The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1920-04-01
MAKE. ALKALI SOILS
PRODUCE
Recommendations by Soil Spe-
cialist of University Exten-
sion Division.

non-producing on. account of alkali?
Can you afford to let $500 to $500 land
lie idle, with produce at present
prices?
Many times a landowner has a
small piece of ground on his farm
which does not have good drainage,
causing the water table to rise very
close to the surface. A condition of
this kind increases evaporation, which
in turn brings large quantities of al
kali salts to the surface, causing the
ground to be non-productive. The
owner gives this matter little thought,
but if he were to figure in dollars and
cents what the land would bring him
if producing, he would take steps to
reclaim it.
The first and most fundamental pro-
cedure in retaining alkali soil is to
provide an efficient drainage system.
The drain should be placed deep
enough to keep the water table from
eight to ten feet below the surface.
Water tables which are close to the
surface are detrimental in two ways.
They cause rapid evaporation, which
carries large quantities of alkali
salts through the lower layers.
Procedure after the drainage sys-
tenn is in may depend on the form in
which the alkali appears. In case the
alkah salts are white salts, the flood
ing system can be used and many of
the salts leached out and carried off
by the drainage water If the salts
happen to be black alkali, it is best
first to make an application of land
plaster (gypsum) to convert the salts
to white alkali, which is much more
soluble than the black alkali.
The quantity OF landplaster (gypsum)
to apply will depend on the percentage
of black alkali salts in the soil.
In some cases an efficient drainage
system is out of the question. Under
such circumstances, it becomes nee
essary to adopt system of cropping
and soil management that will take up
a considerable percentage of the al
kali salts and put into the soil all or
ganic matter possible to help neutral
ize the alkali and build up live soil.
These results can be obtained by grow
ing some alkali resistant crop, such as
barley or sweet clover (scarified seed)
so that there will be green crop to
turn under, and by applying consider
able quantities of barnyard manure
and straw.
In preparing the seedbed, pillow from
six to eight inches deep in the spring.
Follow Immediately with spike-tooth
harrow, so as to form a mulch on the
surface, which prevents rapid eva
poration. Precede this operation with
use of a disk harrow, if necessary. 1t
is well to go over the ground a num-
Der of times with the harrow, in order
to get the salts well distributed, Civ
ing the seed better chance to ger
inmate.
Seeding should follow as soon as
possible after preparing the ground,
giving the seed better opportunity |
to terminate before the salts are |
again brought to the surface through
evaporation. In case sweet clover is
used, from 10 to IL pounds of scarf
fled seed should be planted to the
acre. This should be inoculated and
sowed broadcast or with a drill. Ino-
culation gives much better assur-
ance of a good stand and larger
yield.
Immediately after seeding, light
application of barnyard manure or
straw should be spread over the
ground. This sort of treatment in
combination with the dirt mulch
makes the evaporation very slow, Civ
ing the plants an opportunity to get
well rooted before the concentration
of salts becomes injurious in the up
per three or four inches of soil.
The soil should be well chopped up
with disk harrow just previous to
the next blowing. This cuts up the
straw that is turned under and inn
proves the circulation of air through
he soil. Both factors are advanta-
yeous to acterial action in making
plant food elements available to the '
following crops.