Ki&.'t^ Issued July G, ir>07, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BUREAU OF SOILS— RI'LLKTIX No. 43. MILTON WHITNEY, Chief RECLAMATION OF ALKALI LAND IN SALT LAKE VALLEY, UTAH BY CLARENCE W. DORSEY. WASHINGTON ; GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE I 907. . Issued July <;. 1907. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BUREAU OF SOILS— BULLETIN No. 43. MILTON WHITNEY, Chief. RECLAMATION OF ALKALI LAND IN SALT LAKE V ALLEY, DTAH BY CLARENCE W. DORSEY. W \SMI\<; TON : QOVEBNMEN1 PRINTING OPPII L907, HI REAl OF SOILS. Milton Whitney, Chief of Bureau. Albert G. Rice, Chief Clerk. SCIENTIFIC STAFF. Frank K. Cameron, in charge of Soil Laboratories. Frank I). GARDNER, in charge of Soil Management. George T. McNess, in charge of Tobacco Investigations. Clarence W. Dorsey, in charge of Alkali Land Reclamation. Jay A. Bonsteel in charge of Soil Survey. Oswald Schreiner, in charge of Fertility Investigations. W J McGee, in charge of Soil Erosion Investigations. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. r. S. Department of Agrk i ltube, Bureau of Soils, Washington, J). C, April 30, 1907. Sib: I have the honor to transmit herewith the manuscript of a report entitled Reclamation of Alkali Land in Salt Lake Valley, Utah, and to recommend that it be published as Bulletin NO. 43 of this Bureau. Very respectfully, Milton Whttnei . i '/ii> f of Bureau, Hon. James Wilson . Secretary of AaricuUun . CONTENTS. Page. In nod net ion 7 DeecriptioD of Salt Lake Valley Soil and alkali conditions in Sail Lake Valley 9 Reclamation of the Swan trad L3 Methods used in reclaiming alkali land in Sail Lake Valley 20 < Jultivation 20 Washing 21 Flooding combined with drainage 22 Recommendations for reclaiming alkali lands I'M Drainage 24 Summary 27 L I. V S T K AT 1 0 N S . pi vi i . _ Plat* I. Fig. I.— Swan tract before reclamation. Fig. 2. Swan tract after reclamation, showing heavy growth of alfalfa L6 PIGl R] 3. Fio. I. Sketch map showing distribution of alkali in Sail Lake Vallej II 2. Plan of drainage ByBtem, Swan tract L5 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/reutahalkOOunit RECLAMATION OF ALKALI LAND IX SALT LAKE VALLEY, UTAH. \TKOI>l"< TION Sixty years after the hardy Mormon pioneers made their appear- ance in Salt Lake Valley there yel remains an extensive body of land. extending westward from the Jordan River to the shores of Great Salt Lake, that contributes but little to the agricultural Importance of Utah. At first it appears strange that such extensive tracts of level land should remain undeveloped with Salt Lake City close at hand offering perhaps the best market to he found in the West for all classes of farm produce. On the east side of the valley, situated the same distance from Salt Lake City, farm land Ends a ready sale at prices of more than $200, and even $300, an acre, and produces plentiful crops of great variety. It was in this part of the valley that irrigation was first practiced in Utah. The crude beginning is described by Mi-. L. (1. Wooley, a bishop in the Mormon Church, in the following words: "The pioneers came into the valley in July, is 17. The advance company drifted right down upon the site of Salt Lake City. They went to work the first day. ran a plowed ditch out of City Creek, and started the water out on the ground and planted some potatoes the same day." The reason for the backward development of the large body of land between the river and Great Salt Lake lies in the fact that the soils contain soluble salts in such quantities that useful crops can not he grown. Once the -alt or alkali is removed the soils will he found ;i- rich a- those which enabled the industrious pioneers to prosper in the manner the} have done. That reclaiming these soils is not onl) pos- sible hut practicable will be shown in the following pages 1»\ describ- ing the reclamation of one of the most strongly impregnated tract- ^[' alkali kind found in the valley. After detailing the work on this tract the practical application of tin- experimental work to the dam 1 land- of | he \ alle\ will he -how n : t hat i-. we w ill CO i l-ider jn-t what stepfl the farmer inn-l take to make productive the e\teii-i\e areas of alkali w aste land. 194 (>: — 2 7 0 RECLAMATION OF ALKALI LAND IN I'TAH. DESCRIPTION OF SALT LAKE VALLEY. Salt Lake Valley lies in northern-central Utah and comprises the greater part of the western half of Salt Lake County. The valley attains a maximum width of something more than 20 miles from east to west and a somewhat greater length from north to south. The valley is characterized by wide stretches of comparatively level land, -loping gently to the north and west, and by a number of slight ridges that rise only a few feet above the general valley floor. On the margins of the valley the ridges are more pronounced. Salt Lake City, 14 miles east of Great Salt Lake, has an elevation of 4,253 feet. The Wasatch Range rises abruptly above the valley on the east, and many peak- attain an elevation of over 11,000 feet. To the south the valley gradually converges into the Jordan Narrows. On the southwest the Oquirrh Mountains rise 3,000 to 4,000 feet above the valley floor. Bordering the valley on the north and west occurs Great Salt Lake, a shallow body of water covering an area of about 2,000 square miles. Great Salt Lake constitutes only a remnant of a former lake that once attained an area of nearly 20,000 square mile-. This prehistoric body of water, named Lake Bonneville in honor of the intrepid explorer, at one time stood 1,000 feet higher than the present lake level. Evidences of the former lake are everywhere visible, even to the untrained observer, in the many pronounced shore lines that stand out in bold relief hundred- of feet above the present valley floor. The Lake Bonneville basin, together with many inclosed drainage basins in Nevada, Oregon, and California, broken by parallel ranges of mountains, constitutes the physiographic region known as the (ireat Basin, the character and extent of which was firs! made known by the explorations of Fremont.0 Salt Lake Valley, in common with other extensive Interior valleys, has what may be termed a true continental climate, relieved to some extent by the modifying influence of Great Salt Lake.'' Temperatures at Salt Lake City range from —20° P., the lowest recorded minimum, to 102 I'\. the highest recorded maximum, with 52' as the animal mean temperature. The precipitation during the period 1874 to L903 for the driest year was 10.2 inches and for the wettest year 23.5 inches, with 15.8 inches representing the average rainfall for the period. The spring months, March. April, and May, receive the great- est rainfall, w it h an average of nearly 2 inches each month. The Bum- mer months receive the least rainfall, the entire three months receiv- ing only 2 inches of rain. The average depth of >n«»w for the year is slightly more than 50 inches. The relative humidity is low, espe- cially during the summer month-, at which time the percentage of a Lake Bonneville, Moi raph of 1 S. < .—I. Survej . by Bui. Q, I . 8. Weather Bureau, L906. SOIL AND ALKALI CONDITIONS. 