Brak in its Relation to Irrigation. 



Summary. 



1. Where the rainfall is so slight that it is necessary to irrigate 

 crops, the soil contains more or less brak. 



2. Brak waters may occur in both dry and humid areas. 



■J. By brak is meant a condition of soil or water in which there 

 is too much saline matter for agricultural purposes. 



4. If a soil is well drained and is permeable to water no trouble 

 is experienced from l)rak if sufficient water is applied to cause 

 drainage. By causing drainage the soil is gradually freed from the 

 brak it contained. 



5. Soils that are permeable to water but lacking in drainage 

 should, if sufficient water is applied to them to cause drainage, be 

 artificially drained to prevent tlie soil from becoming waterlogged. 



6. When not enough water is applied to the soil to cause a general 

 downward movement of water, brak may gradually accumulate at ;ie 

 surface. 



7. Brak should not be allowed to accumulate at the surface, 

 because it is in this position that it is able to do most harm. 



8. Deep preparation of the soil and the maintenance of a surface 

 mulch to prevent evaporation are essential to success in cultivating 

 brak lands. 



9. Crops which are deep rooted and which shade the land are the 

 best for brak lands, because they prevent evaporation at the surface 

 and therefore the rise of brak. 



10. Lands may be ruined by leaking canals and furrows unless 

 the drainage is sufficiently good to deal with the excess water. 



11. Brak waters may be used for irrigation under special condi- 

 tions, but the use of water which contains sodium carbonate is not to 

 be recommended for the finer types of soil, especially if the water is 

 muddy. The action of the sodium carbonate, in addition to its effect 

 on the crop, is to render the soil impermeable and to depreciate its 

 tillage qualities. 



12. Irrigation farming requires much more skill and knowledge 

 than rainfall farming. 



Advisory Committee on Agricultural Matters. 



A Government Notice (Xo. 238 of 4th February, 1920) states that 

 the Minister of Agriculture has approved of the appointment of the 

 Executive Committee of the South African Agricultural Union as a 

 Committee to advise him on matters relating to agriculture. 



