The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-11

. ii
there as the rains and floods have derce,d-
ed. the material has been spread out into
\ great leland basin with no chance Tor
loss IN the ocean. Waters have coacen-
trated. Us they are concentrating In the
great Salt lake In ibis country and ~ tne
great Dead sea, and the saits nave 0sen
fuepo,ited on tho ,asd az tile waters have
concentrated. Gentlemen from the West,
you al know tho pr epo.iderancc OF gypsum
s Of sui hate OF lime In these Western soi.s.-
Gypsum is the iets. solub.e.sit IS Ia, most
insoiuble salt of sea water. II is the first
salt which IL crystalized bn CONSERVATION.
title further concentration Gauss tbe
rick sat to be d. posted, then the salts OF
potash and magnesia. in Stirfuilh, III Ger
n.s,ny, We have the results OF a complete
evaloi alton OF await ocean. Here on tho
Western plalrs We have only the first
stages. which Is tho gypsum which YOU iail
in your soils, and In places the common
salt as In Utah, and in other places the
sodium tulphate ms In Montana and Ne
yada. The difference OF the sUiubility OF
these salts determines the distribu ion and
the kind OF alkali. There are many kinds o.
salt associnted with gypsum. There Is tho
SODIUM carbonate, tho black allkali that IL
80 falnl wherever 1t Is present in oven
small amounts. Next is the sodium sui
lhate, one of the white alkali that covers
ureas 10 Nevada, New Mexico, WyomJrg
and California. Next after the sodium sui
pudte Is tue uuSueslh SuipHuSo u.u sudlub
chloride. In tbs Investigations OF tue de-
Laldment OF agriculture last year In The
Yellowstone valley we traced the origin OF
these ats In their beds In the sednsatary
rocks and found them in the soils, leg i.l-
ing In the d.sintegrating OF these rocks.
We found that they were evenly distributed
throughout the soil down TO tho depth OF
h.ueea feet, but not contained in sutfl-
client guam ity 10 prevent agrtcu turAi plant
giGw,h. After he first ditch had been ia-
uoduued into the valley ami the wafer
applied onto the lands al. Of these natural
oon-leionl were charged and ar.ihc.al
uiethods OF cultivation were introduced.
Lalte oops were desired, and water was
applied wherever the crops seemed to need
IL. he first effect OF irrigation is to wasa
ou. the alkali from the SOL. IL tha dranAse
was absolutely perfeo- aud ali water that
was applied ell, her evaporatet or seegei
of as 1t was applied, no permanent harm
would result, except that you would back
these soils OF these valuable plant TO- d.
that nature has accumulated there for your
Use. Continued application Of water brings
a,out al accumulation OF seepage water.
Nature can not carry off water.so fast as /,
iB applied to the srl face. All OF these I'M
derground invest cations made In thu yell
lowslone vat5ey showed that where the sun
soil Is stin and impevous the passage OF
the seepage water was arreated. The waler
level changes from thirty feet in tho vir Gin
area, the alfalfa beglrs to sicken and he
a.kas b & rs to appear. II is due to moth
Ing In Gods world but the REIMBURSEMENT
or the conditions Of nature and local ac-
cumtsatlots from the Inability of nature
to take care OF our wastefu and impr 4aelt
~ oil water applied on the land. All OF the
wells and springs are lad. ned with alknh
In the efforts OF nature to correct the fault
There was drainage ditch around the
town of B!lljr'rs d.scharggrg at the rae
OF nineteen tons of alkali every hour, nine
teen or twenty tons Of al lkai W re talsn
OFT OF the drainage ditch every hour In
an effort to assist nature AMI relieve the
cordi ions caused by the lnsuitcious use
OF tcepago water. Farms are being ahan-
doned and alkall is creeping upon the fer
tn p'a-tstlon. Lands that are worth as
much as $4,000 are in dagger OF annhlia-
ton.
What are the men to do? Use care IN
applying irrigation water and provide bet
ter drainage. From the results of our in
vestigations In Montana with an inge ,ious
electrical Instrument wo ha6 devised for
Determining the amount OF soluble salts in
the soils, we prepared underground maps,
maps for every foot In depth for ton feet
IRON tho surface. showing the location of
the alkali, showing the relation of the
alka4i to the character OF the soil, show
Ing where the alkali was accumulatins.
showing from what locality It was collect
MS, Ihe most serious problem connected
Win the a.kali Qusstion Is this: THAI how
ever much care you may take In the ad-
lnitnsu ation OF your farm, however much
ski! and knowledge you may use In tn.
applications of water to your lands. your
neiehDor on the next section, or perhaps
nNe miles away, by the lnju,l .cious use OF
nus water. by the criminal neglect of the
common laws OF nat,ire, may ruin YOU
,,nIoleh 100 liberal use OF water on his
Ahu, rolievirg himself OF the excess az
Aihali arii depositing It ON the fertils land,
ot yours. mat IL one OF the most serious
problems you have to deal with II Ia
question OF property righ,s that will b We
70 20 oonsidered. What is man to do
800, 49, .aluhoie Plantation aabe 10 lie
ln'usso AZ any time by the injud G Gus use
OF watei by his neighbor? This Is a ssr,on.
consideration that las hardly vat nm
.sc.s a>Sa' There 10 no use, however To
ieei discouraged over the alkai question.
~ - ma, ter thai can be controlled II Ia
= mater that has been controie. Ia O hsr ,
countries for thousands OF years whers
me fertility OF the land has been NAL /
famed In spite of a.ka.i. II /, n mat,ar
tnat We can control II we Understand Inc 7
sosaIions asd II We are wiling TO alb de
by the limitations which nature u,ll, H.
upon US In the cultivation OF our soils W. 1
Know very well the kinds OF aIkall the ,
way Z anects crops, conditions that are
favorable 70 the farmers, and we know , nh
remedies that win have to be nsei to r..
,sss .ne lssns and to prevent any further
Ioss by the arising OF alkall. II Is entiras d
unnecessary at this time and under these q
uasunis1ahces to go into the question OF thc
treatment OF these alkili salts. The depari'
m n,sI1. o. Agriculture 70 ISSUING a bui.e'in
nas.ls .ne results Of the investigations In 2
.nat nave been sent out 5000 applications
nave already come In, and the edition ~ q
me bulletin Is to be 100 600 cop .es 10 sun,
ms me usexpected demand. am glad :
o. this opportunity TO meet you Western
iermers There are many OF you here. I
ulked Yesterday coming on the train with :
many people who are oonfrorted with thasA !
problems, We want you TO como to us, we !
~ wsLing ana able 70 help you, We can't !
get around 70 all Of you but We viii do !
tho best We can to help you with tha