Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-08-03
ALKALI LANDS
Agricultural Department Says Sugar
Beets and Certain Other Things
Resist Alkali.
DEATH TO CLOVER FAMILY
Treatment Of Alkali Lands by the Applica-
ton Of Gypsum Found to Be Effective
Facts Demonstrated at the Govern
ment Experiment Station.

Director A. c.. True, head Of the bu-
reau of experiment stations of the de-
partment Of agriculture, in a report just
from the printing office, discusses
plants adapted to alkali soils" He
says: Throughout the western portion
Of the United States, especially where
irrigation is practiced, areas Of alkali
soils Of greater or less extent are of fire.
quent occurrence. These soils derive
their name from the fact that they are
strongly impregnated with soluble salts,
which efloreSce or bloom out in the
form Of a powder or crust during dry
weather following rains or irrigation.
The basis of these salts is mainly soda,
together with smaller amounts of pot
ash, and usually a little lime and mag
nesia. They are mixtures chiefly of So
dunn sulphate, common salt and sodi-
UNI carbonate in varying proportions.
They often contain in addition small
amounts Of potassium sulphate, sodium
phosphate and sodium nitrate, sub
stances whose fertilizing value is well
known.
"Of the different forms black alkali is
by far the most injurious to vegeta
BILE growth and to the tilling qualities
of the soil; common salt ranks next in
injuriousness, while sodium sulphate is
the least injurious and may be present
to the extent of " to l per cent or more
without materially interfering with the
growth of most crops. 1t follows that
in the reclamation of alkali lands for
cultural purposes the first thing needful
is a transformation Of the sodium car
Donate into sodium sulphate by means
of gypsum, reducing the righteousness
OF the black alkali one-fourth to one
fifth.
While the occurrence Of alkali in ex-
cess in the soil constitutes a serious
menace to the successful production Of
most farm crops, recent Investigations
have shown that there are many plants
of economic value which are able to toll
crate a considerable amount Of alkali.
The experiment stations of western
states have devoted considerable atten-
ton to the subject of the utilization Of
alkali soils, studying especially the re-
lation of native and cultivated plants
to alkali. The resistance tt alkali varies
greatly with the kind Of plant and the
character Of the salts in the alkali. Thus
the plants of the goosefoot family COM
pretending, besides the goosefoot prop
err, the beet, spinach, samphire, salt
wort and the saltbushes generally, will
resist very large amounts of all three OF
the salts; while, on the other extreme,
the legumes-clovers, peas, beans
vetches, etc.-resent even small
amounts of either. The entire sunflowel
family Is rather tolerant Of alkali, while
most of the cultivated grasses proper
are quite sensitive.
I'm experiments by the Wyoming sta
ton on the influence Of alkali salts Oh
the termination of wheat and rye, i,
was found that small amounts of these
salts hasten termination, and no doubt
also assist in the life Of the plant, either
stimulating it's growth or acting direct.
ly as plant food. When, however, the
proportion Of alkali salts exceeded GER
tain limits, termination was interfered
| with.
"It does not appear that any of the
salts, except sodium carbonate, exerted
directly poisonous or corrosive effects
on the seeds. The injury appeared to be
due to the fact that the salts in solution
interfered with the absorption by the
seed Of the water necessary to germira-
tion."
The experience Of the Wyoming sta.
ton indicates that there are very few
useful plants which will grow where the
soil contains so much alkali that an in.
crustation is formed on the surface
Among other alkali-resisting plants
which the station has successfully test
ed are salt bushes, English rape, Box
hara or white sweet clover and sugar
beets.