The Arizona sentinel., 1907-05-08
ONCE A MIGHTY STREAM.

ONCE A MIGHTY STREAM. Ages ago, when the mountain ranges of Ari- ] zona and California lowered toward the stars, | at least twice as high as they do now, rains
 were very frequent and came down in torrential volumes all along these mountain ridges. The
 Colorado River in these past ages was mighty
 stream, sweeping down debris in tons every
 second of it's flow. The Colorado sink was at
 that time great inland sea, which spread over
 the country on both sides Of where the river
 now runs. As the erosion of winds and storms,
 landslides and glaciers wore down the mountain
 ridges year by year, the great river carried
 down vast amount of silt, erosion from the
 rocks full of phosphates. Times and disintegrated
 granites, as well as the vegetation along it's
 banks, and this was all deposited in what are
 now the sinks of the Colorado.
 AS the mountain tops were worn down, the rains became less frequent and less in volume
 but the erosion of rocks and river banks the trees and vegetable mould torn from the banks still came down and settled into the bottom of the great inland lake. This geological process went on from age to age to our time, leaving the Colorado at Yuma stream about half mile wide and being at the present time about twenty feet deep in the deepest portion.
 It Is not necessary to remind Californians that the Spanish missionaries and explorers called this river the Colorado because of the reddish color of it's waters. It is the Colorado up in the Grand Canyon in Arizona and down past The Needles But at this time of the year. after passing the mouth of the Gila. instead of the red river It becomes the brown river It act ually looks today if 10 per cent of it's flow was silt and only % per cent water. The great weight of this mass of liquid impregnated by so much solid makes the cutting of of the flow of the river where the railroad is trying to close the break much more difficult. Once choked off, however, the silt will settle around the rocks and make solid dam for all time to come.
 RICHES OF SOIL WONDERFUL.
 But the object of this story is to call attention once more, and for perhaps the thousandth time to the riches of the soil along the Colorado on both sides, incident to the depoSitilg of this mass of debrls during all the past ages Going through the country on the Arizona side of the river, for several miles below Yuma one en- counters the same type of country and soil that is found in the Imperial Valley country around Brawley, Calexico and other points west of the river. The fertility of the black prairie soils of Illinois has aStoniShed people engaged in agri- culture for nearly 100 years. The fertility of the valley of the Nile has been q matter of history for at least 09 years. Those who are familiar with Illinois prairie soil, and those who know what the valley of the Nile is for agriculture know that this lower Colorado River region sur passes both of them.
 If you ask a farmer along this stretch Of country if the soil is six feet. his eyes will open with astonishment at your ignorance. He will tell you one knows whether it is 50 feet, GOO or 5000 feet deep. It is practically without bot tom. It is so thoroughly we'll mixed with sand, granite and other rocks that it 1 never balles. It is as easily worked as heap of ashes, and responds to cultivation in d way that is marvellous
 CUT TEN CROPS YEARLY.
 Arizona has established an experiment. statio7 in the heart of this big valley which is some twenty four miles long, and in spots ten to twelve miles wide, down on the lower level. | The results are wonderful. Last week they | were cutting crop of alfalfa on this expert mental farm, and for ten consecutive months they will cut succeeding crops. The only months when the crop is not cut here are December and | 
 Cotton and tobacco grow with the greatest | uXurlance, and this rich alluvial soil will be noted in a very few years as the ideal spot in he whole c2un-~y fer dairying, hog raising the 1roductioa o, p5ci-ry and vegetables, which Oae lestateS to aa.l early CT late. as they will be perennial. Ne" potatoes will be produced in he middle of JarIa9y. sonl5oes will be ripe by he first Of M:lrca. ri2a Trapes will be gath red in the eari a2E- &iay. and apricots hs he middle ot saa mcath. Chickens and turkeys flolr ,te. l. .i.' .ja;er time h 1ud III exparieace r-.~-e c.sn
 The raiaIaa 'GiIr.- light and coues 'nly three fcl~ times ir D whole winter. Fifh an ahrn' inc. -f greer a.rifa a15 eaeo uA.eS sI, 7d are1 c...cat- 'rs. .rF Tiet A-. e...> ue