Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-10-01
The Land Value of the Arid
West May Be Raised to
S3O,O0O,oO
EXPERIMENTS ENCOURAGING
American Alfalfa Succumbs to the Al
kali in Soil, While the Algerian Pro-
duct, Grown Under the Same Con-
ditions, Shows Good crop-Pos-
tive Statements Hardly Safe Yet.

Washington, Oct IA project to re-
claim some S30000.o0o worth of land
in the arid and semi-arid regions of the
west is the result of one of the ex-
ploration trips sent out by the de-
partment of agriculture more than two
years ago; the time since then has been
spent in trying TO grow the things
brought home This particular trip was
to Egypt. Algeria, Turkestan and 9TH
er parts OF northern Africa, and was
made by Thomas H. Kearney, of the
bureau of plant industry. Among 9th
er things which he brought back was
alfalfa from Algeria. In that country
the alfalfa was growing in soil
strongly iinpregnated With alkali. In
fact. there was twice as much alkali
in the soil where ii grew as in any of
any of the alkali soils of the United
states where the crop is attempted II
occurred to the explorer that this Al
gerian alfalfa, evidently very resistant
10 alkali, might be grown in the Uni
less.
SO Mr. Kearney began experimenting
With the alfalfa from Algeria. He
planted some on irrigated alkali land
at Yuma, Ariz.; some more he planted
in the Colorado desert in southern Cal
ifornia. and still another planting was
made in the valley of the Pecos in New
Mexico Alongside the Algerian al
falfa he planted the ordinary alfal-
ia.
When harvest time came he found
that the American alfalfa had sue
cumbed 10 the allsali. while the Algerian
alfalfa, growing in similar soil and un-
der exactly the same conditions, showed
Il good crop. The amount of alkali
in the soil. as measured by the experts,
was close TO one per cent. The ordin-
airy American alfalfa can stand only
u bout one-half Of enc per cent.
Thus encouraged with the first years
tests the department did not regard
them as final and this spring the plant-
ings We're repeated The results are
just sonling In. The report from Yuma
Is excellent Mr.. kearney has received
word that there Is fine stand OF AL
a few days TO inspect 1t. Reports from
other stations where 1t was planted are
also favorable.
The cautious disposition OF the scien
tifio mind Will probably determine the
TO delay the final announce
ment as 10 the outcome OF these ex-
periments for another year.
Il want to go into the field myself,
said MIR Kearney, and make sure that
there is no mistake. ! want To be Ger
tain as to the conditions of growth.
For example, l want to see that the
alkali is still as strong in the soil as
when the first planting was made, that
1t has not been washed out by the
irrigation And then | think the ex-
pertinent should be repeated another
year We hardly feel like making pos
tive statements under three years
trial. But we can say that the results
are entirely favorable so far.
Speaking further of his alfalfa work,
Mr. Kearney said:
There Is also a brand of alfalfa which
L. II. Means and | brought from Turk
estan. We found it there growing in
soil very strongly impregnated with
StltS, ItiiS viz ~ Ns.4e, 'si.NA
watered with alkali water. But there
We're certain local conditions which
might. have offset this condition. and
we are working hard to determine
It can be grown In the slightly
differing surroundings of the western
part OF the United States"
The government bureau OF soils has
estimated that there are t least 6o0,-
oo0 acres of irrigated land In the Uni
ted States rendered unfit for cultivation
by the presence of one per cent of al
kali. With the Introduction OF species
of resistant alfalfa, which will grow
on these lands, each acre will be worth
$50. making the total land value gained
$50, 100000. In summing UP the bene-
fits OF the discovery the value OF the
crops of alfalfa subsequently, raised
on this land would be properly added.
1t would be easy thus to show how, In
a year or two, sl00,0oo,00O had been
added to the wealth of the country, and
OF the western farmers.
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