9 possible sunshine is the highest of the year. These conditions of light rainfall, low relative humidity, and high temperatures hasten evapo- ration during the summer months, making irrigation necessary to insure the best results. Dry farming is possible only for such crops as mature before the hot summer sets in and is practiced but little in the valley proper. Considerable dry fanning is carried on in the valleys of the lower foothills and on the higher bench lands, where the rainfall is appreciably greater. SOIL AM) ALKALI CONDITIONS IN SALT LAKE VALLEY. In 1899 the Bureau (then Division) of Soils, in cooperation with the Utah experiment station, made a soil survey of thai portion of the valley lying west of Jordan River. This survey comprised an area of over 250 square miles, but did not include the best fanning districts of the valley lying east of the Jordan River. This should be remembered in the discussion of the alkali problems, since the lands east of the river are but little a fleeted by alkali. There are some alkali areas south of Salt Lake City, especially in the bottom along the river, but the greater extent of land east of the river has good slope, which implies fair natural drainage with the tendency for the salts originally contained in the soils to be washed to lower levels. It is this pari of the valley that has had the greatest agricultural development and is at present in a prosperous condition. This soil survey was made by Frank D. Gardner and John Stewart . and the repoii was published in the Field Operations of the Division of Soils. L899, and as Bulletin 72 of the I 'tali experiment station. The soils were found to have been formed by material brought down from the mountains and from sediments of ancient Lake Bonneville, all of which have been materially modified by inflowing streams from the mountains and by the advance and recession of ( rreal Salt Lake. On account of the manner of their formation the soils vary greatly in character. In the lower part of the valley the lacustrine deposits are \r gravel being found at a depth of a hundred or nit ire feet. As we approach the foot hills gravel and rock are plentiful and often crop out at the surface, and the depth of lake sediments diminishes and in man) places none at all is found. The sod- arc fertile, hut in their natural condition support only a meager vegetation, because they are either too i\v\ <>r contain too much alkali. On the higher levels, where little sail is present, sage- brush forms t lie chief growth, while in t he lower parts of the valley, where there i- more moisture and much -alt. grease wood, -alt grass, and ol her -all l<>\ ing vegetation form- the principal growth. The most important soil type was found to he the Jordan sandy loam, a light-colored Band) loam, with a depth of several feet, overly- ing clay. Where this class of soil is above irrigation canals and in t he 10 RECLAMATION OF ALKALI LAND IN UTAH. irrigated districts wherever the subsoil water is 10 feet or more below the surface it is generally free from excessive quantities of alkali. In the low areas, especially in the northern part of the valley, there is much alkali in the lower depths of soil. This soil is easily culti- vated and where free from alkali is a desirable soil for any crops grown in the valley. On the higher slopes of the southern part of the valley occur exten- sive area- of a gravelly loam soil. This soil is usually free from alkali, but on account of the large amount of gravel and high position is difficult to irrigate. Much of this soil is dry-farmed to wheat with good results in years of abundant rainfall. Another important type of soil was found to be the Jordan loam. It comprises an area of about 50 square miles, most of which is below the present canal systems. It is a heavy loam overlying a clay sub- soil. Where free from alkali and under cultivation the Jordan loam is an excellent soil, but the water table is generally within a few feet from the surface and the alkali content is considerable in the lower dept bs of soil. The Jordan clay occupies about 35 square miles, occurring largely in low positions, usually from 4 to 8 feet below the land Immediately adjoining. It is level and wet and rarely supports any vegetation. 1 1 represents what was formerly the floors of lagoons near the shore of the lake, and in many places it is now the floor of draws extending like wide irregular canals back into the land for* miles. On account of the clayey nature of this soil, the low undrained position, and high alkali content it is at present not suited to agricultural purposes. Other- Less important classes of soils were found that need not be con- sidered. In a number of small areas hardpan was found, occurring princi- pally in connection with the sandy loam soils. The hardpan usually is encountered ai an average depth of IS inches and ranges in thick- ness from 12 to IS inches. It is composed of material similar to thai immediately above and below it, cemented by lime carbonate. When dry this hardpan is bard and difficult to penet rate, but after irrigation ha- heen practiced for some time it readily softens and is pervious to Water and the roots of plants. Usually il was observed that the soil above the hardpan was Free from alkali, while helow the hardpan the salt content was much greater. The main water supply for t he western part of t he valley is derived directly from Utah Lake, a large body of fresh water lying south of Sah Lake Valley. It has an area of approximately 125 square miles hui is rather shallow. Il is fed largely by short mountain streams derived from melting snow . While the inflowing streams contain hi it little soluble salts >cepage from surrounding lands alfects the salt content of the lake. The outlet of I'tah Lake is the Jordan River, SOIL AND ALKALI CONDITIONS. 11 from which several canals are taken out. While the salt content of the .Jordan varies at different points, depending to some extent on the amount of seepage water it receives from irrigated land, it is usually of good quality. Analyses of the water from Jordan River at the lime the survey was made, 1899, showed the presence of from 80 to 110 parts per 100,000, consisting mainly of the chlorides and sulphates of sodium and calcium. The distribution of the alkali was found to depend largely upon the topography of the valley a- well as upon the char- acter- of soils. The accom- panying sketch map (fig. 1) -ho\\ - the extent of land- containing more than 0.60 per cent of alkali. A- a rule i he greatest accumula- t ions of alkali were found in the heavier textured soils that occupy the lower portions of the valley. The heavy <-la\ soils I hat have within recent year- hem covered by Great Salt Lake almost without ex- ception contain excessive quantities "I" alkali. In t bese areas also the water table Btands \\ it hin a few feet of the surface. The heay\ nature of the soil. t he shallow ground \\ ater, and the low posit ion have caused t bese -<>il- to ret ain 1 be Salt - added l>\ contact with the saline waters of the lake. On the higher ridges in t he valley and on the more sloping lands bordering the rallej the ordinary precipitation m the form of rain or snow bas leached awaj considerable of the -alt - orignallj contained, [t was found that the character of the soil and t he depth to standing water were the most important facto!