Show MAKE ALKALI SOIL FIT FOR FARMING Efficient Drainage System I and Intensive Cultivation Necessary f nY V r. r n. n I Soils S 'S Specialist cla bt of ot tb of or Idaho Idabo Intension Moscow lila March lIow ITow How man many of ot your farm are on account of alkali Can I to lot let 00 00 to land llo idle with produce at present prices I Many any times a n land Jand owner has haq a a. small picco of oC ground on his aft rn which docs does not havo lIao good drainage c causing tho water table to rIo 01 very to the surface This condition increases evaporation which brIn brings s large quantities quan Quan- titles of ot alkali alkaH salts to the tho surface causing the ground to bo be thc tive The o owner oner ner gives i es this matter little lit lit- tie tic thought but If IC he ho were to figure in n dollars and nd cents what the the land J would bring If producing ho lie would take steps to reclaim it The first and most fundamental procedure procedure procedure pro pro- in n r reclaiming cl soil soli is to provide and efficient drainage o system The Tue drain should be he placed deep enough nough h to keep the tho water table from eight to I Iten ten feet below the surface I Water Wate tables t which are close claRo to the I sUr surface act are arc determined irr ln m two w ways The They causo cause rapid evaporation which h carries large Jarge quantities of ot alkali salts salta to the tho surface and nd the they prevent all nil drainage water from carrying out au auy I of oC the tho alkali salts through the tho lower I Ja layers ayers Procedure after otter tho the drainage o system f is 15 In in ma may depend on the toxin form In which tho the alkali appears In case se the alkali salts are arc white salts tho flooding flooding- system tem tern can bo be used and many of tho salts out and carried off oft b by the drainage water If the tho salts happen to tobo tobo bo 10 black ck alkali it Il is s best first to male malic malican malean an 0 application of oC gypsum to 0 convert comert tho the salts to white alkali which Is much more soluble than tho the black alkali The Tho quantity of or land land- Plaster gypsum to apply will depend on the tho percentage of oC black alkali salts in the tho soil Boll In some come cases an efficient drainage s system tem I is out of ot tho the question Under Tinder uh such circumstances it t ht c r niP fre s. s sary ar to adopt a J. J system of oC cropp cropping In andson and soil son management that will take up a considerable percentage of or tho the alkali salts snIts and put Into the thc soil alt all or organic nic l i matter possible to help neutralize the I alkali and build up a 3 live live- soil These res results can be b obtained by growing some alkali alk resistant crop such as barIe barley bar barr barrley Ie ley or sweet clover scarified seed so that thero there will b be green crop to turn under and b by applying applInS lc quantities of ot barnyard barnar manure manuro and ml straw stra In preparing the tho seed b bed plow plo from I six to eight inch inches F. F deep Jeep In tho the spring Follow immediately with a tooth splice harrow harro so as to form a 3 mulch on the tle surface which prevents pre rapid e Precede this operation with use of a n disk harrow if It necessary It Is well wen to go 0 over o cr the ground a 3 number of times with the tho harrow In order to got the tho salts well wen distributed giving tho the seed a a. better chance to gerral- gerral nato Seeding should follow as soon oon after preparing preparing- tho the ground CIn giving C In ing the seed a l better botter opportunity to germinate before tho the salts are arc again ln brought to the surface through e apo ration In case sweet clover or Is used from 10 to 1 12 pounds of oC scarified sec seed should be bo planted to the tho aero acre This should be bo inoculated and sowed broadcast broad broad- c cast t or with a drill Inoculation gives a n much better assurance of oC a good stand and a larger J yield Immediately after reeding a light application application ap ap- ap- ap of oC barnyard rd manure or straw should bo be spread over the ground This sort of oC treatment In combination with tho the dirt mulch makes tho the evaporation e very ery er slow giving the plants an opportunity opportunity tunit to get et well rooted before the tho concentration of oC salts becomes injurious ous in the tho upper three or four inches or soil Boll The soil should hould bo be well chop chopped d up with a a. disk harrow Just previous to the next plowing This cuts up the tho straw w that 11 is turned under and Im Improves Improves improves Im- Im proves the circulation of oC air through h the soil olt Both oth factors arc are advantageous advantage advantage- ous to bacterial action In making m plant food elements available t to the following following follow tollow- ing crops |