Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1912-02-23

fall sinks, and will prove almost i'm
| pervious when first brought into cul-
tivation. These, however, il of linn
| tied extent, will finally give way to
| the effects OF repeated irrigations.
| The seepage OF irrigation waters,
| charged with alkali salts, from high
| er TO a lower level has worked havoc
in the case OF over-irrigation.
Only study OF local conditions
will point out the solution. The
problem may be only, to dispose OF
| the salts present in new land which is
| 10 be put in shape for crops. Or the
| accumulation may be the result OF
cultivation, such as over-irrigation, by
/. which salts deep down in the soil are
| brought into the upper levels; or it
| may be caused by too large per-
| centage OF salts in the irrigation wat
| er, from seepage, or from some other
| involves district rather than local
| itv. When such is the case only
| methods aiming to remove the cause
| will prove OF permanent value. Such
, a case requires deep study, much sci
| entific work, and is entirely outside
the scope of the average beet grower.
| The first duty then in dealing with
an alkali problem is to determine its
extent. whether local or general. il
local, each grower can, in many cases,
| work out the solution for himself.
Since the salts rise in the soil with
the evaporation of the soil moisture
any method which will lessen evapo-
ration will lessen the rise of the aka
Ii. When given amount OF alkali is
distributed throughout three or four
feet OF soil it will not prove detri-
mental, whereas the same amount
brought up by evaporation of the
moisture and deposited in the first
three or four inches OF soil will con-
ccntrate to such an extent as to in
terfere seriously with the plants ac-
tivities, and possibly cause them to
cease altogether.
The quick growing OF the plants to
,sshade the ground and the mainten-
ance OF a loose mulch by deep culti-
vation will do much to retard the
concentration OF the salts. Deep
preparation of the soil and thorough
surface cultivation are the most i'm
portant factors for securing results on
alkali land.
The removal OF salts can be accom-
piished by scraping off a few inches
Of the top soil at a time when the ma
jority of the salts are denosited there,
that is, at the dricst time of the year.
In this way often one-half of the total
salts present in the soil can be re-
moved in one season.
Removal by thorough irrigation is
feasible when the nderdrainage is
good. The water will take mp the
salts and carry them on down into
the under-drainage of the country far
out OF reach. To make this method
entirely successful ample water must
be available, SO that the soil, previous
ly checked for even irrigation, can be
giVen thorough soaking. With this
must be good drainage, either artiii-
irrigation, constantly bearing in
mind the danger OF swamping the
land. will effectually keep the salts
down indehniately, even if they
should not be taken up by under
ground flows. This means that i'll
lands where the water table is so deep
that it is not feasible to reach it with
the irrigation, it is possible to so
thoroughly soak the land that the.
salts, with future ordinary precau-
tions, can be kept deep down in the
soil. out OF reach OF the surface.
Where danger OF excess water ex-
lists, on the other hand, under-drains
| must supplement the work of irriga-
ton. -
Flushing the land with water Wa"
the object of taking off the salts, by
means OF big rush of water across
the ground is not successful, as the
| first water is bound to go rather slow
y and sink into the ground to GER
tain extent. This carries the salts
down into the soil beyond reach OF
the swifter water which follows.
The plowing under OF stable manure
| and the use OF potash salts are gener-
ally OF little value in ridding land of
alkali
The amount OF alkali which can be
resisted by the sugar beet varies with
the kind OF soil. In sandy soil its
lands, because in the latter the alkah
exerts an injurious effect on the till
| ing qualities OF the soil, and more
over, evaporation is so much greater
that deposition of salts at the surface
| with their attendant increased corrod-
| ing effect, is much enhanced. This
| applies to all farm crops as well.
Beets grown in soil impregnated
nth common salt, sodium chloride,
are wholly unfit for sugar purposes.
| However, after being grown for sew
cral years on salty land they will so
reduce the salt content that eventual
ly really good beets can be grown.
Beets grown on land heavily charged
with Glauber's salt are, on the other
hand, well fitted for sugar purposes,
good yields of high grade beets be-
in obtained regularly from land con-
tanning as high as 1000 pounds of
this salt per acre.
In the case OF the sugar beet the
greatest danger from alkali lies in the
danger OF retarding termination OF
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