OCR Text |
Show Treatment of Alkali Suils. Bulletin 20 of Wyoming ntatiou treats of H the cause, prevention and treatment of j injuries by alkali in the soils of the arid H districts of the west. It is not so com- P'cliensive as the California bulletin by Dr. Hilgard, digested in these columtiH a ftw weeks ago, but it contains a few points worthy of note. The public know of two kinds of alkali H black and white alkali. Black alkali H is carbonate of soda, and is much tho H worst kind. White alkali may bo H sulphate of soda (Glauber salts), H sulphate of magnesia (Epsom salts), or H common salt. Injuries by alkali are of three kinds: H Tiie bark of the plant is rotted nnd cor- H roded at the surface of the ground, the H soil is puddled or formed into a kind of H cement aud tho vitality of tho plant ie H impaired. Seed fails to sptout or sproutH H but little in alkali soils. H Unless carefully treated, alkali soils H grow worse as cultivation continues. In. H rigatiou waters and rain dissolve the al- H kali in the lower eoil, and as tho soil jH di lee out, these waters ries to tho sur- H face, evaporate and leave the alkali as a, H crust on the ground. In the alkali re- H gions, much of tho water used for irri- H gation contains considerable alkali. ,H Alfalfa and other crops that shade H the land prevent the crusting of thu H surface. Keeping a mulch of fine earth H on the surface by frequent and shallow H cultivation also prevents crusting. jH Alfalfa, millilotus andsugar beets do better than most other staple crops on H alkali lands. Ryu withstands the -H attacks of alkali better better than any 'H other gruin, and wheat stands second $& ' H ai'ulbarly third., Oats anditiirnipa arc-"&$ - '-"" 'M easily destroyed. M The Australian salt bush grows well M on strong alkali lands, and it is said to M make very good forage. Such cropa M may gradually exhaust the Roil of its M alkali poisons and put it iu conditio" H for general farming. M |