- m determining the vertical distribution of alkali in the -oil. ( )n sand} soils with t he water table several feet l>el<>w the surface the top soil was general]} (v^r from alkali, but it increased in amount in the lower depths. Where the till map showing ■ li--t ributlon of alkali in Salt Lake- \ m lit • > . i hi to i li iii's oover area affected. 12 RECLAMATION OF ALKALI LAND IX IT AH. water stood within 3 feet or less from the surface the greater part of the alkali was concentrated at or near the surface. The source of the alkali is probably the waters of Great Salt hake (which within the memory of the older inhabitants has covered much of the low-lying lands) of in the case of the more elevated lands the waters of Lake Bonneville. The alkali is largely composed of sodium chloride with a smaller quantity of sodium sulphate and a small per- centage of the chlorides, sulphates, and carbonates of calcium ami magnesium. Sodium carbonate, black alkali, is often found, gener- ally in small quantities. During the progress of the survey in 1899 it was found that an area of more than 77,000 acres was practically free from alkali. This large area comprises the more sloping lands where good natural drainage and porous soils have prevented injurious accumulations of alkali. Seventeen thousand acres contained sufficient alkali in the first (> feet to render certain precautions necessary to prevent injury of crops. Much of this land occurs south of Twelfth South street road where seepage and surplus waters have formed a chain of lakes. In the vicinity of these lakes the ground water is within ;i few feet of the surface, and unless some form of drainage is provided accumula- tion of alkali will undoubtedly increase. Where this amount of alkali (0.25 to ().(>() per cent) is found on higher, better drained soils no serious damage should result provided the surface be carefully leveled and all water he supplied in the form of heavy surface Hooding at infrequent intervals. Seventeen thousand acres was found to contain from 0.60 to 1 per cent of alkali, occurring in sandy soils with the water table usually about 1 feet from t he surface. ( ienerally t he greater part of the alkali i- concentrated in the lower depths of soil and attempts to cultivate this land are successful for a few years. "With the rise of the ground water the alkali usually rises to the surface and many failures have resulted after cultivating such land, owing to the concentration of too much alkali in the upper layers of soil. By providing even a limited amount of drainage and heavy sur- face irrigation many of these failures could have been prevented and the land maintained in fertile condition for a long period of years. A large body of land, amounting to nearly 30,000 acres, contained from 1 to :; per cent of alkali to a depth of <*> feet. The greater part of this class of alkali land IS at present of no agricultural value except for the scant \ pasturage it yields. Much of the alkali must \)c removed to make it available for crop production. In many location-, however, such land can he reclaimed and will then be found adapted to all classes of crops grown in the valley. More than is. (mo acre- contained upward of .'I per cent of alkali, and on account of the heavy aoila and l<>w position it is to be doubted if RECLAMATION OF THE SWAN TRACT. 13 such land can ever be profitably reclaimed. Conditions at the pres- ent time certainly do not warrant treating such soils when there are large areas of better land that can be made productive at a much less cost. It was pointed out in the report by Gardner and Stewart that underdrainage was necessary not only to protect certain lands against injury from seepage waters and alkali, but also to reclaim lands already damaged; that the cost of underdrainage was slight in comparison to the value of alkali-free lands, and that money invested in drainage is in the nature of an insurance against loss of crops from seepage waters and alkali. Attention was also called to the fact that no serious engineering difficulties stand in the way of carrying out a comprehensive drainage system, thai there is ample fall to the north and west toward the lake, and that the network of draws from 4 to 8 feet deep extending through much of the alkali land would furnish ready outlet for smaller drainage systems. It was further remarked that an area of nearly loo square miles, which at present has but a mere nominal value, could be economically reclaimed, and that such work should appeal to the commercial spirit of the people and stimulate them to undertake this very desirable enterprise. RECLAMATION or 1111. -WAN TRACT." Several year- after the publication of the Soil Survey report no important step had been undertaken toward any general scheme of reclaiming alkali lands. In 1902, therefore, the Bureau of Soils entered into cooperation with the Utah experiment station to dem- onstrate that alkali lands could be economically reclaimed. A tract of 40 acre- was -elected about 4 mile- w c-t of Sail Lake City, belong- ing to Mr. E. I). Swan. This trad is situated in -<•<•. .",. T. 1 S., R. 1 X. The tract lies on the east of Williams hake and ha- an elevation of about 8 feet above the bed of the lake. It was realized by all that if a tract ^)( land of this character could be reclaimed there could he no possibility but that the reclamation of large bodies of land lying in this portion of the valley could he effected. The greater part of the tract wa- covered with a white crust of alkali and supported a scattering growth of greasewood (Sarcobatus vermicvr latUS). A railroad embankment crossed the tract from east to we-t. ami city streets had been graded upon it man} years before, when land -peculation led main to believe that the cit\ would rapidly extend it- boundaries several mile- to the westward of its present local ion. "From L902to L904 w. li. Heileman was in charge .."> of 1 per cent of the alkali generally found in Salt Lake Valley represents about the upper limit of resist- ance of ordinary farm crops, it will be seen that the soil of the tract contained ■ • any times too n uch alkali for the growth of useful crops. The following table contains analyses of representative samples of soil and subsoil taken from the Swan tract: Chemical analysis of typical samples of soil from tin Stoan tract. Constituent. Soluble salt Composition <>f soluble salt : Calcium i Ca Magnesium i Mg) Sodium N.i Potassium ( K Sulphuric acid (SO*) . . . Chlorine (CI) Bicarbonic add i HC0 Carbonic add I ( Sandy loam, i) 14 inches. Per c< ///. 1.1.4 L.22 30 77 17.95 34.33 8.78 2 07 Loam, 14 :H) inches. I. ,0 L8 '''"> V';;,""- Lo«m,0-a> ''la>',1""1"- '"<""-- ,££. "«■»-■ ££. Per a ni. 1.34 1.04 29.51 4.76 18.78 29 36 14.32 1.64 'i r c< nt. 1', r 1 1 nt. l'i r n nt. l'i r i i ut. 2.43 2.60 2.46 1.15 .81 1.05 . 49 - 18 .61 ■ 31.61 33.26 3.62 3 u7 L6.03 16.14 19 56 17.08 39.27 41.02 36.66 39. 40 3.94 2 77 4.39 2 sv 2.23 The ground water at this time (1902) stood at about 1 feet from the surface during the greater pari of the irrigation season. In order to facilitate the removal of alkali salts by flooding, a drainage system was installed. The accompanying sketch map (fig. 2) shows the general plan of the drainage system and the size, depth, and interval bet ween each lateral. The average cosl of the drainage system completed was $16.50 per acre. The system for the L0 acres includes s lateral drains and l main drain. Bach of the laterals is L,250 feet long and consists of 850 feet of 1-inch tile and 100 feel of 3-inch tile. The laterals were placed at intervals of 150 feet, except on the north side of the tract, where this distance was considerably increased to test the efficiency of drains at greater distances apart. 