8 



above the present lake level, was more or less affected by its waters 

 at that time. 



Practically all of the comparatively level area north of Twelfth 

 street road, when considered to a depth of five feet, is salty land. 

 There are considerable portions of it, however, in which the salt con- 

 tent of the first, and sometimes the second, foot is so small as to in- 

 dicate that it could be safely used for agricultural crops. Below the 

 second foot the salt increases very rapidly and far exceeds the limit 

 for most plants. This increase continues as we descend until within 

 one foot of the water- table, where the maximum is reached. Below 

 the water-table the saltiness is quite constant for a number of feet, 

 diminishing slightly as we descend. On this type of land, usually 

 sandy loam or loam, the water-table is seldom more than six or seven 

 feet below the surface, though it is occasionally as much as ten feet. 

 It is on this land that numerous, unsuccessful attempts have been 

 made at farming during recent years, and the failure has undoubt- 

 edly been due to the following causes : 



In its natural state this land is, for the most part, covered with a 

 growth of grease wood. The salts having been carried from the sur- 

 face into the deeper soil by the natural precipitation, were undoubt- 

 edly largely prevented from rising again by this deep-rooted plant 

 absorbing the soil moisture at its roots, thus preventing much sur- 

 face evaporation. When this land was broken up for cultivation, 

 the soil moisture instead of being thus absorbed in the lower soil, 

 rose into the upper, bringing the salts with it, to the detriment of 

 the shallow-rooted agricultural plants. The land, being level and 

 underlaid with a strata having a fairly close texture, had naturally 

 'poor drainage. The water- table was rarely more than seven feet 

 below the surface and frequently of less depth, and upon the appli- 

 cation of irrigation water it gradually rose. When the water-table 

 was within three feet of the surface much evaporation naturally oc- 

 curred from the resulting moist soil surface. In this condition the 

 salts from the lower soil rapidly rose to the surface and were left by 

 evaporation as incrustations, or were moved up and down in the sur- 

 face soil with the movement of the rain and irrigation water, in such 

 concentration as to prevent the growth of most plants. 



Under these conditions farming was a failure, and at present few 

 attempts are being made to do anything with this kind of land. 

 There are a few places of limited extent along the border of draws, 

 or on ridges, where the natural drainage is sufficiently good for irri- 

 gation farming to be carried on. With good judgment as to irriga- 

 tion and cultivation, some of these places are producing alfalfa and 

 garden products successfully. These places, while insignificant in 



