SOIL ALKALI , 



CHAPTER I 

 - INTRODUCTORY 



WHENEVER the word " alkali " is mentioned there im- 

 mediately arises in the minds of some people a vision of 

 desolation. They may picture to themselves a barren 

 tract of land devoid of vegetation and covered with a 

 blanket of white salt mixed with earth; or they may fancy 

 that they see worthless wastes of what had been fertile 

 fields. They imagine beautiful trees being reduced to 

 stumps and fence posts and remnants of farm buildings 

 gradually being eaten away by a slowly advancing white 

 cover, which will eventually reduce the entire landscape 

 to a gray barrenness. Probably each of these pictures 

 has a prototype in some local section. Alkali does prevent 

 the cultivation of vast areas of land, and it has caused the 

 abandonment of many fertile fields; but to give up all 

 effort when alkali makes its appearance would be like 

 abandoning a farm just because some crop became in- 

 fested with a pest. 



The successful pursuit of agriculture calls for the con- 

 stant overcoming of difficulties. New problems arise 

 each season, but success demands that these be solved. 

 The difference between civilization and savagery consists 

 largely in meeting difficulties and being masters of nature 

 instead of merely victims of circumstance. 



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