Timely Hints for Farmers. 283 



tain character, therefore, a rough judgment may be formed as to 

 the probable future of a certain district. Speaking for California, 

 Dr. Hilgard says that ' ' when * a large proportion 



of the solids consists of carbonate of soda or of common salt, even 

 a smaller proportion of salts than 40 grains per gallon (=68 parts 

 per 100,000), might preclude its regular use, depending upon the 

 nature of the soil to be irrigated." 



Nitrogen in the well waters of this region may also aug- 

 ment their value for irrigation, this important plant food being 

 eommonfy deficient in our soils. 



In irrigated districts, well waters nearly always contain ap- 

 preciable amounts of nitrogen apparently derived from the seep- 

 age from irrigating water, which contains important quantities of 

 the compounds of this element, derived from decaying animal and 

 vegetable matter. 



Thirty-six wells of Salt River valley averaged 1.24 parts per 

 100,000 of sodium nitrate, which is 16.35 pounds of nitrogen in 

 three acre feet of water, — a significant amount when it is remem- 

 bered that 50 bushels of wheat require not far from 59 pounds of 

 nitrogen from the soil. 



But in some cases well waters are nearly or quite free from 

 nitrogen, and this fact, in connection with the lack of nitrogen in 

 our desert soils, must make it necessary to supply this ingredient 

 to lands irrigated from such supplies. In farming operations 

 this is done by means of alfalfa and other crop plants of the clover 

 tribe, which gather nitrogen from the air, and thus supply the 

 deficiency. For gardens and house grounds irrigated by means 

 of windmills, horse-power pumps, etc., the manure pit is a most 

 excellent device. This is an excavation of convenient area and 

 depth, into which compost materials are thrown as they come to 

 hand. In the University barn lot a pit 10x12 and 3 feet deep re- 

 ceives the manure from two or more horses, leaves, rubbish, and 

 occasional unfortunate cats and dogs, — all of which are in time 

 reduced to rich compost most useful in our tree holes and gardens. 



This is certainly a neater and more profitable method of dis- 

 posal than to laboriously haul off and throw away, or leave an un- 

 sightly pile of offensive rubbish exposed where the sun and rain 

 will dry it out or leach it of its valuable properties. 



