The Arizona sentinel., 1908-04-29
POSSIBILITIES OF YUMA
REGION UKFATHOMED
The Soil Simply Marvellous in Its
PrOduCtiYeneSS
And the Climate is IntoxiCatingIy
SalubriOuS

BY GEORGE N. BURTON,
In Los Angeles Times.
1t is very far from a ysemi-millenium since
three little open boats under the flag of Spain
first touched the waters of the western hemi-
sphere and revealed the new world to the
eyes OF Europeans. 1t Is only little over a
century since the United States of America
sprang, so to speak, like Pallas Athene from
the brain OF JOve, completely armed ad-
ditiOn to the family of nations. 1t is but
little ever half a century since California be-
came part of these United States of America,
and less than generation since the settle
ment of the Great South vest began.
In all the 125 years since the Republic was
founded, also in the half century since Cali
fornia became one of the States of the Union.
and during every year of the last thirty, a re-
alization of the vast riches Of the American
continent, OF the territory OF the United
States and of this Great Southwest has been
more and more astonishing to the minds OF
men. One would suppose that by today we
knew pretty thoroughly what the undevelop-
ed resources OF the Great Southwest might
reasonably he expected to become. We have
not reached the depths of this great ocean of
wealth with our plummet line yet.
In a residence OF forty years on the Coast
the writer thought he knew a little about
what there is on the Coast, and as most of
these years have been spent in and around
Los Angeles, he naturally had little con-
ceit that he was pretty well acquainted with
the Great Southwest. Last week a trip to the
Colorado River bottoms. below Yuma made
him feel as tenderfoot who had come In on
the last train. New to him, this wonderful
region and its possibilities are pretty well
known to a great many readers of The Times
by the stories published, if not by the demon
stration OF their own eyes.
Yuma lies on the map just twelve miles
from where the government is putting in the
great Laguna dam at the confluence OF the
Gila and Colorado Rivers. 1t is twelve miles
from Yuma down the river to the Mexican
boundry line on the Arizona side of the river
At one point, just below Yuma, the interna-
tional bOundry line runs up along the river
which there takes a westerly trend and from
Yuma to Mexico is only a few miles.
ONCE A MIGHTY STREAM.
Ages ago when the mountain ranges of
Arizona and California lowered toward the
stars, at least twice rs high as they do now,
rains were very freduent and came down in
tOrrcntia volumes all along these mountain
ridges. The Colorado River i'll these past ages
was mighty stream, sweeping down debris
in tons every second OF its flow. Tie Colora-
do 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, landsldes and glaciers
wore down the mountain ridges year by year,
the great river carried down vast amount
pilates, lines and dIsintergrated GRANTEES, as
well as the vegetation along Its banks; and
this was all deposited i'll 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 geogical
process went on from age to age to our time,
leaving the Colorado at Yuma stream about
half Il mile wide and being at the present
time about twenty feet deep Ia the deepest
portion.
1t 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. 1t 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 IL becomes the brown
river. 1t actually looks today as if ten per
cent of its flow was silt and only ninety per
cent water.
RICHES OF SOIL WONDERFUL
But the object of this story is to call atten-
tion once more, and for perhaps the thou
sandth time, to the riches of the soil along
the Colorado on both sides, incident to the
depositidg Of this mass of debris during all
the past ages. Going through the country
on the Arizona side OF the river, for several
miles below Yuma, one encounters 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 ILL
nois has aStonished people engaged in agri-
culture for nearly one hundred years. The
fertility of the valleys OF the Nile has been q
matter of history for at least 5000 years. Those
who are familinr with Illinois prairie soil,
and those who know what the valley of the
Nile is for agriculture know that this lower
Colorado River region surpasscs both of them.
If you ask farmer along this stretch of
if the soil is six feet, his eyes will
open with astonishment al your ignorance.
He will tell you no one knows whether it is
80 feet, 600 or 5000 feet deep. 1t is practically
without bottom. 1t is SO thoroughly well
mixed with sand, disintegrated granite and
other rocks that it never breaks. 1t is as
easily worked as n heap of ashes, and re-
spends to cultivation in way that is mar
velous.
CUT SEVEN CROPS YEARLY.
Arizona has established an experiment
station 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 ex-
perimental farm, and for seven consecutive
months they will cut succeeding crops. The
only months when the crop Is not cut here are
December and January.
Cotton and tobacco grow with the greatest
and this rich alluvial soil will be