composition its particles arc in state of very fine division which renders 1t more productive than coarse- soils I acquires heat readily in the daytime and the loss CT the Aeat at night is very gradual so that # re- mans always warm and is not subject to sudden changes Of heat and cold Besides it's essential con aUtuents of water, organic or vegetable matter. sand and clay, Q chemical analysis shows that lime @oda inagEe5ia, iron, ammonia and available forms ot nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash enter into composition in the proportions best adapted 10 1 add to isfertlity, though, of coursc as is always the case in soil analysis, it's composition varies in different localities and is not always constant.
 The Soi the uplznds. or mosas, lighter and more graveLy and in some places of .ree, loamy. | eaicsreous character The mesa lands are warm and generous. They seem especially adapted for the | grape olive and citrus fruits generally. Their soil contains more magnesa, lime or chalk than the ! bottom lands It never cracks and retains moisture in summer 1t is of that character which will produce a wine that will keep good for fifty or hundred years, and improve annually, not being a0l9 to sour or on exposure to the air, after one e~r old, to become turbid and change color in the bottle or glass