The Greeley tribune., 1903-09-24
ON ALKALI LANDS
Secretary Wilson Gives Some
Valuable Information.

made to Tribune representative on "a
recent visit to Greeley, Secretary OF
Agriculture Wilson reiterates IN a
speech before the national irrigation
congress which convened in Ogden,
Utah, last week, that the aerlcul-
tural department will soon have al
falfa and other plants that VIII
thrive as we'll on alka(i lands as the
ordinary kind does on the best
soil.
Among other things, Secretary
Wilson said in his speech:
"It is estimated that about 6Oo'-
900 acres of land at present under II
rjgation in the western United States
are lying idle solely because they con-
tain too much alkaii to permit pay
ing crops being produced. When-
ever practicable, it is advisable TO
reclaim land Of this character oy
washing and drainage. Nevertheless,
in much Of this land and that which
may be irrigated in the future, the
establishment Of proper drainage
system could not be protitably under
taken under existing conditions
The question is, can anything else
be done with such lands?
"To answer this query the bureau
of plant industry is endeavoring to
secure crops suitable for cultivation
in alkali soils. Other parts of the
world, where the alkali problem is
serious one, are being explored
with a view to importing such OF
their useful plants as endure large
amount of these harmful salts. AS
a result, seed of resistant alfalfa has
been obtained from Algeria and
Turkestan. cotton from Egypt fol-
trial in the warmer parts OF the
southwest and promising varieties of
wheat and barley from various coun-
tries OF the old world. Resistant
fruit trees, such as the date palm
and the pistache, have also been i'm
ported.
SIT is not proposed to distribute
these things as they are received by
the department. Plant breeding
methods are being resorted to in Or
der to fix and, If possibple by careful
selection, increase their alkali resist
ant qualities. Small tracts OF alkali
land are being planted with the i'm
ported seed and from the best indi-
viduals that survive. seed is taken
for continuing the experiment. Sim
liar breeding and selection work is in
progress to secure greater alkali re-
sistance in our native crops, as sugar
beets, alfalfa, etc. In this way we
expect to breed In few years alkali-
resistant strains OF some of the most
important field crops grown in the
semi-arid parts of the west.
"In the United States alfalfa does
not generally stand more than one
half per cent Of white alkali' in the
upper six feet of soil. In the cases
in The Sahara desert, kind has heen
found which thrives in sol contain
ing as much as one per cent of these
salts in the surface foot. If this al
falfa can he adapted no American
conditions and retainA here its high
degree Of resistance, allarge per cent
OF the entire 6oo,ooo atres of a!kali
land already mentioned could be put
into this crop. In the great in
crease in irrigated area which is
bound to come in the near future,
this work will become still greater in
Importance when alkali has to be
contended with and drainage is not
practicable. )"
While but small portion tie 600,-
900 acres spoken Of will be found in
northern Colorado, there is enough
to make Secretary Wilson's state
ments of considerable interest here,
as it will mean that land which has
become alkalied will not necesse lily
be loss to the owner hereafter.ec
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