The Arizona sentinel., 1898-08-27
LANDS AND SOILS.

1 The lands Of Yuma County comprise the rive,
 bottoms and valleys and the uplands or mesas The bottom ands moister and slightly mere fertile
 H. indeed it is possible to make comparisone where all are so wonderfully productive and prolific
 me uplands or mesas are warmer and, perhaps
 lightly for better the cultivation othe eitrus fruts
 Yuma contains variety of soil The valley land or the Gila and Colorado rivers have for the most part deep sedimentary soil of brownisb. orav san1y loam, resting, in most places, upon A orav clay subsoil at depth of from ten to twenty feet below the surface, The clay subsoil forms hard pan which is imperyous to water. These soils baye been slowly formed by the decomposition of shales sandstones, marls. limestones, etc, mixed with or game and vegetable matter, washed down by the hiiShty rivers and have been gradually deposited during the course of centuries. The fertiIizins orownlsh mud held in the wat Clof the Colorado ana Glla rivers resembles that from the Nile. and us quantity varies from O.I to O5 her cent
 though the water hen even considerably discoIor- ed by mud is good { drink, resembling in this res pect the Missouri river water A chemical analysis Of the sediments of the Colorado and of the Nile eXhlDlts wonderful similarity in the constituent parts of each. That of the Colorado exhibiting 2 trlfie less pOtassa, most phosphoric acid and ear oonade of limestone beds through which the Colo rado passes In other 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 is superior to artesian waters since 1t is constantly supplying the land with the richestfertlizing 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- terlng the soil, decomposes the organic matters so that they can be taken up and nOurish the plants which may be considered a leading featurs in it fertility It also readily takes up and retains moisture, while the rmness of its particles affords every facility for percolatiOn and the activity of capillary action. In its mechanical composition it's particles are in state of very fine division which renders It more productive than coarser soils I acqurles heat readily in the daytime and the loss or the heat at night is very gradual so that it re- mans always warm and is not subject to sudden changes of heat and cold Besides its essential con- sutuents of water, organic vegetable matter, sand and clay, chemical analysis shows that lime, soda, magnssia, iron, ammonia and available forms of nitrogen phosphoric acid and potash enter into composition in the proportions best adapted to add to it's fertility though, of course as is awa, the case Tn soil analysis, its 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 tree, loamy. ealcareous 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 adhlraoly Tn summer. It is that character which will produce wine that will keep good for fifty or hundred years, and improve annually, not being HaDle to sour, or on exposure to the air. after one year old, to become turbid and change color in the bottle or glass.