[shutt-burwash] 



Series XI 

 (Irrigated) 



'ALKALI" CONTENT OF SOILS 

 Oats 

 Sec. 19, Tp. 23, Rge. 22, W. of the 4th Mer. 



63 



Collected July 24, 1919 



Again the alkali is essentially sodium sulphate, varying in amount 

 from • 1 per cent on the region characterized by good growth to • 9 per 

 cent on the distressed area and 2 per cent on the bare spots. There is 

 some magnesium sulphate present, but no doubt in quite innocuous 

 quantities, and the soil throughout the series is quite free of sodium 

 carbonate and chlorides. 



Group 1693. Fair to good growth. No alkali showing. Nature 

 of soil: "A," greyish brown, moderately light loam, well supplied 

 with humus, dry; "B," reddish-brown clay with considerable sand, 

 damp; "C," greyish-brown sandy clay, fairly plastic, damp, air-dries 

 to hard brittle masses; "D," similar to "C." 



In the surface 6 inches the percentage of sodium sulphate is only 

 •14 per cent, a practically negligible amount; in "B," "C" and "D" 

 it is quite uniform and about -5 per cent. 



Group 1692. Poor growth. Vegetation evidently distressed, but 

 no surface indication of alkali. Nature of soil: "A," brown, moderately 

 heavy loam, fair supply of humus, moist, air-dries into refractory 

 lumps which show slight efflorescence; "B," mixture of clay and sand, 

 moist, plastic, air-dries to hard lumps; "C," clay and silt, damp; 

 "D," clay with large proportion of sand, wet. 



