Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-04-25
PREVENTING ALKALI on LANDS

Farmers Bulletin No ~, recently Is
sued by the department % agriculture.
Washington. II n report Of the inveatl-
gallons OF the department into alkaii
lands of thc Yellowstone Valley and
purportH TO give the natural methods %
preventing Injury from Irrigation and
rcoluiming the lands when once the In
jury has occurred. Therc IL no quca-
ton that the Injury IL due 90 the trans
location ana local accumulation OF the
snliA which wcfc formerly well diatrib-
utcd In the soils OF the valley. Alkali
has been troublesome In the region mem
toned only after eight or ten yoarn
OF Irrigation. The trouble In always
preceded by an accumulation Of rocp-
axe waters followed In few years by
the nlkall incfunntions on the surface
OF the land. This evidently points to
the necessity OF great care IN the nppli-
cation Of water In the methods OF irri-
cation. This care must h. cxcrciAed not
only FOR the land which u irrigated. but
for the adjoining lands on lower levels.
While n man can ovcr.iffigatc "a sandy
tract with practical impunity 60 him
eolf he N likely TO swamp his nclghboi
on a lower level.
Where the dralnngc has BEEN done or
where the conditions are 20 imminent
that ultimate ruin can bc forctecn the
logical method VI reclamation N NJ pro-
carry on the excess 81 water and the
accumulated salts. This IL expensive.
hut II In the only thing In this case to
hasten the slow processes Of nature.
which are entirely Inadequate In the
present methods OF irrigation and Of
culture.
Il has been pointed out that there are
some crops which can stand much lafg-
or percentages ~ nlknii than others. II
In quite possible that other valuable
crops can be- found or can be- bred
which will stand large quantities OF al
kali. but Il IL unfortunate. indeed. fpr
locality like the Yellowstone Valley.
which was originally FRYE from alh1ii.
10 accept such conditions resulting ftom
their injudlclour methods of irrigation
and try 10 nni crops which Will thhvc
upon lands which have been unnccs-
nariiy injured,
II must not be assumed. howcyrr,
that n thorough system OF underdrnn-
nFc relieves one from exercising circ
ANA judgment IN applying water 90 tpo
/ land There II less immediate dang,r
| Of running the land. To be sure. but theic
I are two things to be- conHldercd-nnm@-
/ ly,that nm excessive use Of water mean
| Just 10 much loss to irrigation and y
much less land which can be brought
under the ditch. and also that In the
removal of these salts by the How ~
the Hecpagc waters out through th4
drainage system large quantities u
really valuable plant food are likely To
be removed from the soil. The very
accumulation Of these soluble salts n
| due 10 tho arid conditions OF the
climate. The great fertility OF the soil
/ results from the accumulation OF these
salts. ana n We Introduce artificial
drainage. which viii tax the resources
/ ~ the soil, We may remove In the course
Of a generation, or even In less time,
than this. the accumulated results OF
I the chnnroa OF vast geologic AGES IN
l the dislnteRrntion Of rocks. Iiy over
/ irrigation and underdralnage we may
remove In a few years the very condl-
| lions which contribute 10 the wealth Of
tho country In the fertility OF the
| soil.
The report OF Investigations con-
cludes with the statement that the con
ditiona In the Yellowstone valley ara
particularly simple. The locality II
fortunate In having no great excess OF
nllsail In the soils previous To irrigation
MS occurs over large areas In adjoining
States. liut the matter published H.
nevertheless, of practical Interest all
through the States Of the far west M
the principles applicable IN the ease
under discussion are applicable In gem
orii 10 alkali lands throughout the
country.