Arizona republican., 1902-02-21
THE IMPERIAL COUNTRY
Comments on the Report Concerning
 Alkali Lands

Thomas II. Means and l. Garnett
 Holmes Of the bureau of soils of the
 agricultural department spent about
 forty days between the middle of Octo-
 Der and the middle of December of last
 year examining soils and conditions Of possible agricultural develop
 ment in the Imperial country in southern California. Their find ings have been published by
 the department and they are anything
 but pleasing to the promoters of the
 Imperial Land company and the kind red organizations interested in that sec
 ticn. The Southern California papers
 have taken up the subject and are making some severe comments on the
 findings of the experts
 The most effective criticism to be made and one that is borne out by their own statements is that their work was entirely too hdsty for results to be given as conclusive in q publication Of the recognized standing of a circular issued by the bureau of soils. In sub stance they report having examined 15S square miles of the Imperial land. find ing that 51 per cent of the area carries too much alkali to permit of hope for its redemption and that 49 per cent Of it is so heavily impregnated with alkali
 
 sistant crops may be safely planted Only in particularly favored spots do they grant the successful cultivation of alfalfa and in substance about the only eECQurag =ment they can offer is for the growing of sorghum and sugar Deet.;. 1
 Having discovered the alkali per centages in the soil they proceed to set forth their theory why adverse condi- l ticns will grow, constantly worse in- stead of better. a theory that is utterly ! refuted 70 far as demonstration of i the contrary can be made in the pres ent early stage of experiment. And l this testimony. even though limited, | has been overlooked. Their theory is ! that the Imperial country. being for the l most part below sea level. there will | be no such thing as q drainage that with the applicat ton of water will tend 10 the removal of alkali. but that on the contrary when the waters of the ! Coiorado.i diverted through the Inn | perial canals. have thoroughly soaked ! the soil. the alkali will rise to the sur l face. making conditions vastly worse | than now.
 In reply to this it can be said that the only natural vegetation Of the | country is along the banks of New | river and other channels that annually ] receive soaking or flood waters and ] where this occurs the vegetation is lux | ufiant. wild hemp. weeds and other i plan making a growth unequaled in | any country. Further. an examination | O. the soils in such places discloses no 1 taint of alkaIi. thus proving that " here the water has been applied the ! llkal is removed and the drainage is | il operation in accordance with the l principle set forth by the experts them l selves as necessary for the reclamation | 5f the land.
 Extensive bOrings were made to as certain the character of the Sub-soils. | though net as extensive as required for ! n thorough report on so vast an area. II is noted that but four of these bor- ! nss were deep enough tp really deter , mine the character of the lower strata 1 8s to whether t is or is not of a na ture [ -aIculated to afford the drainage re- Iuired. thus carrying the ai<aii down instead of up by capillary process. The 1
 xperts hav- simply assumed that as Inc area is below sea level there is no place To drain 10. As a matter of fact | he Salton sink is vet many feet below -he lands proposed to be tiled and here is a basin there large enough to hold all the alkali on the Pacific coast. should that prove to be the region of lltimate deposit. Then. too. until the oNer strata are carefully prospected. no man knows the possibilities of the soil and water for carrying away these objectionable salts.
 There is one point further in connec- ion that calls for attention. The ex- 3erts seemingly made little effort to de- crmine the present water level or water plane, merely assuming that wherever il is 1t will rise. They give igures but for two places. Calexico hey say shows the water plane to be bout fifty feet deep. while at Imperial [ is less than thirty feet below the 'urface. Advices from Imperial are hat well al Imperial has been sunk ,Ver 500 feet with no sign of water The .Xpcrt who found it at thirty feet would -ery likely need q search warrant to ind il again and the natural inference $ that it will take many generations