568 • EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



direction of wind for each month of 1894 and 1895. The summary for 

 1895 is as follows : 



Temperature (degrees F.)- — Mean, 48.2; maximum, 95, Jime 2; minimum, — 7, Feb- 

 ruary 6; annual range, 102; Lighest monthly mean, 69.4, August; lowest monthly 

 mean, 21.7, February ; highest daily mean, 79, June 2 ; lowest daily mean, 1, February 

 8. Precijnto/tOH (inches). — Total (rain and melted snow), 49.28; greatest monthly, 

 7.89, October; least monthly, 1.29, September; mowfaU — total, 40ig; reatest 

 monthly, 16, January ; least monthly, 5, March. Weather. — Number of clear days, 128 ; 

 number of fair days, 114; number of cloudy days, 123; number of days ou which 0.01 

 in. or more of rain fell, 108. Air pressure (inches). — Maximum, 30.56, December; min- 

 imum, 28.49, February ; mean, 29.83. 



WATER— SOILS. 



Alkali, B. 0. Buffum ( Wyoming Sta. Bui 39, 2)p. 319-353, pZ.s. 6).— 

 This bulletin contains a brief discussion of the character and occurrence 

 of alkali in ^Yyoming and of its effect upon soils and plants; reports 

 experiments on the influence of different amounts of alkali on the ger- 

 mination and growth of turnips, barley, rye, oats, wheat, and alfalfa, and 

 gives suggestions regarding the reclamation of alkali soils. The ger- 

 mination tests were conducted in plates in a greenhouse, the seeds (100 

 in each case) being placed (1) in soil from which the alkali had been 

 leached, (2) between blotters and filter papers, (3) in alkali soil which 

 had been leached until it contained only 1 per cent of alkali, (4) in 

 natural alkali soil containing 2.24 per cent of soluble salts, (5) in 

 extracted soil (like 1) to which 2.25 per cent of soluble salts mixed in 

 the same proportions as the natural alkali was added, and (0) extracted 

 soil containing 5 per cent of this mixture. 



Experiments were made with the same croi>s and soil mixtures in 

 5-inch x)ots (containing 1 kg. of soil mixture). 



The results are summarized as follows : 



"The white alkali of general occurrence in Wyoming consists principally of sul- 

 phates of sodium and magnesium. 



"One per cent or more of these salts in the first 2 in. of surface soil will make it 

 unproductive for any but plants which naturally inhabit saline soils. 



"Small amounts of alkali in the soil retard germination and growth in i)roi)ortion 

 to the amount present. This effect is physiological. 



"Alkali soil may be reclaimed by leaching out the salts, where there is drainage 

 naturally or artificially supplied. 



"The rapid rise of alkali may be checked or iirevented by hindering surface evap- 

 oration through cropping and proper cultivation. 



"Plants that thrive comparatively well on alkali soil are sugar beets, white sweet 

 clover (Melilotus alba), 'salt sages' {Atriplex spp.), and alfalfa under certain condi- 

 tions. Eye does better than other cereals. 



"To determine whether the soil is colder when it contains large amounts of alkali 

 a careful series of the soil temjieratures in the pots was taken, but no ditt'erence in 

 the warmth could be detected between the soil free from alkali and that containing 

 5 per cent of the salts. However, in this connection it should be stated that in the 

 experiment the moisture was controlled so that each soil contained the same amount. 

 In the field a soil containing alkali will retain more moisture than one free from 

 salts, Avhich might make the alkali soil have a lower mean temperature for the 

 growing season." 



