nOUTICULTlKAL SUGGESTIONS. 105 



ALKALI. 



Much of the soil in southern Idaho contains more or less alkali. 

 This is detected by the character of the water in shallow surface wells. 

 In our own orchards the wells first dug before irrigation b-egan de- 

 veloped soft, good water at thirty feet. With the advent of irrigation 

 the water of the wells was made brackish, and we v/ere compelled to go 

 down seventy-five to one hundred feet, then finding pure, soft water, 

 under a clay stratum of such thickness and quality as serves to inter- 

 cept the alkali and surface waters and give us pure, soft, mountain 

 water. 



We note in traveling through the country alkali rising in many 

 places. Uncultivated roadsides will show alkali, while properly tilled 

 adjacent fields or orchards will be completely free from alkali. 



Why is this? 



Suitable tillage and frequent cultivation very greatly reduce the 

 loss of soil water. In other words, sixteen to twenty cultivations during 

 the season very nearly prevent the loss of moisture by surface; ^here 

 will be little subsoil water rising. If water does not rise from the sub- 

 soil to replace that lost by evaporation, very little alkali will be brought 

 to the surface; hence superior and frequent tillage is one of the very 

 best methods of keeping down alkali. 



HORTICULTURAL SUGGESTIONS. 

 J. A. Yager, Fremont. 



To thousands of people, especially the dwellers in cities and villages, 

 the high cost of living is one of the absorbing topics; and it touches not 

 only the laboring man so-called, but the mechanic, clerk, professional man, 

 and all others save the person of affluence and large income. It is a 

 burning question, and all manner of reasons are assigned as the cause. 

 One will charge it to the high tariff, another to the powerful combina- 

 tions known as the trusts, too much gold being produced, too many auto- 

 mobiles, the concentration of the population in the cities, too many mid- 

 dle men between producer and consumer. 



J. J. Hill has been telling the people, that if immediate remedial 

 measures are Jiot taken, we may look for calamitous results. We may 

 well agree with him, that the source of all wealth is the soil, and that 

 commercial pursuits of cities have absorbed the dweller upon the soil, 

 until the equilibrium between production and consumption has been seri- 

 ously disturbed. 



National commissions have been appointed to investigate the whole 

 problem, and the concensus of opinion is that more people should go back 

 to the soil and become producers of the necessities of life. It is a grand 

 provision in the economy of nature, that our tastes for employment dif- 

 fer. The production of grain and live stock easily take first place in im- 

 portance in this state. 



