CROPS ON ALKALI LAND, HUNTLEY PROJECT, MONTANA. 13 



Table VIII . — Approximate cost per acre of reclaiming lands by the second method — Con. 



Year and item of cost. 



Cost. 



Total. 



1911. 



Irrigating (once, in spring) 



Plowing rye under 



Grading and bordering plats 



Irrigating (4 times at 40 cents each) 



Cultivating and leveling (4 times at $1.50 each). 



Total for 1911 



$0.40 

 4.00 

 4.00 

 1.60 

 6.00 



$16. 00 



Cultivating and leveling (8 times at $1.50) . 

 Irrigating (8 times at 40 cents) 



12.00 

 3.20 



Total for 1912.... 

 Total for 3 years. 



40.15 



THIRD METHOD. 



In the third method the same treatment as that described in the 

 second method, that of alternate irrigating and cultivating, was ap- 

 plied, and, in addition to this, manure was applied before plowing 

 rye under at the rate of 20 loads per acre in 1911 and again in 1912. 

 During the summer of 1912 the land was irrigated and cultivated at 

 about 10-day intervals. 



Effect on the salt content. — Determinations of the total salt content 

 hi the soil on these plats were made during 1911, 1912, and 1913. 

 In 1911 and 1912 samples of the following layers of soil were taken 

 at irregular intervals and at depths as follows : Top 3 inches, 3 to 6 

 inches, 6 to 12 inches, 12 to 24 inches, and 24 to 36 inches. In 1913 

 complete sets of samples were taken in May, June, July, September, 

 and October. The 1913 samples were taken to a depth of 48 inches, 

 but it was found that the salt content at this depth was practically 

 the same as that at 36 inches, so that only the surface 36 inches are 

 considered in Table IX, in which the average salt content at the 

 specified depths in 1911, 1912, and 1913 are given, the results being 

 expressed as percentages of the air-dry soil. 



Table IX. — Average total salt content of soil to a depth of 3 feet on plats which had 

 received treatment according to the third method in 1911, 1912, and 1913. 



Year. 



Number 

 of borings. 



Top 3 

 inches. 



3 to 6 

 inches. 



6 to 12 

 inches. 



Average, 

 first foot. 



12 to 24 

 inches. 



Average, 

 top 2 feet. 



24 to 36 

 inches. 



Average, 

 top 3 feet. 



1911 



1912 



1913 



28 

 36 

 60 



0.34 

 .24 

 .25 



0.43 

 .28 

 .29 



0.59 

 .36 

 .43 



0.48 

 .31 

 .35 



1.28 

 .68 

 .74 



0.88 

 .49 

 .54 



2.28 

 1.21 

 1.37 



1.35 

 .73 



.82 



The reduction of the average salt content in the upper 3 feet of soil 

 on these plats from 1911 to 1912 was 0.62 per cent. There was a 

 slight increase in 1913 over 1912. This increase occurred mainly in 



