WATER SOILS. 835 



Pecos, averaging 157.38 parts as compared with 22.09 parts for the Rio Grande. The 

 alkaU in the Pecos water, like that in the Rio Grande, is all of the white variety. 

 It is present, however, in such large amount that it would be very liable to cause 

 trouble in a few^ars unles.s provision were made for draining the land and washing 

 it out, or otherwise disposing of it. 



"The sediment in the Pecos water is much less than in the Rio Grande, averaging 

 but 179.6 parts in the former against 831.4 parts in the Rio Grande ^^•ater even as 

 taken from the ditch. This has a twofold bearing. In the first place, it is a. disad- 

 vantage fi'om the standpoint of plant food. On the other hand, it is an advantage 

 from the standpoint of reservoir construction, as Pecos reservoirs should not fill up 

 nearly so fast as Rio Grande reservoirs." 



The practicability of pumping water for irrigation in the Rio Grande 

 Valley is discussed. Nearly all the waters of this valley contain a 

 large amount of lime. Water suitable for irrigation can generally be ' 

 found, although the water is of better quality in the valle}' proper 

 than at the edges of the same, where it is likely to be more highly 

 charged with alkali. 



" In the vicinity of Roswell, artesian water is found at a depth of from 200 to 300 ft. 

 The water of these wells, so far as analyzed, runs from 88 to 121 parts total solids. 

 This, while not so good as the water of the Rio Grande for irrigation, is very much 

 better than the water of the Pecos, and when used with judgment should be safe, as 

 the alkali present is all of the white variety. The considerable amounts of lime and 

 magnesia present make the water very hard, and for laundry purposes it would give 

 very much better results after being broken with soda." 



The purification of -water, especially the removal of lime and 

 magnesia, K. Schierholz {(Jester /\ Chem. Ztg.^ 3 (1900), No. 22, pj)- 

 5S7-o.'i,I}). — Tests of the methods of adding lime and soda to correct 

 hardness are reported. The addition of a slight excess of lime in the 

 cold was effective not onl}" in removing the lime and carbon dioxid, but 

 also the magnesia except a trace. Soda removed lioth the free and 

 combined lime, but was without influence on the magnesia. Methods 

 of correcting hardness in waters containing sulphates of calcium and 

 magnesium in addition to carbonates were also tested. The results 

 indicate that such waters may be softened without the use of soda by 

 adding lime to remove magnesia and carbon dioxid, barium oxid to 

 remove sulphuric acid, and carbon dioxid or oxalic acid to remove the 

 remaining free lime. 



Water supply and sewerage {2fassacJiUsetts State Bd. Health Rpt. 

 1900, p}). I-07J4). — This is a report to the legislature under provision 

 of State laws, and includes advice to cities and towns regarding water 

 supply, sewerage and sewage disposal, pollution of ponds and streams, 

 ice supplies, and rules and regulations for sanitary protection of 

 water supph^; examination of water supplies; examination of rivers; 

 summary of water supply statistics; experiments on the purification 

 of sewage and water at the Lawrence experiment station in 1895, 

 including report on tests of methods of sewage purification and filtra- 

 tion of water, the occurrence of iron in ground waters, and experi- 

 ments on methods of removal (by H. W. Clark); and a report on 



