22 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. [Vol.43 



higher tlmii n.inii;il. Tlie evaporation for the live suniiiier months has averaged 

 ahout 3o in. 



In the ("lu'wancari I?;isln alsike clover and tiniotliy have yielded 3J tons an 

 acre as compared to J ton of native grass on adjoining land. The most eco- 

 nomical yields per acre-inch have heen ohtained with 12 in. of irrigation water. 

 The maxinunu yields have been obtained with about IS in. 



Alfalfa in Harney Basin has produced about 2 tons an acre, while native 

 wild hay has averaged but ^ ton an acre. At the Harney Valley substation from 

 6 to 10 in. depth of irrigation has given the best results with row crops. Field 

 peas and grain have done best with 8 to 12 in., while with alfalfa the best 

 results have been secured with 18 in. 



In the Klamath Basin a duty of 12 in. has been found most profitable when 

 the soil is saturated in the spring. In the Fort Klamath country the substi- 

 tution of alsike clover and timothy for the native grasses has more than 

 doubled the production of forage. 



The results of the past five years show that an average depth of 18 in. of 

 water on the field produced the maximum yield obtained. An average of 

 12 in. has given the largest yield per acre-inch. The average water cost of 

 dry matter under good conditions for alsike and timothy has been 600 lbs. 

 The water cost for wild hay has averaged 1,000 lbs. and over. 



The coarse swamp vegetation can be replaced by pasturing and mowing, or 

 by carefully burning olf when the ground is still wet. Oats and field peas are 

 suitable crops for the first year or two after reclamation ; later, permanent 

 alsike clover and timothy meadows can be established. On new land a moist, 

 firm seed bed and inoculated clover seed are essential. The double corrugated 

 roller is a good tool for firming peat soil. Rye, sweet clover, and copious 

 irrigation following drainage help to reclaim alkali spots^ Gypsum or sulphur 

 aids the solution and removal of black alkali. The strip-border method of 

 irrigation has been found the most successful. Subirrigating from field ditches 

 has been successful on medium and shallow peat when underlaid with, a re- 

 tentive subsoil. Barnyard nianui-e has given a good increase on shallow peat 

 soils. Marked increases have been secured from the application of sulphur 

 to alfalfa on swamp borders. 



Fertilizer needs of marsh soils, A. R. Whitson and H. W. Ullspeeger 

 {Com. Fert.. 20 (1920), Xo. 2, pp. 42, ^fj).— This paper, a contribution from the 

 Wisconsin Experiment Station, reports data on the chemical composition of 

 peat, muck, and marsh-border soils. It is stated that many of these soils are 

 not acid, this being the case in the marshes in eastern and southern Wisconsin. 



Peat, when dry, weighs but 12 to 20 lbs. to the cubic foot. Muck soil weighs 

 from 40 to 50 lbs., while the marsh-border soils often run from 60 to 80 lbs. 

 to the cubic foot. The chemical composition also varies, especially in regard 

 to nitrogen, which shows about the same variation that the organic matter. 

 does. It is noted that the nitrogen content (pounds) of all marsh soils is very 

 high compared with upland soils. Peats are exceptionally rich in nitrogen 

 because tliey are composed almost entirely of organic matter. Peat soils as 

 a rule are very low in the mineral elements — ^potassium and phosphorus. 

 Mucks are better supplied with these two elements, though the potassium con- 

 tent is low in comparison with upland clay or silt loam. The marsh-border 

 soils are well supplied with both potassium and phosphorus, as well as with 

 nitrogen, and therefore have high cropping possibilities. Potassium is con- 

 sidered to be a connnon factor limiting crop yields on peat and muck soils. 



The utilization of moors for soil improvement and for fertilization of 

 crops, RippERT {Mitt. Vcr, Ford. Moorkultur Deut. Reiche, 38 {1920), Nos. 2, 



