The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1949-08-05
1rem Ike
Neisct...
BY DEE n. HARRIS
Assistant County AGENT


A number of people, both on
on and off the project. have
questioned me concerning the
uneveness of both height and
color of some of the crops on the
project.
It was the opinion of the
specialists from both the state
College and Experiment Station
that this "spottiness" would be
more or less confined to farm
units which were leveled heavily
This has not, altogether, proven
true since some of the same
spottiness is showing up on
sprinkler areas.
The top soil, varying from .
inches to 3 or feet. is very
light, wind layer material. rms
is evident by the fact that the
ravines or blown out areas are
running from southwest to north'
east in direction-the same dlrec-
ton as the prevailing winds IN
this area.
SAND TO GRAVEL
The sub soil, underlying TINS
top soil, is a water laid material
VARYING from fine sand to coarse
gravel. If one would take a
shovel and dig down into TINS
subsoil or observe the pit Where
the county is securing its gravel
y, would notice that this mater
ial is laying in layers when
would indicate variations IN the
water level during the period OF
development.
Time has changed this sol
profile very little. Any chang.eS
which is brought about in a sol
is particular to that lndlVldua
area. When we consider that this
wind laid top soil has developed
under an average Of from b u
9 inches rainfall we can see why
there has been very little decom
position of the soil separates. l.
we could remove the top soil or
the whole project, it would PROB
ably be amazing to see the un
eveness of the Sub-soll. j..
Now, coming back to the spot
tiness in crops. The Z to lncf
rainfall is an average mixed II
with a wear such as last yea
/ when we had Is inches OF rain
During such years there was un
| doubtedly teaching and breaking
down of the minerals in the tol
soil. These were carried down Il
the sub-soil and from there
would have a tendency to dram
into the pockets formed by TN
| unevenness of the subsoil. l
what the biologists tell us Ii
correct-that this soil has beer
thousands of years in the max
ing-during that same period o
time these minerals OF Whlci
calcium and sodium are tn
| principal ones, leached from thu
| top soil were carried into thu
pockets formed by the Subsoll.
ROOT ZONE LIMITED
When the surface soil is re
moved, either by leveling or wine
erosion, an area which was or
igina1ly a pocket or Glow" in tn
subsoil may be brought very nea
the surface. If this be the cas-
the root zone of the plant is yer.
limited. A concentration of tn
calcium and sodium salts Nigh
be sufficient to cause a yellow
ing of the plant or even to caus'
a partial stunted growth.
The people from the Expert
ment Station have checked will
various ones on the project ant
found this calcarious layer to b.
very near the surface in som'
spots. The test was simple anc
easily run. They used sulphuri'
acid on a small sample of the
soil from which reaction they go
a decided fixing and foamint
indicating a basic condition.
This condition is not limited tt
the pump project alone. 1t ma.
be found up in the dry farming
area where I have been working
the past two weeks. 1t has beer
found in all irrigated project;
throughout the entire west.
Because the legumes and eS
pecially, alfalfa, are least affect
ed by this condition, these crop
can be grown and at the SAINT
time they will help to correct tn,
condition that exists in the soil
The tap roots on the alfalfa will
penetrate this calcarious layer il
the sub soil, making it possible
for the irrigation water to leach