191;")] Lipmaii-Sharp : New Experiments on Alkali Soil Treatment 279 



The marked effects produced by some of the treatments of the 

 alkali soils are clearly indicated in the data submitted in the fore- 

 going table. Of the three control pots, only Nos. 2 and 3 are 

 probably representative of the true conditions in the soil. But, 

 even taking these larger values for the yields of barley obtained 

 from the untreated soil, it is very striking to note the beneficial 

 effects of several of the treatments. This is especially note- 

 worthy in the case of the sulphuric acid treatments and par- 

 ticularly at the smallest application of that acid. The yields in 

 pots 4 and 5 and pots 8 and 9 are more than three times as large 

 as those of the average yield of the two control pots, 2 and 3. 

 The discrepancy between the duplicate pots (6 and 7) of the 

 largest sulphuric acid application cannot definitely be accounted 

 for, but it is obvious that several explanations might be offered 

 therefor. Even the gypsum, ferrous sulphate, and barnyard 

 manure treatments were instrumental in improving very mater- 

 ially the producing power of the soil for barley. Evidence is 

 now in hand which will be published later indicating that 

 ameliorative results may be obtained with ferrous sulphate far 

 superior to those indicated in Table 1 by using less of the salt 

 and by obviating the deleterious effects of the ferrous salt by 

 allowing it to become partially oxidized in the soil before the 

 seed is planted. It will be noted further that CuSO^ and Na^SO^ 

 were without effect in a positive direction and appeared even to 

 render the soil a much poorer medium for the growth of barley 

 than it was before treatment. 



When we pass from the total yields of dry matter to those 

 of the grain produced, the smallest of the three sulphuric acid 

 applications employed seems to be far and away the best treat- 

 ment of all tested. In respect to the grain yield again, gypsum, 

 and not the intermediate sulphuric acid treatment, stands second, 

 and the latter and the manure treatment are about even. 



So far as the root yields are concerned, the data are too 

 irregular to allow of our arrival at any definite conclusions. 

 They do not appear to follow in a general way the yield of tops, 

 are more consistent and regular in the sulphuric acid treatments, 

 and best developed in the manure treatments. In general the 

 favorable treatments were productive of more fibrous root- 



