CHAPTER XII 

 METHODS OF RECLAIMING ALKALI LANDS 



No single method of reclamation is adapted to all alkali 

 lands. Many conditions must be considered in deciding 

 what methods to adopt. The source of the alkali, the 

 texture of the soil, the slope of the land, the depth of the 

 water-table, the price and supply of reclaiming materials, 

 the kind of crops that will grow in the N climate, the value 

 of the reclaimed land, and a number of other factors must 

 be taken into account before deciding the advisability of 

 reclaiming a given alkali soil and the methods to be used 

 in case reclamation appears economical. Whatever the 

 method, the goal is the same; each aims to check any in- 

 creased accumulation of salt and to reduce the present 

 harmful quantities of alkali to a point at which the growth 

 of crops will not be hindered. 



The Source of Contamination. The first step in the 

 reclamation of alkali land is to discover the source of the 

 salt. Intelligent systems of improvement first discover 

 and remove the cause of the accumulation. As with 

 human disease, an ounce of preventative is worth a pound 

 of cure. Most of the effort spent in securing temporary 

 relief is wasted if the trouble soon returns. Work is done 

 to much better advantage if done with the idea of securing 

 permanent results. 



As pointed out in Chapter X, alkali comes to the soil 

 in a number of very distinct ways. These must be recog- 

 nized in deciding which method of reclamation is best 



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