14 



BULLETIN 135, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the lower depths and accompanied the rise of ground water during 

 the season of 1913. 



In Table X the average salt content to a depth of 4 feet in 1913 on 

 these plats is compared with the average salt content of the virgin 

 soil of adjacent plats in the same year. The samples were taken in 

 May, June, July, September, and October, and the results are 

 expressed in percentages of air-dry soil. 



Table X. — Average total salt content of soil to a depth of 4 feet on cultivated plats com- 

 pared with adjacent virgin soil in 1913. 



Treatment. 



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. 



Cultivated 



60 

 50 



0.25 



.65 



0.29 

 .92 



0.43 

 1.54 



0.35 

 1.16 



0.74 

 1.83 



0.54 

 1.49 



1.37 



2.08 



1.59 

 1.79 



1.01 



Virgin 



1.71 





.40 



.63 



1.11 



.81 



1.09 



.95 



.71 



.20 



.70 









As shown by Table X, there was a difference of 0.70 per cent 

 between the total salt content of the cultivated soil and that of the 

 virgin soil. The greatest differences were found in the first and 

 second feet. 



Crops grown in 1913. — The crops grown on this land in 1913 were 

 spring wheat, sugar beets, and oats, one plat being planted to each 

 crop. The yields secured are given in Table XL 



Table XI.- — Yield of crops grown in 1913 on land treated according to the third method. 



Crop. 



Variety. 



Unit of yield. 



Yield per 

 acre. 



Spring wheat 



Sugar beets 



Pringle's Champion . . 





Bushel 



Ton 



Bushel 



36.00 





7.86 





68.87 









Cost of the method. — The operations applied in the third method 

 during 1910, 1911, and 1912, together with the approximate cost per 

 acre of each operation and the total approximate cost per acre each 

 year and for all three years, are shown in Table XII. 



Table XII. — Approximate cost per acre of reclaiming land on the Worden tract by 



the third method. 



Year and item of cost. 



Cost. 



Total. 



1910. 



S4.00 



2.00 



.50 



.75 



.50 



1.20 





















Seed 









Total for 1910 





88.95 



