The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1909-11-04
POSSIBILITIES OF YUMA
REGION UKFATHOMED
The Sell Simply Marvellous in Its
PrOdGCtiyeneSS
And the Climate is IntOxiCatilgIy
Saiubri0uS
BY GEORGE N. BURTON,
In Los Angeles Times.


sprang so to speak, like Pallas Athene from
the brain OF J0ve, n completely armed al
ditton to the family of nations. 1t is but
little -ver half century since California be-
came part of these United States of America,
and less than generation since the sett'e
ment of the Great South vest began.
In all the Us 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 Ofthe last thirty, 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
LosAngeles, he naturally had little con-
ceit that he was pretty well acquainted with
the Great Southwest. Last week n trip to the
Colorado River bottoms. below Yuma made
HIM feel rs a tenderfoot who had come In on
the last train. New 20 him. this wonderful
region and its possibilities are pretty well
known to a great many readers Of The Times
by the stories published, il not By the demon
stration Of their own eyes.
Yuma lies on the map just twelve miles
from wher. the government Is putting in the
great Laguna dam, at the confluence of the
ella and Colorado Rivers. 1t is twelve miles
from Yuma down the river to the Mexican
boupdry line on the Arizona side of the river
At one point, just below Yuma, the interna-
uonaI boundry line runs up along the river
which there takes a westerly trend and from
Yuma to Mexico is only few miles.
ONCE A MIGHTY STREAM.
Ages agn when tRe mountain ranges of
Arizona and California lowered toward the
stars, at least twice as high as they do now.
rains were very freduent and Came down in
uorrcntial volumes alb along these mountain
ridges. The Colorado River in these past ages
was mighty stream, sweeping down debris
In tons every second OF its flow. The Colora-
do sink was at that time a 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 a vast amount
Of silt, erosion from the rocks full OF phos
skates, lines and disintergrated GRANTEES, as
well as the vegetation along its banks; and
This was all Deposited ia what are now the
sin1bSS cstss Coi6rSxlDi
As taass. fs.g1sataskE toys we3e w0Tm GS0zn, tie
Slss sesare hest f11S<e.s1 aasd less ia vossSJre
BUG eas-euosiCn OF rocks anG rEEeF b~z,szsN ses
neess anSE vegetable Hsoald tezis ft0TsS sac
banks still came down and settled into tbs
bottom of the great inland lake. This geogical
yrocess went on from age to- age to our time,
leaving the Colorado ut Yuma a stream a bout
balra mile wide and being at the present
time about twenty feet deep In the deepest
portion.
IL is not necessary to remind Californians
That the Spanish missionaries and explorers
called this river the Colorado because OF the
reddish color of its 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 ella
instead of the red river il becomes the brown
river 1t actually looks today rs il ten pei
cent OF its flow was silt and only ninety pei
cent water.
RICHES OF SOIL WONDERFUL
But the object OF this story is to call atten
ton once more, and for perhaps the thou
sandth time, to the riches of the soil along
the Colorado on both sides, incident to thu
depositidg of this mass Of debris during al
the past ages. Going through the countr,
on the Arizona side Of the river, for severa
miles below Yuma, one encounters the sam'
type OF country and soil that is found in thu
Imperial Valley country around Brawley
Calexico and other points west OF the rive
The fertility of the black prairie soils OF I'LL
nois has astonished people engaged in agri
culture for nearly one hundred years. tn
fertility of the valleys OF the Nile has been
matter of history for at least COCO years. Thos
who are familinr with Illinois prairie soil
and those who know what the valley Of th
Nile is for agriculture. know that this lowe
Colorado River region surpasses both OF theTG
If you ask farmer along this stretch G
country if the soil is six feet, his eyes vii
open with establishment al your ignorance
He will tell you no one knows whether II
% feet, COO or 5000 feet deep. 1t is practicalI
without bottom. 1t is SO thoroughly we
mixed with sand, disintegrated granite an
other rocks that 1t never breaks. 1t is q
easily worked as a heap of ashes, and II
spends TO cultivation in a way that is ma
Vicious.
CUT SEVEN CROPS YEARLY.
Arizona has established an experimer
station in the heart OF this big valley, whic
is some twenty-four miles long, and in spot
ten 10 twelve miles wide, down on the lowe
level The results are wonderful. Last wee
they were cutting crop OF alfalfa ON this e.
detrimental farm. and for seven eonSecutiN
months they viii cut succeeding crops. IL
only months when the crop Is not cut here al
December and January.
Cotton and tobacco grow with the create
luxuriance and this rich alluvial soil will
snoted in a very few years the ideal spot
the whole country for dairying, hog raisin
the production OF poultry and vegetables, whit
one hesitates to call early or late as they vi
be perennial. New potatoes will be produces
in the middle of January, tomatoes will
ripe by the first of March. ripe grapes will
gathered in the early days OF May, and apl
cots by the middle Of the same month. Chi
.Bcns and turkeys flourish there in the wint
time beyond all experience anywhere else.
The rainfall is exceedingly light and com
only three or four times in whole winte
With an abundance OF green alfalfa and vegt
able the dry and not overheated china
prevailing in the winter months, chickens n
free from the disease that make their raisil
difficult elsewhere. There is no spot in Sout
.ern Illinois or Missouri so adapted to the pr
duction OF corn as this valley along the Color
do River. With alfalfa and corn, the butte
cheese eggs poultry and pork to be raised On
twenty-acre farm will amaze those who ha