'The main drain across the west end of the tract consists of 520 feet of 6-inch tile, 300 feet of 8-inch tile, and 270 feet of L0-inch tile. The average depth of the drains over the entire tract was I feet. This was as deep as the system could !)(• installed and secure a gravity outlet into William- Lake. RECLAMATION OF THE SWAN TRACT. 15 In order that the water used in flooding the traet might be measured a Cipoletti weir with recording register was installed at the point where the supply canal entered the traet. A registering weir was also placed at the outlet of the drainage system to measure the water that passed through the soil. From the outset the drainage system worked perfectly and proved adequate to discharge all water drained through the soil. On account of the fall, graded streets, and railroad embankment, leveling the tract bo that systematic Hooding might he carried on proved a laborious undertaking. An attempt was made to get the land in shape for flooding before the close of the irrigating season of I3Z0 fed £ 650 fed 4. incA tilt. U-00 fed 2>,-n 4-00 fed •3 men tile. r ditch >. •■ . iSL I k 650 feet 4ir>cht,(e s. ^OOfed •Ai-nah tile. jBSOfed lirxch tiU Z-400 fed 3ir,cA tih - ^BSOhd linJitile ^■400fee( Jynd? tile i I $ KfiSO fed 4inJitiU ■ ~4oofeet 5-i-ndi ti?e ^6S0 fed 4indit,U % - 400 fed 3i-nch tile ^BSOleei iindit.le. ^ 400 fed 3ir,J, Ue. X lr,tckt ■ Fiq. 2. Plan <>f drainage system, Swan i ract. 1902. A number of large checks were made inclosing a few acres each. Attempts to Hood the tract, however, showed that more level- ing was Qecessar} 1<> Hood successfully the entire tract to a depth of several inches. This was done earlj in 1903, and flooding operations were continued during the greater pari of the irrigation season. \: the close <>f the SCaSOD in 1903 a >eeoiid alkali -ur\e\ wa- made to determine the quantity of alkali removed bj the flooding. This survey showed thai large quantities of alkali had keen removed, espe- cially from the upper layers of soil. It was considered that the land was sufficiently sweetened t«> grow shallow-rooted crops. Accord- ingly in the >|>ring of L904 the tract wa- tinned over to the I'tah 16 RECLAMATION OF ALKALI LAND IN UTAH. experiment station to conduct such crop tests. The entire tract was sowed during the latter part of May to wheat, oats, and barley. At this time the general tilth of the soil was not good on account of the flooding of the previous year.-. The soil somewhat resembles adobe, tends to hake or harden, and does not readily respond to cul- tivation. On account of the unfavorable physical condition of the soil the crop tests were not altogether satisfactory, hut they plainly showed that the tract was already in condition for cultivation as far as the alkali content was concerned. Of the three crops the wheat made the best growth. Of the 40 acres planted about 15 per cent showed a thin stand where alkali still remainedtin the soil. The entire field headed short and showed the influences of late seeding. Early in August the greater part of the tract was plowed under to improve the physical condition of the soil. Flooding was then car- ried on for a period of several weeks, at the end of which time 10 acres were prepared and planted to winter wheat. By the spring of 190o most of the wheat had made a good growth, but was thin and uneven in some place-. The remaining 30 acres were planted to alfalfa and a variety of other crops, including potatoes, corn, berseem. beans, hemp, sugar beet-. <>ats, barley, and spring wheat. There still remained some parts of the tract that had not been sufficiently Leveled to secure the best results with irrigation, but in all parts of the tract, where water could be given the growing crops, results were very gratifying. No systematic flooding other than light irri- gations was carried on during 1905. In 1906, L3 acres of the tract had a good stand of alfalfa, which had been planted the preceding season, and I acre- were in winter wheat. The remainder of the tract was planted principally to alfalfa, using oats as a nurse crop. Other small portions of the tract were planted to crops requiring cul- tivation, such as corn, potatoes, and sugar beets. At the close of the irrigating season in 1906 the tract was practically turned oxer to the owner in a reclaimed condition. It is estimated that all except- ing 1 or '2. acres of the tract contained so little alkali that no further damage from this source need be feared. A few small spots remained which -till contained alkali in injurious amounts. These represent higher portions of the different checks which during the flooding operations bad not been covered with water to a sufficient depth to leach out the alkali. The greater part of the tract 18 in alfalfa, and a very satisfactory stand has been secured. The fact that alfalfa can be successfully grown -how- that the removal of the alkali has been very thorough, since it is well known (hat young alfalfa is one of the most -en-it ive Crops to alkali. At the beginning and close of each season an alkali survey has been made t<» determine the amount removed by flooding and the change in position of the alkali in the surface i feet of soil. The Bui. 43, Bureau of Soils, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. Plate I. Fig. 1.— Swan Tract Before Reclamation. Fig. 2. -Swan Tract After Reclamation, Showing Hlavy Growth of Alfalfa. RECLAMATION OF THE SWAN TRACT. 17 following table shows the quantity of alkali in the tract as shown by the surveys taken at different times: Quantity of alkali vn different depths of soil on certain dates. ction. Alkali in 40 September, 1902. May, 1903. October, 1903. October, L904. Tons. 1,540 1,766 1,982 Percent. Ton*. Percent. 20 499 14 23 650 lit Tone. Percent. Tone. Percent. 101 S 38 4 1x3 I.", 128 13 Third foot.. . 27 1. 31 330 28 212 24 30 1,265 607 4'.i 500 Total • ..'..",1 3,480 1,221 878 The alkali removed from the first foot between September, L902, and October, 1904, was '.'7 per cent of the total quantity originally contained. From the second foot 91 per cent was removed, from the third f«»<>t s7 per cent, and from the fourth foot 75 per cent. These figures show that to a depth of 4 feet there has been 87 per cent of the original alkali removed from the entire tract. Compared with its condition in September, 1902, the first foot of the tract contain- only 3 per cent of the alkali originally carried, the second foot 9 per cent, the third foot 11 per cent, and the fourth foot 25 percent. We find from this that the alkali has been removed most rapidly from the lower depths of the soil. It should be remem- bered that the alkali in the first 3 feet of -oil had to pass through the fourth foot in its movement downward. The final elimination of alkali from the lower 2 feet of soil pro^re^se- more slowly than in the surface 2 feet. At tie present time but little alkali remains in the first 2 feet of -oil, and the elimination from the third and fourth should go on more rapidly. The following table shows the volume of water added to the tract from September, 1902, until October, L904. The table -how- also the volume of drainage over the outlet weir, and the salts alkalis removed from the tract in the drainage water. The results were obtained from continuous measurements and daily collections of water samples for t he cut ire period. Total quantity of water used in flooding tin trait, quantity flowing off through '/rains, ami quantity of salts removed in drainagi >■ Mm. II. Volume of *£%%£ Baltain water added ^^n,,, ':' tract Scpi.nil ..r October November. December January . February liarch . ■ i rain or -now . Mill (NHI a |, a 161 ' ■ l-.O. I INI 21 I.NHI 18 RECLAMATION OF ALKALI LAND IN UTAH. Total quantity of water used in flooding flu tract, quantity flowing off through drains, and quantity of salts removed in drainagi water — Continued. April May. Jim.