The Arizona sentinel., 1901-01-23

struct reservoirs or lakes in which to receive
 and store the overflow. There are natural!
 basins or dry lakes into which by simple
 means the water could be conveyed.
 Tine lands sitaated in ard about the Gila val
 ley may conveniently be classified as follows:
 First. the bottom CT overflow lands: 2 slightly
 higher valleys. lands subject to no overflow: 3,
 resas or s!oping uplands; 4, high but cOmpar-
 ;tively level plains; ,, mountains.
 The bottom lands, as well as those slightly
 hieher. stretch along either side of the Gila and
 Colorado rivers for varying distances north and
 south. until they meet the more elevated meSas
 which rise from the valley. The bottoms lie
 directly along the river and are subject to inun-
 dation annually Immediately following the
 subsistence of the waters the local Indians were
 in former times accu1ntomed to plant corn,
 numpEinS. melons and other vegetables. These
 spring into maturity with startling rapidity,
 rarely failing to yield boCntifully without addi-
 tional irrigation. The custom is occasionally 1 followed by resident farmers to this day, with
 excellent results although but single crop can | be harvested. These bottoms form D per cent
 of the valley lands. and may without difficulty ! be secured from further invasion by system of
 dilzes and leveas. if deemed necessary and desir-
 GplS. lHC SUI SiAC 'o-ANS !" N AS4A ! i,rownisn yellow sandy Ioam. generous, mellow, porous. with depth ranging from to 2O feet, the whole resting upon underlying strata CT
 gravel end sand that readily carry from the surface such excess of water as might otherwise
 prove injurious to seeds and growing plants. Concerning the geological formation of these
 lands the following from the report of the citizens executive committee is sufficiently comprehensive:
 There is unmistakable geologic evidence that
 all this land during some prehistoric period was covered with water, constituting in fact an enormous lake, the surfaces rising in places to upper portion of the outskirting meSaS The soil lying at the bottom vas made by the washing and erosion Of the surrounding mountains. The soda from the deconip posed vegetation, the mag nesia and lime from the magnesium-iiIDe for1na- tionS, and the potash from the decomposing granite rocks were carried with unceaSing re- guiarity year by year, until deposited in the bottom. Eventually upon the disappearance of the lake, the rich fertile alluvium than which there is none better was left to reward the efforts of the modern hus5andmen. But nature,
 not yet satisfied with her handiwork, directed tl,c accumulation Of tne detFituS washed from the distant mountainous region. As result,
 the soil is extremely rich in the elements best
 adapted to thorough fertilization, for it contains a certain amount of organic matter which, OF deccmposing further enhances it's agricultural l,value. By constant overflow and change of channel the deposits are evenly distributed over considerable areas, the process continuing through centuries. These soils are further en- riched by decomposed organic contributions, including the SandStoneS, marlS lmeStoneS, | shaleS. etc. Besides the ingredients mentioned, a chemical analysis shows that iron, ammonia, and phoSphoric acid enter into it's composition 1 n the proportions best adapted to add to it's productive qualities. The extremes of tempera-
 tu-e ere somewhat greater than on the high lands but there is also more moisture.
 The bottom lands are easily cultivated
 that it is not uncornrnon. after clearing the sur face from the brush and stUDDle, to pass over the ground with az ordinary cultivator a single | time. afterwards sowing to grain and grass. h three or four months large crops are harvested, the soil meanwhile being entirely innocent Of the blow. Al! plants seem to grow rapidly, maturing remarkably early. Indications of an cient ditcheS are apparent throughout the val Iey showing plainly the existence of irrigation works by the ancient -AZtecS. CuTiOuSly enough, in certain instances, the identical routes Or these long extinct people have been followed for codSiGeratabe distances by their modern sue ceSSOrS."