The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-07-05
ALKA[| CAN
Be REMOVED
So States S. o. Jayne of Depart
ment of Agricultwe-Well
Known Here
DRAINAGE OR TEACHING
PROCESS is ADVISED
Drains Are Placed Beneath the
Ground and Heavy Irrigation
Dissolves Alkalis, Which Are
Carried Away

Carried Away
SPOKANE, Wash. June 29-Lsnds
in arid and semi-humid disticts
made marualously productive by irri-
cation, which have lapsed after a few
years of cultivation, due principally
to Accommodations of alkali in the soils
as the result of the excessive use of
water. can be successfully reclaimed
by drainage or teaching process. ac-
cording to stephen q. Jayne OF Spo-
kane, irrigation expert for the United
states department of agriculture, who
thus sets forth his views after an
exhaustive study Of the subject:
'In the arid districts alkali is liza
bile to occur wherever the water table
or standing water is found within a
few feet of the surface permitting OF
its rise by capillary attraction ana
rapid evaporation. There appears to
be considerable allali in most OF the
arid soils, and, being a form of salt,
it is soluble in water. The water
rising through the soil by capillary
action, brings the alkali to the sur
face in solution
at the surface of the soil the
water is evanorated and the salt is
left behind. The longer the process
goes on the thicker the aikali crust
becomes or the greater the percent
age of salt in the upper portion oil
soil. After time the concentration
great that
even the most resistent plants will be
killed
THE water planes occures naturally
near the surface of the soil in some
places, but in many of the irrigated
districts water may now be found
within a few feet of the top or the
ground, or actually covering IL, Where
before the advent of irrigation water
could not have been obtained in wells
even at great depths.
Excessive Irrigation
This rise in the ground and result
liant injury from alkali is directly due
in most instances to excessive ano
vasteful use of water in irrigation
without due knowledge or regard fol
the actual crop requirements, as has
been CLEARLY shown by irriga ton In
yestieations of the United States de
partment of agriculture
"Once the condition has arisen
however. and the land rendered
yalueless for crop production, lelthel
from natural or unnatural causes, the
thing to do is apply remedy, II
there is one, and for the problem the
remedy is drainage. The alka'
comes by water, and by water it can
he taken away. In coming it rises
and in going it must go down.
THE first step then in the recla-
NATION of alkali lands is to provide
thorough dra image, and if the recla-
nation is to be effective and permah-
ent the drains must be put deep, DE
cause the water table or plane OF
standing water must be kept so 10"
that very little or no water Will rise
TO the surface by capillarity to be
IeVaporated.
These drains may be oper
bitches. or wooden boxes or tile may
he used and covered In most of the
very fine soils the depth of oper
bitches or drains of whatever nature
should be seven or eight feet at least
/ Dissolve the Aikali
After the drains are supplied, tho
next thing is to irrigate the land
very heavily. either by flooding OF
other methods so as to force large
quantities of water down through the
( soil and out of the drains. In going
down and out the alkali is carried
away in solution reversing the pro
/ cess by which it came.
THE length of time required e
wash out the alkali in this way vii
/ depend largely on how strongly the
! salt has become concentrated, ant
! also hpOn the texture of the soil WhlCt
affects the rapidity of water porcola'
ton through it. on light sandy land'
! the heaching process can be carried
on much more rapidly than on heavy
adobe soils and It gravel subsoil il
much more favorable for this Wori
than one of clay or hardpan In SOM
places it has even been found neces
sary to use dynamite to break ~
lhardpan strata so that the waite
could get through
after the alkali has been leacheC
out Of the soil, heavy applications o
stable manure will be found very
beneficial by way of improving IL
physical condition. for the caustic ac
ton of the Alkali destroys the so
humus. and tine teaching also of ne
cessitv carries away essential plan
foods which the manure viii, in Z
measure, replace.
Must Study PrOblenh
alt has been demonstrated beyond
question that alllau lands can be sue
lccesrully reclaimed 10y drainage and
teaching in the manner described
and many attempts at reclamation
have failed, due to lack Of under
standing the Fundamental principles
Of drainage involving the problem o
alkaH No one can afford, therefore
to undertake work of this nature OF
AN extensive scale without first ma
king careful study Of the problem
ana in this connection the inIOrna
ton supplied by publications OF tbs
! United States department Of agricul
/ ,t.., ,,-iII ha fpatHJ inN+. Inc