-. July. August .... ruber. October. . . November. mber. January. February March. . . April.... May June July. August . . . . September. Total Month. 11*04. Volume Of \ \{ , f Salts to water added w^^m drainage Cubic feet. a 112,000 7t*),900 a IOC, 000 676, 500 a 36, 580 1, 691, 870 _'. 122, 160 2,352,920 351,290 10,656 217, 299, 187, 255, 382, a44, 618, a 87, 1,610, «35, 1,920, a 20. 800 L12 308 552 974 970 172 120 Ml7 820 726 320 L53 Cubic 521,509 274,500 814,890 1,192 113.137 80,376 380, ill 258,519 60,903 774,285 579,215 Pounds. 26,500 567, LOO 345, 200 1,221,742 1,654, 115 840,981 126, 364 43. 953 is. 912 475,631 521,974 382,335 61,466 31,487 711,021 579,215 8,775,940 l" " Fell as rain or snow. From the initial installation to October 1 , 1(.)()4, we have the follow lnir T , - - . . , , , (cubic feet.. L7, 896, 186 I « it nl voluincot water added \ lacre-f eet . . . 410 Total tonnage of salts removed tons. . 5. 3 1 ' The initial tonnage of alkali in this tract in September, 1902, by a careful alkali survey, was 6,651 tons. From the above record it would seem that about all the alkali had been Leached from the tract i" a depth of l feet. It should be remembered that this tonnage was obtained from little more than half of the water actually added to the tract. Our factor, however, remains undetermined, viz, the volume Of water lost h\ >Ulfaoe evaporation. Certain phenomena enter into the work which tend to show that the salt removed from the tract will finally exceed the actual tonnage originally present. We find the reclamation from alkali is not lim- ited to the 40 acres in question, but that the effect of this drainage system is far-reaching. Unmistakable evidences appear which -how that the land lying contiguous to the tract has been most defin itely benefited by drain- installed on the 40 acres. Lands lying above this tract, which in years past bave never produced crops, have during the past season yielded almost normally. The drains near RECLAMATION OF THE SWAN TRACT. 19 these lands have carried from them their underground water and the alkali which it contained. The following table shows the quantity and composition of the constituents removed in the drainage water at various times during the progress of the reclamation. The proportion of the different con- stituents is remarkably uniform and should remain so until some one or more of the salts is completely removed as pointed out by Cameron." Chemical analysis of drainage water from Span tract. [In parts per 100,000.] Consl ii uciii . Calcium (Ca) Magnesium (Mg) Sodium (Na) Potassium (K Sulphuric .acid i 8< u . - Chlorine (('1' Bicarbonic acid i BCOj Carbonic acid (( l • Total solids Seepage water from tile drain Drainage Drainage Drainage Draii before irri- water June water April water May water! line gating 18, 1903. 1. 1904. 10. lso.v 26, 1906. October 0. 1902. •1. 5 :._> 6. 1 9. 6 25. 7 16.2 7 o 696. 6 1,177. 1 726. 2 • 31.9 26.0 26.9 10. 8 12. 6 387. 0 Vvs 6 353. 1 214.3 • • 765.0 1.207.0 888. 1 431.2 132.9 93. 7 80.0 7. 1 ;>. :. 10 5.9 6.0 2,034.6 3, 430. 8 2, 100. 6 1,070.1 1,153.1 The following table shows the increased acreage of soil containing a low percentage of alkali. The columns headed "September" show the original acreage, while the columns headed "October" show pres- ent acreage. The results of later surveys are not included in these tables, since it was found that the alkali conditions over the entire t pact were hut little changed : Acreagi of land of different grades of alkali September, 1902, and October, 1904. V\r<\ foot . I fool . Percenl alkali pres- l'.toj. no 0.2 0.2 ii I 0.6 I I 3 13.3 10.7 OCtO- Sep- Octo- ber, tember, ber, 1904 1902. 1904, No nr. o, 8 ;,o ' o I 2.3 S I) 19 7 8 1 Third foot. Fourth foot. Total In i feel Sep- oci,,- Sep- Octo tember, ber, tember, ber, I'-oj. I'm} 1902. 1904. None. 17.0 0. 1 ll 5 . 7 17 11.5 0.1 is 1 13 I Sep- OCtO- tember, ber, 1902 1904. ll.fi v.ii 6.0 7 2 From the above hint' description of the operations on the Swan tract it will he seen that excessive quantities of alkali can be removed from hc;i\ \ soils l>\ continuous flooding during n single irrigation Beason. The success of such an experiment can not hut he far reaching in its influence upon the alkali question in Salt Lake Valley. "'I'll.' Composition of the Drainage Waters of Some Ukali Tracts. Jour. Am. Chem. Soc., Vol. XXVIII, No. I". L90 ilso Bui. N ils. 20 RECLAMATION OF ALKALI LAND IN UTAH. It means that thousands of acres of land now lying idle can be made to produce profitable crops at a small outlay of time and money. While the present water supply is perhaps too limited to warrant the reclamation of all of the alkali areas, it is nevertheless adequate to reclaim a considerable proportion of the apparently worthless land. METHODS USED IN RECLAIMING ALKALI LAM) IN SALT LAKE VALLEY. While there are abundant evidences that considerable land has been damaged by the accumulation of seepage water and rise of alkali, we must not lose sight of the fact that, since the earliest set- tlement in the valley, lands originally containing alkali have been reclaimed. Even at the present time the reclamation of alkali lands is progressing to a limited extent. That the question of alkali was considered serious by tin1 settlers is brought out in some of the early writings. For instance, Charles Brought states that " transforma- tion of this sterile waste-, glistening with beds of salts and soda and deadly alkali, seemed impossible." From this quotation it must not be inferred that any large bodies of land containing excessive quan- tities of alkali have ever been reclaimed. There are reasons to be- lieve that, taking the valley as a whole, the quantity of alkali is decreas- ing, especially on the higher sloping lands which are better drained. Mention is made by some of the old settlers of the fact that in former times the year's supply of salt could be gathered from some one of the numerous -mall lake beds which occur in large numbers in the level valley between the Jordan River and the shores of Great Salt Lake. At the present time, while these ponds dry up during the summer season and crusts of alkali are formed on the surface, in no places can large quantities of salt be gathered by merely shoveling up the surface deposit. From this it may he inferred that as new tracts of land are being put under irrigation the alkali is gradually being driven into underground drainage channels and slowly work- ing its way to Great Salt Lake. The methods which are at present used in reclaiming alkali lands may be described under the heads of cultivation, washing, and Hood- ing combined w it h drainage. < i I i i \ ITIOK Utilizing small tracts of land by thorough cultivation and planting crops is practiced not only in the Salt Lake Valley, but in many dis- tricts in the Pacific Coast State-, especially by Chinese farmers and gardeners. A tract of land is selected usually of not more than a lew acre-, which on account of it- alkali content is not considered a IimlmI LOO in I t;ili. METHODS [J8ED IX RECLAIMING ALKALI LAND-. 