Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1881-02-13
AN OPEN LETTER.
The klkali Fiend.

n. det V0tte, j. n. crane:
i "Write to me-" the last words o.
one of your number, Is immensely
compiled with by addressing the
imposing array above rather to re-.
mind than to inform Of the wants,
dra W backs and remedies Of your
alkalied constituents. The sub.
jsct, estimated in dollars, is one OF
millions. The term alkali, as il
goes here, includes the various
salts, In destructive superabund.
ancs 10 portions of the low lands.
The term salt, because generic,
would be more proper aud convs.
nient. Many an acre is said to BIZ
made barren by excess of alkali,
When, In reality it Is barren from
excess of the chloride of sodium OF
com mon salt. I do not know oil
any extensive so-called alkali
streak where common salt is not
detachable by the taste. in both the
eflorescencss and the vegetation,
such vegetation as salt-grass, salt.
need aud pickls.meed. For con.
venience, the term salt will be
used Us en- bracing alkali and other
salts.
SALT A GOOD SERVANT BUT A BAD
MASTER.
The moderately high lands Of
California are remarkable for the
depth of highly fertiiized soil. I
once saw gulch 10 feet deep on
the side Of a Lompoc mountain,
with black, rich soil all the way
down to the bottom. Such depth
IL not found on mountains outside
Of California, so far as know. The
moderately sailed low lands of Los
Angeles, and such do abound, are
among the richest in the world.
Really richer In plant food than
all, are the lowest Los Angeles
low lands. These are at once the
rich est and the poorest. Rich
with all fuilness of plant food, poor
with overfulnsss.
Millions say that salt Is good.
Mark aud Luke said 30. Elisha
cast in salt, that there should b.
no more death or barren land. The
Eastern farmer pays money for
salt and then broadOasts it upon
This land. The German beet grower
raises sunilowers for its great
stores Of some Of our pernlclously
excessive salts, and salts his fields
with suufiower ashes. Salt intimi-
dates rust in wheat. But in all
these cases salt IL the servant. It
IL quite the reverse when 1t 10 the
master. Ruling it ruins. Jeremiah
said that the accused should in
habit u parched and salty land.
Abimelech "beat down the city
aud sOwed 1t with salt.n Moab
shall be cursed with salt pits,
breed nettles and be perpetual
des0lation. Salt rules and kills In
the Dead Sea. 1t serves and bleSses
in the oceans.
SALT COMES AND NAY 60 ~
WATER.
The Canada thistle nuisance
boldly tackled by legislation comes
and goes by winds. Salt Gomez
aud ought to 60 by water. There
10 not su fficisnt difference in the
rineiples Of transportation Ia
brighten Q leglslaturej even with
the legal nut Of prescription fol-
tho channels OF the winds as of the
waters are Of time "whereOf the
memory of man funnelh not to the
contrary"
The highlands formerly dumped
their surplus directly into the Pa
oific Ocean. hut In those day.
whales spouted over the squsst
, belt, porpolses wallOwed over
J Boyle Heights, sea sting.bulls
watched their chances In the re-
zion whero dry land sting-bulll
watch THERE; minnOws nibbleG
about Bsaudry Heights, shark
hunted over FL Monte, the devi
fish lurksd in tho rAvines Of Pas
AIDE ma, and pillows doomed In thu
: dslls OF San Gabriel.
. The teaching rain streams
3 charged with salts, swiftly cours.
! ling down highland surfaces, nj
; longer leap from highland to SEA
I These streams now swiftly now &
: the lowlands and there lose thei
velooIty and deposit their salts
. They lasily creep along the plain
D ssi urating tho spougy soil Wttl
. salty water. Y0nder now creeps