190 



by putting water on the land without insuring drainage, for this 

 causes the alkali to rise from great depths, and thus increases rather 

 than diminishes the amount of deleterious substances in the soil. On 

 the other hand, ''' in\dev-dra'm(ige is the general and ahsohite correc- 

 tion for alkali^ Under-drainage is expensive, "'but the time is not 

 far distant when in California, as well as in Illinois and in the East 

 generally, the laying of under-drains will be considered an excellent 

 investment on any land as valuable as all irrigated land is likely to 

 be, and when that day comes ' alkali ' will be at an end on irrigated 

 lands in this State." Until that time comes " the chief measure 

 tow^ard the prevention of the rise of the salts to the surface is what- 

 ever tends to prevent evaporation from the land surface, and there- 

 fore particularly the maintenance of deep and thorough tilth and the 

 avoidance of the formation of any surface crusts." The bulletin also 

 contains a table showing the composition of the alkali salts in differ- 

 ent parts of the San Joaquin Valley (Fresno, Tulare, and Kern 

 Counties). 



BULLETIN No. 84, DECEMBER 5, 1889. 



Distribution of seeds and plants, E. J. Wickson, M. A. (pp. 

 1-4). — Plants and seeds were distributed from this Station during 

 the winter of 1889 in greater amounts and more widely than in any 

 previous j^ear. The number of applications received was 1,060, of 

 which 991 were filled, wholly or in part. Every county of Cali- 

 fornia wr.s reached except two small mountain counties, and packages 

 were sent to nearly one-half of the post-offices in the State. Recipi- 

 ents pay for packing, postage, and express ($208 in all for this sea- 

 son), and are expected to report results obtained with the seeds and 

 plants sent. The Station can not undertake to distribute seeds and 

 plants to residents of other States, but can make some exchanges with 

 otlier experiment stations. 



COI.OIIADO. 



Agricultural Experiment Station of Colorado. 



' Departuioit of the Slate AijricuJfiiral Conrge. 



Loc.-ition, Fort Collins. Director, Charles L. Ingersoll. M. S. 



BULLETIN No. S, .JULY, 1SS9. 



Alfalfa: its (JROA^■TH, compositiox, digestibility, etc. (pp. 3- 

 24). — This includes an account of the habits of growth of alfalfa and 

 of the methods of culture, curing, and irrigation of this plant. The 

 parasitic dodder (Cuscuta) is also described, and farmers are urged 

 to prevent its introduction Avith alfalfa by taking care to purchase 

 pure seed. Analyses of alfalfa cut at different periods of growth are 

 given and comj^ared with similar analyses of other plants. Feeding 

 experiments regarding the digestibility of alfalfa weie made with two 

 steers and the results compared with those of similar experiments in 