21 valuable, and hence offers a cheap home site to the man of limited capital. By thorough cultivation the land is put in the best possible shape for crops, which arc planted and make a successful growth. By spading or deeply plowing the soil the alkali accumulated at < li- near the surface i- evenly distributed through the soil to the depth to which it is stirred. The soil is also made loose and porous, so that rains or applications of irrigation water tend to drive the alkali salts to a lower depth. The upper soil is then sufficiently reclaimed to permit the growth of crops which shade the surface, while repeated cultivation clucks further rise of alkali. Bach succeeding irrigation tends to drive the alkali deeper into the subsoil, until the greater part of it is carried away into the country drainage. Thus these small trad- of alkali land are made productive, frequently with uo thought on the part of the owner that he is actually reclaiming the land. Could tin- method be adopted on a large scale or the land subdivided into a Large number of small holdings and thoroughly cultivated, there is little doubt that large tracts of land in Salt Lake Valley could be made productive. Frequently in following out this method of reclaiming alkali soils large quantities of stable manure are worked into the soil, which tend- to make the soil more open and allow- the more ready percolation of rainfall and irrigation water The addition of manure also serves a- a .-timulant to young crop-. thereby enabling them to withstand whatever alkali may -till remain in the upper layers of soil. WASHING . This is also a favorite method when an attempt is made to culti- vate somewhat larger tracts of land than are mentioned in the above paragraph. Fields of in and 20 acre- are selected which in their present condition arc considered too strongly charged with alkali to grow en»p-. Sufficient leveling is done to get the land in shape for irrigation. When the land ha- heen leveled SO that all part- of the tract ma\ be covered with water to a considerable depth, heavj irri- gations are used during longer of shorter period- a- required. In this \wi\ large quantities <»1 alkali may he washed oil' the surface or driven to some d< pth in the -oil. With the ground water at a depth of l or "> feet from the surface the amount o\' alkali driven into a lower depth of -oil with that removed from the surface 1>_\ washing ma\ sufficiently sweeten the land to permit growth of crops. Irriga- tion after the crop ha- become partially established i- relied upon to further reduce the amount of alkali in the upper layers of -oil. h i- undouhtedly b\ this method thai the eaH\ -ettler- reclaimed exten- sive areas on the east Bide of the valley. The -lope in tin- portion of the \alle\ i- u-ually proiiounet d . and other condition- are favor- abl< for removing the alkali originally contained in the -oil-. During the progress of the demonstration work on the Swan tract a -mall 22 RECLAMATION OF ALKALI LAND IN UTAH. piece of land near by was reclaimed in this manner. Flooding was carried on at various times during the year, to be followed in the succeeding spring by a crop test. While this work was unsuccessful for the first two or three years and the crop returns did not pay for the cost of seeding, eventually this method was successful and the land now supports a fine stand of alfalfa. As late as the latter part of the summer of 1904 the surface was heavily incrusted with alkali salts. In 1905, the year in Which the crop of alfalfa was established, a test of this soil was made to a depth of 3 feet in places where the stand of alfalfa was thin. It was believed that the alfalfa in these places was actually tolerating a high percentage of alkali. These tests showed that none of the soil to a depth of A feet con- tained sufficient alkali to injure alfalfa even in its younger stages. The ground water at this time stood within 3 feet of the surface. Before attempting the reclamation of any considerable tract of land by this method it will he found advisable to determine accu- rately the depth of the ground water. As a general rule, if the ground water occurs within 3 feet or less, considerable difficulty will be found in Leaching out large quantities of alkali by flushing or irrigation. If, however, the ground water is at a depth of 4 feet or more and the soil of open, sandy texture, washing, especially during the iate summer season, will so reduce the quantity of alkali that crops may be grown the succeeding spring. FLOODING COMBINED WITM DRAINAGE. While no extensive attempts al reclaiming alkali lands have been undertaken 'by drainage combined with flooding, there are a number of interesting examples winch deserve attention. In the vicinity of Granger, about 10 miles southwesl of Salt Lake City, a number of farmers have successfully reclaimed land damaged by high ground water and accumulations of alkali. Some of the farmers who have undertakes this work are enthusiastic over the results, and each year continually increase the extent of their drainage systems. Drains consisting of ordinary drain tiles have been used in some cases, hut equally good results have been obtained with drains made of boards. In some cases land originally covered each year by a heavy crust of alkali, with the water table near the surface, has been reclaimed in one year's lime and now supports a heavy growth of alfalfa. While it has been realized bj these farmers that the cost of installing the drainage system was considerable, they have been amply repaid by the increased growth of crops for the time and monej expended. Drainage systems with open ditches have also proved successful in ;i few instances. A greater part of the soils in the level portions of the valley Stand well in bank and only require cleaning once or twice each year, bo that this form of drainage Bystem can be utilized by the farmer of limited means who can not afford to purchase tile. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RECLAIMING ALKALI LANDS. 