KINDS OF SOIL 65 



beach becomes fine sand or mud; it may then be 

 carried out to sea by the undertow or deposited 

 along the inlets and bays by coastwise currents. 

 The latter case marks the beginning of a salt 

 marsh soil. As soon as it gets fairly well started, 

 though still covered with water, the soil is occupied 

 with a dense growth of eel-grass. This accumulates 

 more soil; sea weed, dead fish and other refuse 

 collect and the soil thickens rapidly. Finally it is 

 raised above the tides and the eel-grass gives place 

 to other grasses which slowly extend to the beach 

 over the mud flats. In the course of time farmers 

 cut from these flats "salt hay," which is much 

 relished by cattle. 



All salt marshes are likely to be overflowed 

 occasionally. It is necessary to drain them thor- 

 oughly and to prevent the overflow of salt water by 

 diking before they can be used for ordinary farm 

 crops, which object to so much salt in the soil. 

 It is stated that there are over 200,000 acres of very 

 rich salt marsh land between New York City and 

 Portland, Me., which would be worth $20,000,000 

 if reclaimed; and that there are 3,000,000 acres on 

 the entire Atlantic Coast that could be reclaimed. 

 The cost of diking and draining these lands should 

 not be over $50 per acre. A considerable area of 

 salt marsh soils has already been reclaimed. 



Salt marsh soils are particularly valuable for 

 growing grass, onions, cabbage, celery; where 

 they contain a large amount of muck cranberries 

 are successful. 



THE PROBLEM OF ALKALI SOILS 



^s 



Between the Missouri River and the Rocky 

 Mountains, in parts of California, and in a few 



