Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-19
RECLAMATION OF ALKALI LANDS
Digest Of a Very Valuable
Pamphlet by Prof. Hilgard.
Alkali, Irrigation, and Drainage in
Their Mutual Relations.
The Value Of such Land When Properly
Treated-simple Means of ReclaiIn-
ing such soil-vaiuable Facts
for Land Owners.

able pamphlet ontltled Aikal LANDS,
Irrigation and Drainage in their Mutual
Relations. The brochure is difficult to
obtain, but Mr.. J. Colston. of this city,
has very ably prepared a digest OF The
work, which is published herewith.
There can be no question of the ex-
traordinarily high productive powers oi
alkali lands when treated SO as to pre-
serve their useful ingredients, while
rendering innocuous those which, like
the sodo salts, injure by excess. Actual
experience has already, in numerous
cases, demonstrated the exceptional
fertility of such lands, reclaimed by
means described. Up. 36).
More than half the alkali land in
this state, that people are afraid to
touch, requires no other remedy than
thorough deep tillage, maintained aJ all
times. Only bad cases require other
means. Up. 2S).
Alkali lands have a tendency to
absorb and retain moisture, and
some lands can be profit
ably Gu vated without irrigation,
while other lands in some regions are
naturally too dry to produce anything
irrigated as sparingly as possible Up. 36).
On aIkali lands cotton, hemp, jute and
ramie should be tried (p. 27). Castor
beans and white mustard or wild turnip
for rape-seed oil are recommended, and
beets, carrots and sweet potatoes. AL
kali land does not give high quality
sugar beets e.. 37). Pears, prunes and
raisin grapes are pretty sure of success
where the alkah is not very strong Up.
3S) Cuttings should not be set in al
kali soil, but rooted vines with gypsum
around the roots Up. 38).
Alkali soils defined. All Californian
soils containing an unusual amount of
soluble mineral salts blooming out on
the surface in white powder or crust
soluble in water. This alkali becomes
most apparent in dry weather following
rains or irrigation. The first rain car
ries down the salts, but they rise again
on recurrence of dry weather Up. 81.
Alkali consists mainly of sulphate Of
soda, or Glauber's salt, chloride of
sodium, or common salt, carbonate OF
soda, and smaller amounts of nutritious
salts, sulphate Of potash, sulphate of
lime, and nitrate of soda. With these
are found sulphate OF magnesia and
little sulphate Of lime, or gypsum Up. 81.
The source of alkali is in the soil
water which, rising and evaporating at
the surface, leaves the dissolved salts.
(p. 81. The more water evaporated the
more alkali is deposited on the surface
Up. 10Y.
Close soils raise water higher than
sandy ones, but sandy ones bring it up
quicker (p. 10Y. Alkali is worse on clay
soils than on adjacent sandy ones Up.
13). Lower ground develops more alkali
than the higher; even river bottoms are
encruated when adjacent high lands are
practically free Up. 14). In some parts
of the island, between the outlets OF the
Kern river, south OF Bakersfield, the
embankments OF irrigation bitches are
covered with alkali like snow Up. 15).
Seepaee from high level irrigation bitches
raises the water table and increases the
alkali deposits (pp 15, 16l. Salts de-
posted by irrigation water contribute
Up. 10Y.
Black alkali is the worst Up. 16). 1t
leaves black rings, on evaporation, round
blackish puddles opp. 18, pa. 1t con-
sists of carbonate of soda, holding in So
luton and rendering useless the rich
humus of the soil Up. 16). 1t corrodes
and destroys the bark, poisons the
plant and attacks even the wood Up. 17).
It keeps clay in impalpably divided con-
dition. A percentage OF .08 OF carbonate
of soda sufiices to render soil untillable
(p. lS). Test of black alkali, the imme-
diate blueing of red litmus and deposit
on the paper of needle-shaped crystals
Of carbonate of soda opp. is, 24).
Salts Of potash and soluble phosphates
and nitrates are commonly found in al
kali soils-an excess of fertilizers Up. 19).
An instance is given of 240 pounds OF
phosphoric acid per acre in alkali soil,
enough for sixteen crops of wheat,
twenty-five buehels to the acre, or one
ton Of best superphosphate price $45
IN. 25). Near Tulare city is found an
exceptionally large proportion of nj
trates, potash salts and phosphates, be.
sides carbonate of ammonia, the COM
mercial value of the alkali being 81 30
ton 70. 26). Potash comes from the per-
manent water table and is practically
inexhaustible Up. 25).
Remedies-(i) Deep and frequent til
lage to prevent surface evaporation, the
damage being caused by accumulation
of alkali at or near the surface Opp. 27-
28). Soil with surface crust dries more
rapidly, because the crust absorbs and
evaporates water Up. 32>. The forma-
ton of surface crust is to be avoided,
therefore hoed crops are preferable to
broadcast (p. 32). Evaporation through
alfalfa leaves brings up no alkah to hurt
Up. 28).
(ii) Gypsum converts black alkali into
white, which mostly is all that is Deeded
to insure profitable cultivation Up. 19).
Gypsum added prevents phosphates
from being washed out of the soil, and
holds them available for vegetation Up.
25). Humus is useless to plants when
held in solution by carbonate of soda.
but resumes it's functions when gypsum
is added 20. 26). Gypsum is useless
in the absence of carbonate OF soda.
Up. 29).
(iii.) Understanding and fooding.-
Surface flooding without drainage IS
useless. (p. 16). Scraping and remov-
ing the salts is sometimes worth while,
but undertaking is the only final rem
edy. Up. 16). Under drainage lowers
the water-table and keeps the injurious
salts from the surface. (p. 28). Under
draining and flooding will remedy the
trouble for centuries, unless solid beds
Of alkali underlie. The time will come
when in California underdrains will be
considered an excellent investment, and
alkali be at an end on irrigated lands in
the state. (p. 34). The three remedies
are needed in bad cases. Up. 29). The
amount of gypsum required is some
times 500 pounds; sometimes ton OF
more, and afterward 800 pounds an acre
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