The Arizona sentinel., 1898-10-08
LANDS AND SOILS,

The lands of Yuma County comprise the river bottoms and valleys and the uplands or mesas The bottom ands are moister and slightly mere fertile n indeed, it is possible to make comparisons where all are 30 wonderfully productive and prolific The uplands mesas are warmer and, perhaps,
 lightly for better the cultivation of the citrus fruits Yuma contains variety of soil The valley land Of the Gila and Colorado rivers have ior the most part deep sedimentary soil of brownish, gray sandy lOam, resting, in most places, upon gray clay subsoil at depth of from ten to twenty feet below the surface, The clay subsoil forms hard. pan which Is lmpervious to water. These soils have been slowly formed by the decomposition of shales. sandstones marls. limestones, etc, mixed with or ganie and vegetable matter, washed down by the I mighty rivers and have been gradually deposited ! during the course of centuries. The fertilizng | brownish mud held in the wat Glof the Colorado and Gila rivers resembles that from the Nile, and its quantity varies from 0.1 to 0.5 per cent, though the water V hen considerably discolor- ed by mud is good drink, resembling h this res pect the Missouri river water. chemical nslysis ' of the sediments of the Colorado and of the Nile exhibits wonderful similarity in the constituent ! parts of each. That of the Colorado exhibiting triae less potassG, most phosphoric acid and car bonads of limestone beds through which the Colo rado passes In other respects the sediment of thu Colorado is almost identical with that of the Nile It will be noticed therefore that when this water used for irrigation 1t s superior to artesian water since it is constantly supplying the land with th richestfertilizng elements. The soil of the valley is extremely rich in dedomposed vegetable matte and uncombined carbon, readily absorbing tn serial gases, such especially, as oxygen, which en tering the soil, decomposes the organic matters g. that they can be taken up and nourish the plant which may be considered leading feature in Il fertility. It also readily takes up and retain moisture, while Che rmness Of its particles affsrd every facility for peroolation and the activity c capillary action. In it's mechanical composition it
 particles are In state of very 6ne division whic renders it more productive than coarser soils
 acquries heat readily in the daytime, and the los
 of the heat at night Is very gradual so that it re
 mains always warm and Is not subject to sudde
 changes of heat and cold. Besides it's essential con stituents of water, organic or vegetable matter
 sand and clay, chemical analysis shows that l1n'
 soda, nagussia, iron, ammonia and available form
 of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash enter ini
 composition in the proportions best adapted 1
 add to its fertility, though of course, as is alwa
 the case in soil analysis, it's composition varies
 different localities and is not always constant. The sol 0 the uplands, mesas, lighter ar more gravelly and in soma places of ,ree, loam
 calcGreOus character. The mesa lands are warm al
 generous. They seOm especially adapted for u grape. olive and citrus fruits generally Their st , contains more magnesia, lime or chalk than q bottom lands. It cracks and retains Inoistu
 admirably in summer. It is Of that character whi
 will produce wine that will keep good for fifty hundred years, and improve annually, not oeil liable to sour or exposure to the air. after o year old, to become turbd and change color h | T bottle or glass