'22 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Alkali soils, their influence on plants, and the methods of examining them, 

 r. Kossovicu [Zhiir. Opuitii. A<jri»i. [Jour. Kxpt. Lundw.], 4 {lOOS), No. 1, pp. 1-4-^). — 

 TIr' iinthor «liscnsnt'H the followinji queations: (1) What soils are to be designated as 

 alkali soils; (2) the kinds and anionnts of salts injnrious to individual species of 

 plants; {'.i) classilieation of alkali soils on the basis of the composition of the soluble 

 salts; (4) tyi)es of alkali lands as determined by the conditions of their origin; 

 (5) laboratory methods for the examination of alkali soils; (B) means of improving 

 alkali soils. 



The author considers the American term "alkali soils" more exact than the Rus- 

 sian "saline soils," as it is mainly, if not exclusively, the alkali salts which are 

 responsible for the injurious effects oV>served in case of such soils. 



Experiments on oats, mustard, flax, and the oak grown fn p(jts, each containing 

 4,7H5 gm. of tlry sandy chernozem soil to which were applied in addition to a Ijasal 

 fertilizer of 0.15 gm. of potash in form of suljihate and 0.25 gm. of phosphoric acid 

 in form of annnonia-sodium phosphate, sodium chlorid, sodium sulphate, and gyp- 

 sum each at rates of 1.5, 3, 4.5, and 9 gm. per pot. The growth of the j)lants during 

 the experiments was on the whole (piite normal, the oak apparently suffering more 

 than other plants, followed by flax and mustard, and lastly by oats. The mo.st 

 injurious effect on the oaks was produced by sodium chlorid and was most marked 

 in case cf the three larger applications. Sodium sulphate exerted a perceptible 

 influence oidy in the pots containing 4.5 and 9 gm. of the salt. Gyr)suni was with- 

 out effect of any kind. With the other plants the most injurious effects were 

 ol)served in case of sodium chlorid, the greatest injury being observed in case of 

 flax, followed in order by mustard and oats. The yield of oats was increased in c^se 

 of the smaller applications of sodium chlorid and was injuriously affected only when 

 the proportion of this salt reached 0.194 per cent. Similar results were obtained 

 with mustard, but the yield of flax was decreased by the i>resence of only 0.032 per 

 cent of sodium chlorid. The influence of sodium sulphate was in general the same 

 as that of sodium chlorid, although less marked. Gypsum did not exert any injurious 

 effect. 



Experiments by Loughridge (E. S. R., 13, p. 42) on the tolerance of various 

 plants for alkali are referred to and observations on the germination and growth of 

 wheat, oats, peas, and pjine seeds in a large number of alkali soils from Turkestan 

 are reported. As a rule the seeds failed to grow in soils containing 0.125 per cent of 

 chlorin. The jiine was able to grow in soils which contained not more than 0.039 

 per cent of chlorin, although it survived in soils which contained as mui-h as 1 per 

 cent of soluble salts. Wheat and oats grew in soils containing 2 per cent of soluble 

 salts provided the chlorin content was less than 0.125 per cent, showing that the 

 composition of the soluble salts is of more importance than the total (juantity. No 

 injurious effects were observed in case of gypsum. — r. fikemax. 



Reclamation of alkali lands in Egypt as adapted to similar work in the 

 United States, T. H. .AIe.vxs ( T. ,S'. Depl. Ai/r., Bureau of Soils Bui. ^>I, pp. 48, pU. 

 S,Jiijx. '!) . — This report is based on information collected during a visit to Egypt in 

 the sunnuer of 1902. Some of the more important pieces of reclamation work 

 which have been undertaken in Egypt are described in detail and the methods 

 there in use are discussed in their relation to applicability to American conditions. 

 Notes are also given on agricultural develoi)ment, climate, ])hysiography, geology, 

 and soils of Egypt, and on tlie drainage area, flow, and com])osition of water of the 

 Nile. 



The methods of reclamation reported to Ije in use in Egypt are (1) warping {col- 

 viatage) which affords only temporary relief; (2) floodmg with open drains, which 

 is the method in common use and thoroughly effective, l)ut wasteful of lands and 

 inconvenient; (3) flooding with tile drains, which has been recently introduced and 

 is still in an experimental stage, although promising to be the most rapid and effect- 



