Durango semi-weekly herald. (Durango, Colo.) 1899-1907, 1903-10-19
SAYS WEST IS SAFE.
Secretary Wilson Laughs at the Fear
OF the Land Turning to Salt.


part OF the West doomed TO be turned
alto pillar of salt like Lots wife?
An anonymous Scientist says II is.
Secretary OF Agriculture Wilson in
dignantly rejoins that II is not. A re
cent interview Published In a number
of papers to the effect that sooner or
later the alkali problem will result in
the undoing OF the west is a astatement
which has alarmed many persons. who
are fearful that the government. in
embarking upon irrigation develop
ments, is launching into an unknown
and dangerous enterprise.
"A well-known scientist" too mod
est, however, to allow the use of his
name, states in an interview that
genuine arid countries are always
ruined sooner or later by irrigation.
Permanently successful irrigation is
possible only in what we call humid
or semi.humid regions, where the
drainage is natural from clouds to
sea. When the water from
irrigation sinks down few feet into
the surface soil and then slowly. by
capillary action, rises to the surface
and is eyaporated. it lifts with it the
salts and there follows an increase of
salts or alkali near the surface
The roots OF most crops hug
the upper few inches of soil where the
alkali accumulates and in time Kills
them.
Science Will have a great problem
before IT," he continues. when the
arid regions have by short sighted
booming been filed up with a popula-
ton which will finally discover that
what at first seems to be most sue
cessful process of farmh Is de-
lusion Thousan of fine
farms have been Abandoned because
of aIkali rising in the soil
Thousands more will be abandoned
in the same way and unlike the aban-
doned farms of New England, they
will never be sought again by anyone
desiring TO get back to Mother Earth.
The Valley of the Nile has escaped
because there takes place there every
year thorough flooding. which wash
es down through the lowest depths
of the soil and clennses 1t of all salts
places in our western country where
this can be secured I'm
less some remedy is discovered for
removing alkali the result is disas-
trous in the end and 1t inevitably
comes soon or late"
What is the man who made that
statement" said Secretary Wilson.
when the matter was called to his at
tention. Didn't give his name?
Well, he must have something of lack
of confidence In his ability to back up
his statements. There is nothing in
them. The soils bureau of this de-
partment has been studying the al
kali problem in the West for years
and our experiments have shown that
ordinary understandings. coupled with
irrigation. flooding Will reclaim the
worst alkali lands. Theoretically this
has been known for a long time. but
we have gone- to work in number of
instances in Utah, California. Ari-
IONA and other western points and
have practically demonstrated the
proposition. The department scien-
fists have studied our alkali conditions
of typical irrigated districts. covering
over 100000 acres of land
"A more misleading Interview than
that Of this anonymous scientist was
never published" said Guy Mitchell,
secretary Of the National Irrigation as
ISOLATION. 1T contains just enough
basis of fact to make it appear highly
plausible Alkal there is throughout
the West, in many places in such
large proportions as to cause alarm
and fear for the future of irrigation,
until 1t was discovered that the trou-
Bile yielded easily to simple treatment.
Science has already solved the prob.
lem and the growing population of the
arid region will have no such dis.
| covery TO make as the anonymous
Washington scientist predicts.
las a matter of fact the valley OF
the Nile has not escaped alkalization
Large tracts have been abandoned for
years because of the excessive alkali
and it Is only recently that science
has proceeded to reclaim these lands
10 agriculture Thomas H. Means, in
charge of the alkall reclamation work
of the department of agriculture. re
Gently made trip to Egypt. He found
tremendous areas undergoing recla
nation. Lake Abuklr, situated neal
the Nile delta, is an old bed of $4,000
acres, lying three or four feet below
sea level Before reclamation com
menced it was a dry salt plain in sum
mer. upon which absolutely nothint
would grow. and in winter was coyere,
with few inches of strong alkal
water. Today one sees green fields
luxuriant crops OF cotton, corn. Glove
and grass upon this once barren des
ert. The reclaimed land is wortl
from 5000 to $500 an acre.
In another region OF the lower Mil
delta, Mr.. Means found 10000 acre
undergoing a system of canalization
flooding and washing out the excess
of alkaline salts. The first and secon'
years after the washing commenced
grass. Gotten. clover, rice. etc. ar
planted s4r. Means says in his oiiicia
report There is great deal Of Ian
of q s character in lower Egypt an
It's feclams'on is being carried on il