The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-11-21


trees of California will perish.
THE alkali often exists in layer I'M
der the surface and if the roots of the
plants ever get down through this and
the tree lives to be two or three years
old, then it will no longer feel the eff
fects of the alkali, but will grow with
these roots down below this accumula-
ton. Often the hardest part is to start
the tree, but after it is well started, it
grows without trouble. In some places
the land pan is so dense that it has to
be blown up and large quantities of dyna-
mite is used in getting out the orchard,
Every place a tree is to be set, hole
has to he blown through this material.
so that the root of the trees may pcne-
trate into the subsoil.
The aIkali always tends to render the
soil more attentive to mOis ture. and
often out of the alkai deserts where
rain never falls for six or eight months
at time and the soil lose to the sur
face is constantly moist. In fact it is
difficult to fry out a sample Of soil eX-
posed to the open air when the sample
contains a considerable amount Of alkali.
This of course is decided advantage
and soils containing a moderate amount
Of aIkali are generally preferred.
Ear from being an unmitigated evil,
these alkali lands have always been held
in high esteem. All of the Oldest civili-
cations were started in or near the arid
and alkali regions, principally owing to
the extreme fertility VI the soils, and
partly to the large and sure crops which
can be secured under irrigation.
"These western soils are naturally ex-
tremely fertile. The alkali they contain
is essential to the life of plants. Too
much of it should not be removed; but
great care should be taken not to dis
turb the natural distribution in the soils
and to cause a redistribution and leach
the salts from one place to another.
'The University Of California has an
experiment station located in one of the
worst alkali districts of southern Cali
fornia and for a number of years has
been investigating the methods Of dry
ing the soil. Prof. Hilgard, the direc-
tor Of the station, has done more than
any one else to explain the formation
of the alkali, and to work out the proper
methods of drying it, at the experiment
station at Tulare. He found large guam
titles of carbonate of soda which is the
worst form of alkali and this is found
tAAAaAHN2b
four inches Of the soil.
''In its worst form, absolutely nothing
will grow Oh this land. In order to
prevent this he is applying at the rate
Of three tons of gypsun to the acre, and
washing it in by flooding the land This
acts on the carbonate of soda and con-
verts it into the sulphate of soda and
large crops of grain can be grown or
cJOOS of trees can ne SET ont.
at is difficult problem to under
stand. but the results so far obtained at
this station are very encouraging Prof.
Hilgard finds that the aIkali changes
it's position at different times OF the
year. They have no rain there during
the six months of summer. There is a
good deal Of evaporation and these salts
are brought TIP and left near the sur
face. At the end Of the dry season a
very large proportion of the alkali is in
a few inches of the surface. When the
rain comes in the winter months this
aIkaIi is dissolved and carried down to a
'epth of three or four feet. The pro-
cess is repeated with the SUGGESTIONS or
the dry and wet season. Advantage
may be taken of this in planting crops
10y putting the seed in the ground dur
ing 4 very wet season when the alkali is
down below, and get the plant well
started, so that when the dry season
comes on and the alkai rises, the roots
VIII then have a chance to grow in the
lower depths OF the soil. Fruit trees
should always be set out with this in
view. Another thing that can be done
is to sow plaster just before planting
the crop. This changes the carbonate Of
soda near the surface of the ground into
sulpha.e of soda, and the seed terminates
where it would not have done so in the
presence of the original carbonate of
soda.
1T is extremely important that the
soil be thoroughly cultivated to prevent,
as far as possible, evapora ton of wa
ter from the surface, so that the salts
may not be left at the surface Of the
ground in such large quantities as to in
jure vegetation. Cultivation should be
very deep so that what salts are left
behind will be distributed through a
large amount OF soil. 1t is important
also that the soil be particularly well
drained. Where water stands in the soil
the harmless sulphate of soda is changed
into the harmful carbonate Of soda, or
black alkali.
''If the soil is afterwards well drained
and especially if the application of
gypsum, or sulphate OF lime, is added to
the soil, this carbonate of soda is again
changed to sulphate, end so this change
may take place in one direction or the
other according to the condition of the
soil aS regards its drainage.
SMITH D. FRY.