Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-02-23
ALKALI SOILS
Continued From First Page

the young Seeding after it startss
When once established the sugar beet
is immune to alkali. In fact it is
one of the crops usually recommend
ed by writer's on alkali for growing
on soils heavily charged. Coming in
early times from the banks of the
Mediterranean, the beet still retains
its resistant nature to alkali action, in
spite of the decades of civilization
through which it has passed.
In the majority of cases the danger
to termination and young Seeding is
slight if the bects are put into deep.
well prepared soil at a, time when the
bulk of the alkali is well distributed
through the layers of soil, either from
the preparatory iri-igauon or from
the rainfall. By the time a new ac-
emulation of salts has occurred the
beet will have reached state of inn
munity. By their quick growth the
leaves soon cover the ground and in
ton to minimum. The roots take
the moisture from deep down in the
soil and evaporate it through the
leaves, so that in this way the salts
are held deep down in the soil. More
over, the beet takes up large quanti-
ties of salts in feeding, which are
bodily removed from the soil in har-
vestinp the crop. So in many ways
the beet prepares the soil for the bet
ter reception of such other crops as
are to follow. 1t keeps the salts SO
deep down in the ground that the fol-
lowing winter rains or irrigation can
carry them still deeper, and it re-
moves large quantities bodily from
the soil. In this way the land is bet
ter fitted for the subsequent planting
of crops more sensitive to alkali..
In disturbing plant growth alkali
works in two ways. The first is the
corrosive action at the surface OF the
ground, already spoken of, which re-
suits in brownish tinge showing on
the stalk or stem of the plant, while
the outer epidermis (bark) becomes
soft and easy to peel. The alkali in
this case actually girdles the plant.
While it may not die. future growth
usually is slow and unprofitable.
Black alkali acts worse by far i'll this
respect, and also burns ont the hui
mus to such an extent that such lands
are difficult to work and develop
tough, impenetrable hard-pans, which
seriously interfere with drainage.
The second method of poisoning
comes from a disturbance of the ac-
tivities of the feeding roots. Plants
gain all their food by taking up the
soil moisture containing them in So
luton through the walls of the tiny,
threadlike hairroots. There are no
openings. The plant has no power
of selection and must take up every
thing that is in solution. The pass
ing OF the salt-charged moisture from
the soil into the root depends on the
difference in density between the
moisture outside and the sap inside
the rootlcts. 1t is greater in the
81. l.., 90, ha
side approaches that on the inside,
passage of the water into the root is
checked, and the plant starves.
Where alkali is giving trouble a
study of the problem will reveal the
cause. With little knowledge OF
what constitutes the source OF the
trouble, methods for prevention can
be undertaken based on the charac-
ter. extent and nature OF the salts,
and on their source. Alkali lands are
very rich in all plant foods and pos
sess good MISUNDERSTANDING powers
so that when the total quantity OF sol
uble alkali is reduced to a point
where it is no longer injurious great
crops can be raised. For this reason
money spent on retaining alkali
lands or in checking increasing ac-
cumulations OF salts will be money
we'll spent, provided the initial cost is
not too great.
In Europe several investigators
hold that the sugar beet will actually
respond to light dressing of salt.
The salt seemingly has the power to
interchange bases with the potash
salts in the soil. thus making the pot
ash more available. For soils rich
in unavailable potash. the use OF
small quantities of salt G5o pounds
per acre) has been suggested. The
water drawing and retaining power
of the sal. has been cited as a posi-
Bile valuable asset on light. sandy
-n,1c