The Arizona sentinel., 1901-04-17

nish ell the water needed and good deal more :. Il would take no great skill in engineering and not a very large snm of money either 10 con struct reservoirs oI lakes in which to receive and store tLe ovrrflow. There are natural basins or dry lakes into which by simple means the water could oe conveyed.
 i The lands situated in and about the Gila val lev may conveniently be classified as follows; ! First, the bottom or overflow lands; 2, slightly higher valleys lands subject to no overflow; 3' mesas or sloping uplands; I, high but compar- atively level plains ,, mountains.
 The bottom lands, as well aS those slightly bi-her, stretch along either side of the Ciia ana Colorado rivers for varying distances north and south. until they meet the more elevated mesas which rise from the valley. The bottoms lie direct1C olone the river and are subject to inun- dotion annually Immediately following the subsistence of the waters the local Indians were in former times accuntomed to plant corn, n,7nnlyinS melons and other vegetables. These spring into maturity with startling rapldlty, rarely failing to yield bountfully without addi- tionaI irrigation The custom Is occasionally ! followed by resident farmers to this day, with excellent results although but single crop can be harvested. These bottoms form 25 per cent | of the valley lands, and may without difficulty be secured from further invasion by system or dilxes and leveeS, if deemed necessary and deslr- able The soil throughout the valley is rich l browniSh yellow sandy loaE. generous. mellow
 porous with depth ranging from to 20 feet
 the whole resting upon underlying strata of | gravel und sand that readily carry from the l 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 Soll
 lying at the bottom made by the washing
 and erosion of the surrounding mountains The
 soda from the decompoSed vegetation, the mag
 nesa and lime from the magneSium-lime forma-
 tions and the potash from the decomposlhg
 granite rocks were carried with unceaSing re-
 gularity year by year, until deposited in the
 bottom Eventually upon the disappearance of
 the fake, the rich fertile alluvium, than which there is none better was left to reward the
 efforts of the modern huSbandmen. But nature
 not yet satisfied with her handiwork, directed
 the accumulation of the dctrltuS washed ITou4
 the distant mountainous region. As result the soil is extremely rich in the elements pest
 adapted to thorough fertilization for 1t contains
 a certain amount of organic matter which, on decomposing further enhances its agricultural
 value By constant overflow and change or
 channel the deposits are evenly distributed over
 considerable areas the process continuing
 through centuries. These soils are further en- riched by decomposcd organic contributions
 Including the SandStoneS, marlS, limeStoneS'
 shaleS etc. Besides the ingredients mentioned | a chemical analysis shows that iron, ammonia | and phoSphoric acid enter into it's composition in the proportions best adapted to add to US | productive qualities The extremes of tempera- tUre are somewhat greater than on the hSn- } lands. but there is also more moisture. -. The bottom lands are so easily culuVaGSu ! that it is not uncommon, after clearing the sur face from the brush and Stubbe, to pass oN CT tle ground with an ordinary cultivator single a time afterwards sowing to grain and grass In
 three or four months large crops are harvested, the blow. All plants seem to grow rapidly, , maturing remarkably early. Indications Of an 1 cient ditcheS are apparent throughout the val ley. showing plainly the existence of irrigation works by the ancient AZtecS CurlOuSIy enough, in certain instances, the identical routes of
 these long extinct people have been followed for codSideratable distances by their modern sue 9 ceSSorS"