206 CROPS FOR ALKALI LAND 



Blue-stem grass {Agropyron occidentale) was found grow- 

 ing in a Montana soil (29) containing in the surface foot 

 320 parts per million of sodium carbonate, 1649 parts per 

 million of sodium chloride, and 24,080 parts per million 

 of sodium sulphate. The average for the upper four feet 

 was 384 parts per million of sodium carbonate and 10,360 

 parts per million of sodium sulphate. There was a good 

 growth of mixed grass, mainly blue-stem, in this 

 meadow (29). 



Tussock grass, or purple top (Sporobolus airoides), men- 

 tioned in Chapter VI as an alkali-indicating plant, with- 

 stands very large quantities of alkali. It is relished by 

 stock but will probably not do well except on the ranges. 



Alkali meadow-grass {Puccincllia airoides) (24), also 

 mentioned in Chapter VI, may furnish good browsing 

 for stock and if available at the proper time it may furnish 

 profitable hay on moist alkali lands. 



Prairie grasses were observed by Shutt and Smith (26) 

 in Canada to withstand 700 parts per million of sodium 

 sulphate in the upper 6 inches of soil even where the soil 

 beneath this held over 6000 parts per million and the upper 

 3 feet averaged 6717 parts per million. Where the upper 

 6 inches of soil contained 4320 parts per million of sodium 

 sulphate and the average for the upper 3 feet was 9773 

 parts per million of total salts, there was a poor growth, 

 however. 



Modiola (Modiola procumbens), a weed introduced into 

 California from Chile, is reported by Loughridge (20) to 

 withstand 13,100 parts per million of total salts, composed 

 of 1 190 parts per million sodium carbonate, 10,210 parts 

 per million sodium chloride, and 1700 parts per million of 

 sodium sulphate in the upper foot of soil. It has been 

 found to make an acceptable pasture where alfalfa could 



