The Arizona sentinel., 1899-01-07
LANDS AND SOILS,

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 if, indeed it is possible to make comparisons where all are wonderfully productive and prolific The uPlandS mesas are warmer and perhaps, lightly for better the cultivation ofthe citrus fruits Yuma contains a vsrietv of soil The valley land of thel Gila and Colorado rivers have for tre most part deep sedimentary soil of brownish, gray saniy loam, resting, in most places, upon a gray clay subsoil at depth of from ten to twenty feet below the surface, The clay subsOil forms q hard. pan which is impervious to water These soils havr been slowly formed by the decomposition of shales sandstones, marls. imestones, etc., mixed with or ganic and vegetable matter washed down by the mighty rivers and have been gradually deposited during the course of centuries. The fertilizing brownish mud held in the wat tlof the Colorado and Gila rivers resembles that from the Nile and its quantity varies from 0.I to O.5 per cent, though the water VI hen even considerably discolor- 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 exhibits wonderful similarity in the constituent parts of each. That vf the Colorado exhibiting 1 triie less potassa, most phosphoric acid and car bonade of limestOme beds through which the Colo rado pass"s. In other respects the seds It of the Colorado is almost identical with tbat of tine 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 richestfertizing elements The soil of the valleys l is eytrpmelV rich in ledOmOOced and uncombined carbon, readily absorbing the aerial gases. such especially as oxygen which en- tering the soil, decomposes the organic matters so that they can be taken up and nourish the plants | which may he considered a leading featur3 in 1t fertility It also readily takes up and retains moisture, while the frmness of its particles affords every facility for percolation and the activity of capillary action. In ts mechanical composition it's particles in a state of very fine division which renders it more productive than coarser soils acquries heat readily in the daytime, and the loss of the heat at night is very gradual so that it re- mains always warm and is not subject to sudden changes of heat and cold Besides it's essential con- | stituents of water, organic vegetable matter, sand and clay, chemical analysis shows that lime, soda, magnesa, 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 always the case in soil analysis it's composition varies in different localities and is not always constant l The soi 0 the uplands, or mesaS, lighter and more gravelly and in some places of a .ree loamy, calcareous 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 cracks and retains moi sure admirably in summer It is of that character which will produc wlne that will keep good for fifty or 8 hundred years, and improve annually, not being liable to sour, exposure to the air, after one year old, to become turbd and change color in the bottle or glass
 WHY IMMIGRANTS SHOULD COME TO YUMA
 COUNTY. 1 Because the climate Is perfect.
 Because the soil is fertile and prolific.
 Because land is abundant and cheap.
 Because home can be made with little labor
 Because so great a variety of products can he grown.
 Because the yield IS large and the prices always remu erative
 Recaosa ife ,s a luxury in a land where she sun @hna every day
 ee, ea oes for poor ... 9h
 countries
 Because the country IS advancing and property values are increasing.
 Because, unlike Southern California it does not require small fortune to secure a piece of land.
 Because capital does not block all the av- enues to wealth, nor crowd the poor man to the wall.
 Because Uncle Sam has yet many farms in Yuma county waiting for occupants.
 Because churches, schools, newspapers and railroads are fast developing the moral and material clements of the Territory.
 Because good land is becoming scarce, and if you don't catch on now, your last chance will soon be gone.
 Because the country is one of the few regions of the Uuited States that yields the products of the temperate and semi-tropic zones.
 Because the worker receives fair com. pensation for his labor, And the hustler has a field for the display of his energy and en- terpriSe.
 Because there ara neither blizzards or tornadoes, earthquakes nor inundations. snow-storms nor cyclones Because the vast and varied resources of the country are yet to be developed. ] Because the wealth of its mines, its farm ing valleys, and grazing lands, will yet build up great and prosperous county. l Because man can make livelihood her. with less labor than i'll any other part of the