xiv CONTENTS. 



Alkali Soils as a whole. Tables, 445. Presence of much Carbonate of 

 Soda, 448. Cross Section of an Alkali Spot. Table, 448. Reactions 

 between the Carbonates and Sul fates of Earths and Alkalies. Figure of 

 Curve, 449. Inverse Ratios of Alkali Sulfates and Carbonates. Dia- 

 grams, 451. Exceptional Conditions, 453. Summary of Conclusions, 



453- 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



UTILIZATION AND RECLAMATION OF ALKALI LAND, 455. Alkali-resistant 

 Crops, 455. Counteracting Evaporation, 455. Turning-under of Sur- 

 face Alkali, 456. Shading, 457. Neutralizing Black Alkali, 457. 

 Removing the Salts from the Soils, 458. Scraping off, 458. Leaching- 

 Down. Figure, 459. Underdrainage, the Final and Universal Remedy 

 for Alkali, 460. Possible Injury to Land by Excessive Leaching, 462. 

 Difficulty in Draining " Black " Alkali Land, 462. Swamping of Al- 

 kali Land, 463. Removal of Alkali Salts by Certain Crops, 463. 

 Tolerance of Alkali by Culture Plants, 463. Relative Injuriousness of 

 the several Salts. Effects on Sugar Beets, 464. Table of Tolerances ; 

 Comments on same, 467. Saltbushes and Native Grasses. Australian 

 Saltbushes, 469. Modiola ; Native and Cultivated Grasses, 469. Other 

 Herbaceous Crops, 472. Legumes, 472. Mustard Family, 473. Sun- 

 flower Family, 473. Root Crops, 474. Stem Crops, 475. Textile Plants, 

 475. Shrubs and Trees, 475. Vine, Olive, Date, Citrus Trees. Deci- 

 duous Orchard Trees. Timber and Shade Trees, 475. Inducements 

 toward the Reclamation of Alkali Lands, 481. Wheat on Reclaimed 

 Land at Tulare ; Figure, 482. Need of Constant Vigilance, 484. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



THE RECOGNITION OF SOIL C HARACTER FROM THE NATIVE VEGETATION ; 

 MISSISSIPPI, 487. Climatic and Soil Conditions, 487. Natural Vegeta- 

 tion the Basis of Land Values in the United States, 488. Investigation 

 of Causes Governing Distribution of Native Vegetation, 488. Investiga- 

 tions in Mississippi, 489. Vegetative Belts in Northern Mississippi, 

 490. Sketch Map of Same, with Tabulation of Lime Content and 

 Native Vegetation, 490. Lime Apparently a Governing Factor, 492. 

 Soil Belts in Southern Mississippi, 493. Vegetative and Soil Features 

 of Coast Belts. Diagram, 495. Table of Plant-Food percentages and 

 Native Growth, 496. Definition of Calcareous Soils, 496. Differences 

 in the Form and Development of Trees, 498. Forms of the Post Oak. 

 Figures, 498. Forms of the Black Jack Oak. Figures, 500. Charac- 

 teristic Forms of other Oaks, 502. Sturdy Growth on Calcareous Lands, 

 502. Growth of Cotton, 503. Lime Favors Fruiting, and compact 

 Growth, 504. Physical vs. Chemical Causes of Vegetative Features, 

 505. Lowland Tree Growth, 506. Contrast between" First" and 

 "Second" Bottoms, 506. Tree Growth of the First Bottoms. The 

 Cypress, 507. Figures of Swamp and Upland Cypress, 508. Other 

 Lowland Trees, 509. General Forecasts of Soil Quality in Forest Lands, 

 509- 



