The Arizona sentinel., 1898-05-28
LANDS AND SOILS.

The lands of Yuma County comprise the river bottoms and yalleys and the ulIand- or nesas The bottom ands are moister and slightly mere fertile if, indeed it is possible to make comparisons where all are so wonderfully prnductlye and prolific The uplands or mesas are warmer and, perhaps, lightly for better the cultivation of the citrus fruits Yuma contlns variety of soil The valley land of 5bei Gila and Colorado rivers have fo1 the most part Q deep sedimentary soil of brownish, gray sandy loam resting, in most places, upon gray clay subsoil ct a depth of from ten to twenty feet below tic surface, The clay subsoil forms hard pan which is imperyious to water. These soils have been slowly formed by the decomposition of shales, sandstones marls. limestones, ete., mixed with or g2nic and vegetable matter, washed down by the mighty rivers and have been gradually deposited during the course of centuries. The fertil;zing brownish mud held in the wat ,Iof the Colorado and Cila rivers resembles that from the Nile, and its quantity varies from O.1 to O.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 a wonderful similarity in the constituent parts of each. That of the Colorado exhibiting a trife less potassa, most phosphoric acid and car bonade of limestone beds through which the Colo rado pGs5rs. mother 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 artesan waters since it is constantly supplying the land with the richestfer1ilzing 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 sOi decomposes the organic matters so that they can be taken up and n0urish the plants l which may be considered @ leading fcatur3 in It fertility. It also readily takes up and retains moisture while the frnness of its particles affords every facility for percolation and the activity o capillary action. Init mechanical composition its particles arc in a state of very fine division which renders it more productive than coarser soils ] acquires beat readily in the daytime and the los, of the heat at night is very gradual, that it mains always warm and is not subject to sudden changes Of heat and coll. Besides it's essential con- | stitUents of water, organic or vegetable matter sand and clay, chemical analysis shows that lime soda, maguesia, iron, ammonia and available form of nitrogen, ph)spLorc ac;d and potash enter into composition in the proportions best adapted |, add to its fertility, though, Of c5urse as is alvay the case in soil analysis it's composition varies il different localities and is not always constant.
 The soi the uplands, or mesas, lighter an more grayelly and in some places of a ,ree, Ioamy calcareous character. The mesa lands are warm an generous They seem especially adapted for th grape, olive and citrus fruits generally. Their SO contains more magnesia, lime chalk than tn bottom lands. It never cracks and retains moistur admirably in summer. It is of that character whic will produce a wine that will keep good for fifty Q hundred years, and improve annually, not oein liable to sour or on exposure to the air, after on year old to become turbid and change color in th bottle or glass.