23 RECOMMENDATIONS FOB RECLAIMING ALKALI LANDS. Before attempting the reclamation of any considerable tract of alkali land in Salt Lake Valley it is desirable for the farmer to con- sider the demonstration work on the Swan tract and other methods which have been used by the farmers of the valley. This work plainly shows that one of the most essentia] features is that the land must be placed in condition so that it can be entirely covered by irrigation water. Even with efficient drainage systems, if high spots remain in the fields which can only be covered to a very slight depth with water, these places will tend to hold and accumulate the alkali from the surrounding land. This does not necessarily imply that the land must be made perfectly level, but it musl be so graded that an even flow of water across it may be had to secure uniform leaching. Where the land has only a slight fall it will be found desirable to divide the land into checks so that the water may be held on the land. It has been the experience of the Bureau of Soils on the Swan tract and elsewhere that the best results have been secured with a considerable depth of water. Light irrigations carry the alkali to a depth of a few inches, and when the soil dries off it readily returns to the surface, as previously explained. Flooding to a depth of 10 or 12 inches drives the alkali deeply into the soil, while succeeding floodings carry it still farther into the soil, thereby diminishing the chances for a second accumulation at the surface when conditions become favorable, It will be found desirable to plow the land to a good depth before each Hooding in order that the water may more readily percolate the soil. On sandy Boils that are open and porous plowing may not be necessary to effect a rapid downward movement of the water. Plowing the land at the close of the irrigating season will check evaporation and allow the soil to catch and hold any rain or -now that falls. Plowing in the fall is to be recommended for alkali land, no matter what method of reclamation is used to remove the -alts. The (pie>t ion of deciding whether or not drainage is necessary to reclaim a certain piece of land will depend on the quantity of alkali present, the character of the soil, and the depth to standing water. With porous sandy Boils, only moderate quantities of alkali, and the ground water at a depth of 1 feet or more, heavy Hooding U)V a few month- will 80 reduce the alkali content that useful crop- may be grown. To keep the land free from alkali heavy surface irrigation should be resorted to. Tin- will drive down whatever -alt- are car ried upward l>\ the capillar} rise of the -oil moisture. At an\ time -hould the ground water ri.-e within a few feet of the -iirface gradual accumulation of alkali may be expected. Should the practice of occasional heavj surface irrigation- be discontinued alkali will undoubtedly increase in the upper layers of soil. Manx example- 24 RECLAMATION OF ALKALI LAND IN UTAH. have been recorded where land reclaimed in this war has again been ruined by a second accumulation of alkali. Such examples have probably prejudiced many farmers against freeing land from alkali by this means. Where large quantities of alkali are contained in heavy clayey soils this method becomes of more doubtful application. The quantity of water nec( ssary to \\ ash the alkali to the point where it will no longer harm crops may be sufficient to raise the ground water, thereby defeat- ing the object of the experiment. Again, the length of time involved in reclaiming such soils must be considered. While it may be possible eventually to reclaim heavy soils containing much alkali, the time nec- essary to do this will probably be so great that it will be far cheaper to drain the land to hasten the reclamation and put the land in crops. Frequently crop returns from productive land amount to from $20 to 150, and even more, an acre. From this it will be seen that it would be well worth from $15 to $20 an acre, the cost of a drainage system, if by this expense the farmer can get his land into paying crops one year sooner than he could by flooding alone. The4 question of the per- manent reclamation also enters, for unless the land be naturally well drained and carefully managed alkali may accumulate in even greater quantities than were originally present. DRAINAGE. Aside from the ease and rapidity with which land may be reclaimed after a drainage system has been installed, there are several other rea- sons why drainage is to be recommended. In countries of abundant rainfall the good effects from drainage are appreciated and much land is drained where the removal of an excess of water is not absolutely necessary. The observant farm* r has learned that drained land can be cultivated earlier in the spring and is warmer; that excess of rain- fall is rapidly drained aw ay. w bile sufficient moisture is retained in the soil to maintain a rigorous growth. In an arid region drainage will for these reasons add t<> the value of the soil aside from the question of removing alkali and seepage waters. Drainage may be accom- plished by pumping plants that depend upon shallow ground water for their supply or by the use of gravity drains that will conduct the water to some natural outlet or to a sump dug for the purpose, from which it is raised. Either method is capable of lowering the ground water. If the drainage water does not contain soluble salts in large quantities, pumping may be used to furnish water for irrigation pur- poses. If. however, the drainage water contains too much salt to be applied to crop-, it will be better to depend oil a gra\il\ BVSteEQ of drains. No great difficulty will be experienced in finding a gravity outlet in the Sail Lake Valley, as the land ha- ample fall and there is DBAINAQE. 25 a network of narrow depressions that finally discharge into Great Salt Lake. A drainage system to reclaim alkali land differs somewhat from the drainage systems commonly used in regions of abundant rainfall. To secure the best results the drains are placed at a greater depth and at a correspondingly increased distance apart. On the Swan tract, in heavy soils, drains placed 200 feet apart were apparently as successful as those placed 150 feet apart. On the light sandy loams where the alkali occurs in moderate quantity the drains may be placed at inter- vals a- great as 250 and 300 feet. On the heavy clay soils with a large amount of alkali intervals of 150 feet between drains will be more sat- isfactory. Drains should be placed at least •'-> feet deep, and depths of 4, and even .">, feet will repay the extra cost in laying them at this depth. The depth at which the drains are installed will be found to be about the depth to which the alkali can be Leached from the soil. While :-{ feet of alkali-free soil may be sufficient for most crops, under- lying Layers of soil containing alkali will be a possible source of danger, depending on the capillary power of the .soil to lift the alkali to the surface. Each additional foot of soil that can be freed from alkali thereby decreases the chances of a second accumulation of alkali in the upper layer- of soil. Four or 5 feet has been found to be a good depth to install drains, as most soils will accumulate little alkali when once it ha- been leached to this depth. ( )pen ditches are equally as effective as closed drain- and have been extensively used in Egypt and other alkali dist ricts in northern Africa." Open ditches need frequent cleaning, occupy valuable space, must be bridged i<> transport farm machinery across fields, and frequently prove troublesome when flooding the land. For these reasons open ditches for -mall-field drain- have not been extensively used in this country, although they are generally used for Large-mahl drain- that receive the surplus waters of man\ -mall drainage systems. For closed drain- tile- of burned day or boxes of board- or plank- may !)