The Arizona sentinel., 1899-01-14
LANDS AND SOILS.

The lands of Yuma County comprise the river bottoms and valleys and the uplands or mcsas The bottom ands are moister and slightly mere fertile If, indeed it is possible to make comparisons where all are so wonderfully productive and prolific The uplands or mesas are warmer and, perhaps, lightly for better the cultivation the citrus fruits Yuma contains 9 variety of soil The valley land of the Gila and Colorado rivers have for the most part deep sedimentary soil of brownish, gray san1y 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 imperyious to water. These soils havo been slowly formed by the decomposition of shales sandstones, mGrls. limcstones, etc.. mixed with or gaHic and vegetable matter, washed down by the mighty rivers and have been gradually deposited during the course of centuries. The fertilizins brownish mud held in the wat tIof the Colorado and Gilo 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- cd 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 | parts of each. That of the Colorado exhibiting . trife less potassa, most phosphoric acid and car honade of limestone beds through which the Colo rado passes. In other respects the sediment of tht Colorado is almost identical with that of the Nile It will be noticed therefore that when this water E used for irrigation it is superior artesian watcr since it is constantly supplying tho land with thu richestfertilnng elements. The soil of the vslley IS extremely rich in dedomposed vegetable matte | and uncombined carbon, readily absorbing th, aerial gases, such especially, as oxygen, which en tering the soil, dccomposcs the organic matters SC that they can be taken up and nourish the plant l which may be considered a leading featurs in 1t fertility. It also readily takes up and retain moisture, while the frmness of it's particles afford every facility for percolation and tho activity o capillary action. In it's mechanical composition it particles are in state of very fine division whic renders it more productive than coGrser soils acquiries heat readily in the daytime, and the los of the ke0t at night is very gradual, that it mains always warm and is not subject to suidel changes of heat and cold. Besides it's essential l stituentS of water, organic or vegetable matter sand and clay chemical analysis shows that lime | soda, magnesia, iron, ammonia and available form of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash enter int composition in the proportions best adapted t add to it's fertility though, of course, is alway the case in soil analysis, it's composition varies different localities and is not always constant
 The soi the uplands, or mcsaS, lighter an more grayelly and in some places of lree, loamy calcareous character The mesa lands are warm an generous. They seem especially adapted for th grape, olive and citrus fruits generally Their so contains moro magnesia, lime or chalk than til
 bottom lands. It never cracks and retains moistur admirably in summer. It is otthat character whic will produce wine that will keep good for fifty C hundred Jesrs, and improve annually, not bein
 iableto sour, or on exposure to the air, after on year old, to become turbid and change color in th bottle or glass.