926 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



of which, agriculturally, is the Fresno tine sandy loam covering about 43 per cent of 

 the area. A considerable portion of the district has, until recent years, been covered 

 by the Great Salt Lake and contains excessive quantities of alkali. Chemical 

 analyses of alkali crusts from 9 localities indicated an average composition of 

 59.83 per cent of sodium chlorid, 11.10 per cent sodium carbonate, 10.24 per cent 

 sodium bicarbonate, 12.20 per cent sodium sulphate, 4.39 per cent ijotassium chlorid, 

 1.24 per cent magnesium suljahate, and 1 per cent calcium sulphate. The authors- 

 discuss the formation of a lime hardpan which occurs at a depth of about 3 ft. in 

 some parts of the area, the injury done by seepage water from irrigation canals, etc., 

 the reclamation of additional land by irrigation, and the nature of the water supply 

 for irrigation. 



Soil surrey hi tlie Sevier Valley, UtaJt, F. I). Gardner and C. A. Jensen (pp. 243-285). — 

 The valley has an average width of about 5 miles and was surveyed for a distance of 

 45 miles. The soils being well drained and carefully irrigated are to a large extent 

 free from injurious quantities of alkali. Ten types were recognized. " The soils as 

 a rule are light in texture and well drained. They are mostly derived from the 

 adjacent mountains, the material being often modified by stream action, and are 

 underlaid in many places by gravel beds. The soils are derived from different kinds 

 of rocks, and have well-defined physical characteristics, but these differences are 

 not such potent factors in determining crop values and crop distribution as in the 

 Eastern States." The average composition of 13 alkali crusts showed 39.06 per cent 

 of sodium chlorid, 25.42 per cent of sodium sulphate, and other salts in smaller 

 quantities. "The irrigation water is unusually good, except at a few points. . . . 

 The best waters contain from 15 to 75 and average about 35 parts of solids per 

 100,000 parts of water. The alkali in the water contains nearly etpial proportions of 

 chlorids, sulphates, and l)icarbonates, with but a trace of carbonates." 



Soil survey of Salt River Valley, Ariz., T. If. Means (pp. 287-332). — The area mapped 

 around Tempe and Phoenix and along the Buckeye canal embraced about 370 square 

 miles and showed a variety of soils, 9 types being described. The irrigation 

 water supply is generally good and no trouble from alkali is experienced when the 

 soils are well drained. Numerous analyses of alkali salts are rejsorted and the recla- 

 mation of alkali lands is discussed. The predominant salt found was sodium chlorid. 

 An instance of the occurrence of a large amount of sodium and potassium nitrate in 

 an alkali crust is recorded. The occurrence of a lime hardpan is noted. The surface 

 and underground water supply for irrigation and systems of farming adapted to the 

 region are discussed. 



Soil survey around Fresno, L'al, T. II. Means and J. G. Ilohnes (pp. 333-384).— The 

 area surveyed here covers about 625 square miles and includes foothills, plains, and 

 bottom lands. Ten types of soils are described, the Fresno sand covering 40 per cent 

 of the area and corresponding in texture and crop value to the truck soils of the 

 Atlantic coast. About 84 per cent of the area is free from injurious quantities of 

 alkali. In 20 samples of alkali crusts the sodium carbonate ranged from 5.72 to 

 93.35 per cent. Methods of preventing the rise of alkali and of reclaiming alkali 

 lands and the nature of the hard}>an and water supply of the region are discussed. 



Soil survey around Santa Ana, CM., J. G. Holmes (pp. 38-5-412). — The district sur- 

 veyed extends from the foothills to the Pacific Ocean and comprises about 300 square 

 miles. It is for the most part a delta plain and shows 9 types of soil. "The Fresno 

 sand, a typical truck soil, formed of a coarse, loose, incoherent sand, 6 ft. or more in 

 depth, naturally free from alkali, covers about 37 per cent of the district surveyed." 

 The alkali salts consist principally of sodium chlorid and sodium sulphate, but are 

 present in injurious quantities in only comparatively few areas. 



Investigations on the physical properties of soils, L. J, Briggs (pp. 413-421). — Investi- 



