The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1903-09-19
Retaining Alkall Land.

1
In the United States and Canada, as
well as in many other countries OF
the world, there are great stretches OF
land that are unfertile due to II too
great proportion Of salt or alkpli In
them. Usually these tracts OF land
are quite low, and some OF them have
been formerly beds Of lakes and ponds.
There are other tracts of land that
have developed alkali spots from hav-
ing being too long under a system OF |
irrigation that permitted the sal: and
alkali to rise in the soil as result OF
capillary attraction. 1t is thereto re OF
interest to American farmers to know
what Is being done in the matter OF
the reclamation of such lands in for
eign countries.
Egypt is the country that is at pres
ent attracting the most attention In
this regard. Here some OF the problems
are being worked out. This has not
been an easy matter. Quite number
Of years ago, French company
bought 10000 acres of this land, and
sunk $4.500000 in an attempt to re-
claim 1t, but were unsuccessful. Yet
the land they handled was and Is as
easily reclaimed as any Of the other
land that has been reclaimed and
made profitable. They showed how
not to do 1t, and other companies
profted by their mistakes. The causes
of their failure were first, the bitches
were not close enough together to
permit Of rapid washing Of the soil.
The bitches were about 1000 feet
apart when they should have been
not more than $50. Second, the bitches
should have followed the slope of the
land. They were actually laid out on
rectangular plan regardless OF slope
Third, reclamation was attempted on
too large a scale, and lacked thorough
ness. Fourth, the land was put into
such crops as cotton before 1t was
sweetened-freed from its alkali anc
salt. This land is now in process Of
being reclaimed under correct
methods.
On the other hand the success IN RS
claiming land In Egypt has been mos
gratifying and profitable. An Englisl
company obtained grant Of 25,OO'
acres of this worthless alkali land ant
invested $3.50 per acre in its reclama
ton. The land now brings an annua
rental Of about $25 per acre and ba
q value of over 5000 per acre, or
total of over $2,500,000. The Englis
company declared dividends of 4
per cent last year. The soil befor
drainage was described as "heav!
dense, sticky, black clay, APPARENT
very impervious to water and difiicu
|, to underdrain. In fact the whole a
pect of the land Is one Of utter hop
lessness, and none but the most Sal
guine of agricultural engineers woul
have undertaken its reclamation
That land is now bright with gro,
ing crops and productive Of an II
: mense revenue.
The most effective method Of ri
/, ding the land of its surplus salt al
. alkali il found to be flooding, with Il
+, drains. The drains are placed
inches deep and 80 feet apart, and II
cost is $50 per acre. This is the la
est and best method, but Is not Il
method by which most of the Egyptia
/, lands have been 30 far reclaime
That method has been to use ope
: bitches and flood the land for montl
at time till the salts have soaks
out The water is then drained o.
In some cases 1t has taken tv
:. years to sufficiently drain the soil
its salts to make the land productiv
American farmers will Of course pr
far the tile drains to the omen ditche
as open bitches are nuisance al
keep much Of the land out Of cul
walton. Besides, they have to
larger and cost more to dig. A Il
drain does not have to be cleaned O
frequently, as is the case with op
bitches. An experiment Of this XII
Is now being carried on near 81
Lake City, Utah, where the ditch
are placed $50 feet apart.