424 



SOILS. 



northward beyond the line of the United States ; southward, it 

 reaches far into Mexico, including especially the Mexican 

 plateau. In South America it includes most of the Pacific 

 Slope (Peru and Chile) south to Araucania ; and eastward of 

 the Andes, the greater portion of the plains of western Brazil 

 and Argentina. In Europe only a small portion of the 

 Mediterranean border is included ; but the entire African coast- 

 belt opposite, with the Saharan and Libyan deserts, Egypt and 

 Arabia, are included therein, as well as, south of the Equator, a 

 considerable portion of South Africa (Kalahari desert). In 

 Asia, Asia Minor, Syria (with Palestine), Mesopotamia, 

 Persia, and northwestern India up to the Ganges, and north- 

 ward, the great plains or steppes of central Asia eastward to 

 Mongolia and western China, fall into the same category ; as 

 does also a large portion of the Australian continent. 



Utilisation of /r<>r/</-;v/</r fin^>rtiuicc. Over these vast 

 areas alkali lands occur to a greater or less extent, the excep- 

 tions being the mountain regions and adjacent land- mi the side 

 exposed to the prevailing winds. It will therefore be seen 

 that the problem of the utilization of alkali lands for agricul- 

 ture is not of local interest only, but is of world-wide import- 

 ance. It will also be noted that many of the countries referred 

 to are those in which the most ancient civilizations have ex- 

 isted in the past, but which at present, \\ith few exceptions, are 

 occupied by semicivili/ed people only. It is doubtless from 

 this cause that the nature of alkali lands has until lately been 

 SO little understood, that even their e^ential distinctness from 

 the sea border lauds ha- been but recently recogni/cd in full. 

 Moreover, the great intrinsic fertility of these lauds when 

 freed from the noxious ^alts. has been very little appreciated; 

 their repellent aspect causing them to be generally considered 

 as permanently \\aste laud-. 



Repellent aspect This aspect is essentially due to their natural 

 vegetation being in most cases nfmrd to plants useless to man, com- 

 monly design :itrd as "saline vegetation," ' of which but little is usually 

 relished by cattle. Notable exceptions to this rule occur in North and 

 South America. Australia, and Africa, where the " saltbushes " of the 

 former and the "karroo" vegetation of the latter form valuable pasture 



< 'hnpter 23. 



