CROPS ON ALKALI LAND, HUNTLEY PROJECT, MONTANA. 9 



Table III. — Average total salt content of the soil on five -plats not subsoiled and on a 



subsoiled -plat, 1913. 



Plats. 



Num- 

 ber of 

 borings. 



Top 3 

 inches. 



3 to 6 

 inches. 



6 to 12 

 inches. 



Aver- 

 age, 

 first 

 foot. 



12 to 24 

 inches. 



Aver- 

 age, top 

 2 feet. 



24 to 36 

 inches. 



36 to 48 

 inches. 



Aver- 

 age, top 

 4 feet. 



Nos. 5, 7, 9, 11, and 12. 

 No. 2, subsoiled 



50 

 10 



0.24 

 .24 



0.30 



.22 



0.44 

 .25 



0.35 

 .24 



0.89 

 .33 



0.62 



.28 



1.50 



.77 



1.48 

 .79 



1.05 

 .53 









.08 



.19 



.11 



.56 



.34 



.73 



.69 



.52 









The subsoiled plats showed little advantage in yield, however. The 

 average yield of winter wheat on two plats subsoiled was at the rate 

 of 35 bushels per acre, while the average of seven plats not sub- 



Fig. 5. — Winter wheat in field M-II on July 14, 1913. In 1911 and 1912 a crop of rye was plowed under 

 on this field as green manure, according to the first method. The winter wheat in this field yielded 28.7 

 bushels per acre in 1913. 



soiled was 34.7 bushels per acre. Subsoiling is a difficult and expen- 

 sive operation, and it is doubtful whether the differences in salt 

 content, as shown above, are of sufficient importance to indicate 

 that subsoiling would be profitable. 



Crops grown in 1913. — Winter wheat, alfalfa, and sugar beets were 

 grown on this land in 1913. Ten plats of winter wheat and one plat 

 of each of the other crops were planted. At the time of planting 

 winter wheat, in September, 1912, the ground was in excellent tilth. 

 This crop made a much more uniform growth than the preceding 

 crop of rye. (See fig. 5.) The alfalfa and sugar beets were planted 

 on May 6, 1913. A good stand of alfalfa was secured and the crop 

 was clipped on September 6. The yields of these crops are given in 

 Table IV. 



52602°— Bull. 135—14 2 



