The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-09-15
DRAINAGE NEEDED.

When irrigation was first undertaken
in Utah the conditions were not such as
to suggest a pressing necessity for
drainage. To get water on TO the land
was the first and chief consideration.
But in most parts OF this county. as
we'll as in all other counties in the
state. the time has come-indeed. il
came long ago-when provision for
drainage is. quite as important as for
irrigation These virgin plain soils.
whole full OF plant constituents, also
carry percentage of alkaline salts,
popularity spoken Of as white or black
alkaH.
If there is as much as one-half of one
per cent of the former in the surface
loot of soil it is at the danger point;
II as much as one per cent it will de-
stroy almost any farm or garden plant
Immediately upon its termination. If
there be one tenth OF one per cent
of the black alkali there is danger. and
one-fourth of one per cent is destruc-
tive.
Not many of the tillabIe lands become
surcharged with alkali until there has
been a concentration of these salts at
or near the surface by the application
of irrigatfng waters in excessive guam
titles. or in the ordinary course of FRI
cation when water with which the soil
/ IS saturated to depth of three or four
feet dissolves the alkalies. and then
L
surface and is evaporated. leaving the
salts behind at the surface.
/ Generally these soils have been de-
posted under water when il was d
great fresh water lake. and it is found
/ in stara Of loan, clay and sand those
! at the surface becoming productive
/ from the action of frost and the at
mosphere. There are many thOusa ads
! of acres in the valley where the blue
! clay sub-base is overlaid with such
strata to a depth of from four to six
/ feet, sand streak or seam being found
just above the clay. When such lands
as these are irrigated the excess Of
/ water will pass through to the sand.
and following the slopes viii pass off
into the river as Seepage, or as il
reaches the natural wash drains is lis
sipated by evaporation
Fertile Land Injured.
AS little attention has ever been given
to leveling the land before irrigating,
one Of the greatest mistakes ever made
by the irrigating farmer. the water has
been forced over the high points py
( submerging to the depth of several
inches the depressions or general sur
face 1t is held there until the soil is
completely saturated and the dissolved
salts are started toward the surface
! The lower portions generally contain
the larger percentage Of clay; the sur
face dries off quickly and bakes. the
water from below being drawn by cap
/ mary dLtldCttOn more TO-
rous soils adjoining. This gives the
erroneous impression that the alkali
is present in the larger quantity in the
higher portion of the land.
AS a result of the careless practice, OF
the general lack of knowledge on the
part of the farmer immense tracts OF
the most fertile lands have been .en-
dered reproductive within the county
In the summer and fall of 1899 ne
agricultural department had Professor
Frank D. Gardner, an expert from us
division of soils. surveying ana eX-
harstively investigating the condltlons
on the west side OF the Jordan More
than 200 holes were bored within ar
area OF $50 square miles. or l6O,OJ'
acres, from six to twenty-five feet deep
Many analyses of soils were made and
four colored maps were prepared pre-
senting-
First-The classification of soils into
eight distinct classes
Second-Showing the relative depth!
. at which water could be found below
the surface during the dry periods
within three feet of the surface. from
thrcato ten feet below, and more thar
ten feet below.
Third-Showing the location of white
alkali and the relat percentages