The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1910-03-31

There are, as has been said, about
1877 species of plants which possess a
great affinity for Rlkali and will luxu-
rate in masses Of 1t where all other
vegetation fails to gain a footh0ld
Thus, greasewood, or creosote bush,
will flourish In soil containing 1884,
76O pounds of alkali salts per acre
one foot deep, which Is more than four
per cent of alkali. : Scrub salt bush
will grow In soil containing 1920
pounds per acre, equal to about one
and one-half per cent Samphire lux
uriates In soil containing 900
pounds OF alkan per acre, or about six
per cent. Wheat, however, will not
grow where the soil contains total OF
20,520 pounds OF the sulphates, car
Donates, chlorides and nitrates OF soda
and potash per acre one foot deep,
which is less than one-half of one per
cent OF the weight of the soil.
Attempts at Reclamation.
1t is impossible to establish any rule
or set or rules for the adaptation of
alkali lands to profitable crops The
natural Growth Of numerous varieties
and species of plants on strong aka
lis is of very little moment to the
AAI luCI, Liz HELL UOlA6s I1OW
shall get rid OF the excess of alkalf?
The whole object of cultivating the
soil Is to compel 1t to produce some
thing useful as we'll as profitable, 9th
erwise 1t Is labor lost to put pillow In
the ground But IN the arid and semi
arid lands the soil may be exceedingly
fertile for general crops. and after
cultivation and irrigation may become
SO impregnated with alkaN as to lose
that fertility In spite Of the quantities
of essential plant food still in the soil.
Where this calamity overtakes the
farmer he can not very well wander
| about and take up new location on
| fresh land and again go through the
same experience. He must remain
| rooted to the soil, SO to speak, and use
all the information he can gather to
restore his land to its normal condi-
ton, or so much of 1t as has gone
wrong. 1t is well-known saying:
"All signs fail In dry weather" and
there are several other equally as apt.
Some say: 1T Is useless to pray for
rain with the wind FROM. the wrong
quarter" or, 1T is dry moon, and the
horns up won't let the water out" In
the case of alkali soils there are no
apt sayings, but there aught to be one,
and very good one seems to be: "Al-
1 kali laughs at the established methods
of cultivating the SOIL"
When crops begin to look sick
and black or white patches appear
here and there, the reason Is not far
to seek: alkali is at work. The sub
soil may be alkaline; there may be a
stratum Of hard pan which prevents
| the water with it's solution of alka!is
from reaching down through beyond
the reach of roots; the irrigation
water may contain large percentage
of alkali in solution, and, coming to
the surface, carry Its alkali along with
it; there may be an irrigation ditch
above and beyond, or stream, or res
ervoir, from which the water seerS
and comes up wherever it can find AT
outlet. In all these cases, ard there
are many others, except where the
soil is naturally strongly alkaline, he
look for the cause, and he finds it in
fortuitous or accidental additions of
alkali Excess of alkah has been car
ried into the soil, and he first stops
any further arrivals. The beginning
of remedy is the same in the case of
a thousand or more acres as in the
case of but one, there is merely diff
ference in extent of operations Then
the alkali having got into the soil, he
quite naturally thinks that it may be
got out in the same way it got in. This
true as to methods. 1t drains or ceeps
in; let it drain and seep out. 1t came
to the surface with the water through
capillary action, therefore let that
capillary action be stopped or imped-
ed. The water from the subsoil eva
porating at the surface left the alkalis
behind to interfere with plant life,
| hence, If that evaporation be prevent
ed, or reduced there will be no more,
or, at least, less surface deposits.
Without stopping to consider drain
4 age. which requires a chapter of its
own, there are two conditions or pro-
cesses which are keys that nearly fit
the situation: cultivation and rota-
ton of crops.
| Cultivation serves double purpose;
that of breaking up the uniform capil-
larry spaces in the soil and preventing
the rise. of the water from the subsoil
to the Surface, and that of covering
the ground with a layer of dry soil, or
i mulch, that prevents evaporation
Indeed, there are cases where fire.
Quent civilizations, or stirring up OF
the soil, have reduced the accumula-
tiions of alkali to onethird the amount
on uncultivated land. AS to it's pre-
venting evaporation, every farmer is
too well acquainted with the effect OF
cultivation as a conservative of the
moisture in the soil not to know this
thoroughly.
The Incorporation of organic matter
in the SOIL such as stable manure
leaves, straw, blowing under crop Of
weeds, or green manure, tends tC
break up the capillary pores in the
soil and retard the upward movement
|, of the subsoil water. But this retard-
ing process is much greater if this or