The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-07-29
Prof. l.. A. Merrill Be,i.,!
vestigation to Be- .i
Great Benefit.
GOVERNMENTS EXppps.|
ENGAGED IN THE u
Means Much to Dry n,
and Other Persons /,
gagged in Farmin,

Utah Agricultural college h.,
pleted extensive examir,,;..
tain Utah soils in compan,..
Lyman J, Briggs, Thomas II :
and DR.. H. l.. Shantz. th,ss
expcrts from the United s,e
cultural department. DR. RIs
physicist in the bureau oi
dussry and is recognized AZ -,
lending soil authorities in A.
X carney is soil physicist in ~ /
States reclamation bureau ~
Shantz is botauist in tbs -
bureau. These men came bc,s
purpose in,view Of finding H. !
ship between the negative =.
and the soils on which thry ,'
and before returning east ,ss ~
probably give methods ustj a
farming careful study, and sls
such specimens AS NAV prars n
TO the work OF the depart mar,
In the opinion Of Profess. \
the Investigations and ss,.;1
made In company with tho 49,
experts during the past few H.
more than ever strongly ~
the fact that in alkali lands y
er soils, the natural plant w,
termines the reclamability al
tion of these lands for crors
sor Merrill also claims that n
cation proceeds, it becoms
more indisputable that the =,
homesteaders in Utah seesin,
vate dry land, lies in sclefti.
sage6rush ground.
'Ibese experts and Their 4;
of incalculable benefit to IhiI
ers and especially newcomer
Professor Merrill YESTERDAY.
are now on their way 20 C1lifs,
l hope they will find time to d,
era] weeks more iu Utah on A.
back to Washington. The I,
tions and experiments they b
of the greatest educational n
farmers, aud were the sgis
more disposed TO profit By III
work, which is carried on in D.
interest, failures in farming hi
dom be found.
Soil Should Be TsrM
" A proper testing Of coil
matte conditions should bs
step, the settling the next.
sections, settlers have been h
spend all their time and moz7
veloping farms. Just as they n
point where these farmt sioi2
TO produce and repay ths,
their hopes arc bligbted BY u
cnce of allsali or some other q
eral. Proper testing OF soil spll
mate such eases.
SIN alkali lands. as in dLzI
natural plant growth detenh
reclamability and adaptation 4
lands for crops. The most n)
observation shows that csrhh
indicate extremely strong
lands where they occupy IN
alone. Other plants indin1
eminently the presence Of eosr'
These experts from the ds;l
of agriculture have during th 4
days made a number of boiHg
ing the soil right in the Esl
kali, by what is known as ID
method. This method euabhs
determine the alkali or harafd
of soluble salts present 10
The percentage Of alkah can
accurately determined.
EThe work just completed =
variabfy that where certain q
cupy the ground in an aburai<
luxurlant growth, such lsuds
such an excess of alkali that !
be impossible for economic
grow upon them at all. The 90
Of merely scattered and mora
stunted individuals of theH
while n sure indication OF y
ence Of alkaline salts, does y
necessarily that the land ,
amounts.
'The so-called grease.wood
oatus vermiculatus) land, 80
ned and found TO be heavily
lated with alkali. There is no
)ut that under irrigation tbs
pc made productive but tat1
erions doubt as to whether U
'arming the land could ever
productive.
Conditions in TooslA
GA large area in Tooele vta
red with salt wort (suadea tol
'as found aud on the surtsee
very indication OF being
md, The first foot of soil did
cal any excess of alkali; me
oot. however. gave nearly cnel
per cent and there was a.
~ amount down to dep,s,
eet. No economic plant coula.
soil containing so much alsal
,dicated by the third and i0aD
{ soil. -
"a dry farmer taking up
lis character would no douo,
'llent termination Of the sees
1--WE every encouragement
,ots penetrated the soil TO
so or three feet. when inc n
kali would kill the plant
nd one foot Of soil wouie
furnish moisture and ios
for the growth OF w.
here is thus a very grave 49,
,mesteaders taking up l,ha
aracter. as it is bound 10 ~
cir disappointment.
"Shad scale (atriplex co1's 2
ound was also tested ana
ntain injurious quantities .
,r comparison s sake lana
ere was an abundant growIa
ush, commonly known
ge,' was also tested ana
free Of injurious aikalIn'
''The visit OF these experts I
,estigations confirm the oised l
inion of myself and other, MI Y
'ety Of bomesteaders 10 ~
|, to cultivate dry land ~ /,
ting good sagebrush gfouH..
Stork at Leichter h0I
ar. and Mrs. II. Leitenen
III South street. were pIsrtsr n
H., ,,,,ad hoby girl yesWiuI~