534 SOILS. 



to reclaimed sea-shore lands; the first cereal to succeed being 

 usually barley, the first root crop, beets. Asparagus is also 

 available while salt is being leached out. 



THE VEGETATION OF ALKALI LANDS. 



The general character of alkali-land vegetation is not unlike 

 that of saline sea-shore lands ; some species of plants are com- 

 mon to both, but the alkali lands harbor a much greater variety 

 of plants, owing to the differences in climates and soils as 

 v;e!l as to the nature of the impregnating salts. Moreover, 

 owing to the very causes which underlie the presence of these 

 salts, viz, aridity, the xerophile or dry-land character of the 

 alkali-land flora is much more pronounced than that of the 

 saline sea-shore vegetation. In view of the very complex 

 conditions, the discussion of the alkali-flora is of necessity 

 much more complex than that of the marine group; and the 

 data for its full elucidation with respect to the nature of the 

 soils and salts are as yet very incomplete. 



RECLAIMABLE AND IRRECLAIMABLE ALKALI LANDS AS DIS- 

 TINGUISHED BY THEIR NATURAL VEGETATION. 



While, as shown above (chapter 20), the adaptation or 

 non-adaptation of particular alkali lands to certain cultures 

 may be determined by sampling the soil and subjecting the 

 teachings to chemical analysis, it is obviously desirable that 

 some other means, if possible available to the farmer himself, 

 should be found to determine the reclaimability and adapta- 

 tion of such lands for general or special cultures. 



In alkali lands, as in others, the natural plant-growth affords 

 such means, both as regards the quality and quantity of the 

 saline ingredients. The most superficial observation shows/ 

 that certain plants indicate extremely strong alkali lands 

 where they occupy the ground alone ; others indicate pre- 

 eminently the presence of common salt ; the presence or ab- 

 sence of still others form definite or probable indications of 

 reclaimability or non-reclaimability. Many such characteris- 

 tic plants are well known to and readily recognized by the 

 farmers of the alkali districts. " Alkali weeds " are com- 



