1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 141 



Without any intention to discuss here in detail the causes 

 of the variations noticed in the composition of the saline resi- 

 dues left when evaporating a definite amount of the drainage 

 water collected from the various plats, it remains of especial 

 interest to call attention to the fact that wherever muriate of 

 potash had been used as a potash source of plant food excep- 

 tional quantities of the chlorides of calcium and magnesium 

 proved to be present (plats 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9). The 

 belief that a liberal use of muriate of potash had resulted in 

 wasting in an exceptional degree in particular the lime re- 

 sources of the soil, and thereby reducing the yield of the 

 crops, has since been confirmed. The annual yield of the 

 crops has been restored to its former satisfactory condition, 

 after a liberal addition of air-slaked lime to the manures used 

 for years upon the field in question. 