<• used. Flat stones are frequently used for closed drain-, as well as bundles of brush tied together and placed end to end. Since drain tile- have proved the most economical form of drainage Imple- ment, their use is generally to be recommended. For information in regard to laying tile and planning drainage systems the reader i- referred t<> Farmers' Bulletin No. 187, entitled "Drainage of Farm Land-." and "Engineering for Land Drainage." l>\ ('. (i. Elliott, of the Office of Experiment Stations. Tiles -mailer than l inches have not given satisfaction in draining alkali land- on account of the diffi- culty in keeping them free from -ill. The tile- should be crowded Reclamation of Alkali Lands in Egypt, by Thomas II. Means, Bui. 21, Bureau of Boils, l" 26 RECLAMATION OF ALKALI LAND IN UTAH. closely together and silt catchment basins constructed in long lines of tile. It will generally be found advisable to construct these of suf- ficient size, so that the deposits of silt may be easily removed. Boxes made of hoards or planks 4 or 5 feet long and 2 feet wide and at least 1 foot deeper than the tile have been found satisfactory. In Salt Lake Valley no unusual difficulty will he found in keeping the tiles free from silt, for the subsoils are usually heavy. After the tiles are laid care should he taken to settle the earth firmly over them. This may be done by filling to a depth of several inches and allowing a small stream of water to enter the trenches hef ore filling in the entire trench. When once the earth is firmly settled over the lines of tile and it is found that silt does not enter the tiles, the land may he flooded over the lines of tile. If. however, much silt enters the tiles hanks of earth or levees should he thrown up to protect the lines of tile. On the Swan tract little, if any, silt enters the tiles, and precautions necessary to keep the tiles open elsewhere were not considered. After the drainage system is installed the land should be divided into checks so that flooding can be carried on. Flooding i> necessary to hasten the final reclamation. Drainage may effectually check any further accumulation of alkali, but the alkali contained in the soil will not be removed until sufficient water is added to leach it downward through the soil. Heavy rains that penetrate the soil to the depth of the drains are valuable adjuncts to flooding, but in arid countries the ordinary rainfall can rarely be depended upon to remove the alkali entirely. A good depth of water even at infrequent intervals is more effective than frequent applications of a few inches of water, as explained elsewhere. More time will he necessary to leach alkali from stubborn clay soils than from sandy soils, through which the water readily percolates. On the Swan tract, with heavy soils and excessive alkali content, flooding for one season so reduced the alkali that shallow-rooted crops could he grown the following season. From this it would appear that, with an adequate drainage system and the land nicely leveled for Hooding, the land should he occupied with profitable crops the succeeding vea r. In the case of heavy soils the growl h of shallow-rooted animal crops is advised before plant ing a permanent crop, such as alfalfa. During the flooding operations the tilth of the soil may be destroyed and the cultivation and plowing under of stubble will help overcome the had effects of v ater-logging the soil. ( );its w ill be found a good crop to plant on new l\ reclaimed alkali lands. Oats withstand considerable alkali, make a rapid grow t h. and find ;i ready sale at good prices in Salt Lake ('it v. 'Pin- crop has also been found a good nurse crop for alfalfa when the latter is seeded. ( )n t be >\\ .-in t ract alfalfa sow o w it h oat a as a nurse crop made fulrj as good growth as alfalfa without a nurse crop, and there was gained the crop of oats while the alfalfa was getting established the first year. SUMMARY. 27 It was observed that the flooding necessary to reclaim the land had not in any way impaired the productiveness of the soil, as the stand of alfalfa was pronounced as satisfactory as that secured on alkali-free soils in different parts of the State. The cost of reclaiming alkali land in Salt Lake Valley will depend on the methods employed, the character of soil, and the quantity of alkali. With light sandy soils, little alkali, and deep ground water, cultivation and surface irrigation will be all that is necessary and the cost will be slight. The land must be prepared for surface irrigation, which will cost from $2 to upward of $30 an acre, depending on the character of the surface. There are large tracts of land in the valley where the amount of leveling will be small and the cos1 should not exceed $5 an acre. The cost of the cultivation and irrigation will also be low. so that S10 or $15 an acre will be sufficient to reclaim comparatively level sandy soils. When a drainage system is necessary, as well as flooding for several months, the cost will be much greater. The drainage system on the Swan tract cost about $16.50 an acre and may be taken as an average cost of similar work in the valley. The cost of flooding for one year will vary from $5 to 810 an acre. By many it will be urged that the cost of leveling the land should not be included in the cosl of reclaim- ing land, since all recognize that the land must be leveled before it can be successfully irrigated regardless of the presence of alkali. Deduct- ing, then, the item of leveling, the cost of reclaiming alkali lands in Salt Lake Valley, even when drainage must be resorted to, will be from $20 t<» $35 an acre, surelv a small outlay when the increased earning capacity of the soil is considered. -i ftfMABY. In previous pages it has been shown that extensive tracts of land in Salt Lake Valley west of the .Jordan River arc not productive on account of alkali. On account of the nearness to excellent markets it i- highly desirable that the farmer should know how to remove the alkali. Reclaiming alkali land to a limited extent has been practiced Bince the first settlement in the valley in is 17. hut no extensive work has been undertaken by private enterprise. An experiment on io acres of worthless alkali land l mile- west of Salt Lake City, conducted by the Bureau of Soils and the Utah experiment station, showed that Mich work i- practicable, since the reclaimed land now supports a good stand of alfalfa. These results were accomplished by heavily Hooding the land after a drainage system had been installed. It was found that surface flooding lor one year leached awa\ large quantities -'I alkali From hea\\ soils; in fact the <|iiantit\ of alkali was 80 reduced thai -hallow -rooted crops could be grown the following year. The COSt of reclaiming tin- trad of hind i- not large in comparison to the 28 RECLAMATION OF ALKALI LAND IX UTAH. enhanced value of the land. This experiment in reclaiming worthless alkali lands should prove an incentive to those seeking homes at moderate cost, or to men of larger capital interested in employing their means in safe investments. Much of the now idle land in Salt Lake Valley can he made to yield handsome returns by a limited outlay of time and money. Even those lands that, on account of the necessity of providing drainage systems, will require more effort to get rid of the alkali will he often found far cheaper than new lands now being devel- oped in many parts of the West where market facilities and social and educational advantages are lacking and no definite information can be secured as to what crops may be successfully grown. O univer: ■II 3 1262 08928 6867