CROPS ON ALKALI LAND, HUNTLEY PROJECT, MONTANA. 17 



Table XIV. — Approximate cost per acre of reclaiming land according to the first, second, 

 and third methods, respectively . 



Method. 



First, 



Second. Third. 



1910. 





Double disking (2 times, at -SI J 

 Harrowing (2 times, at 25 cents) . 



Leveling 



Seeding 



Seed 



Total for 1910. 



1911. 



40 



Irrigating (once, in spring) 



Manuring (20 loads, at 50 cents a load) 



Plowing rye under 4. 00 



Double disking (2 times, at §1) 2. 00 



Leveling and bordering 



Harrowing (3 times, at 25 cents) .75 



Irrigating (at 40 cents each time) 



Cultivating and leveling (at SI .50 each time) 



Leveling 



Seeding ■ 



Seed - 



Total for 1911. 



Manuring (20 loads, at 50 cents a load) 



Plowing 



Double disking 



Harrowing (at 25 cents each time) 



Leveling 



Irrigating (at 40 cents each time) 



Cultivating and leveling (at Si. 50 each time) . 



Total for 1912.... 

 Total for 3 years. 



.75 



.50 



1.20 



.60 



4.00 

 1.00 



4.00 



1.60 

 6.00 



3.20 

 12.00 



24.30 | 40.15 



84.00 



2.00 



.50 



.75 



.50 



1.20 



.40 

 10.00 

 4.00 



.80 

 4.50 



23.70 



10. 00 

 4.00 

 1.00 

 .25 

 .75 

 2.40 

 9.00 



27.30 



It is shown in Table XIV that the first method was by far the least 

 expensive of the three; that the second method, which involved a 

 large amount of work in irrigating and cultivating, was next higher in 

 cost; and that the third method, which differed from the second mainly 

 in that it included an item of $20 per acre for manuring, was the most 

 expensive, of all. 



SUMMARY. 



(1) The surface soil on an area of approximately 7,000 acres, or 

 about one-fourth of the Huntley project, is a heavy, impervious clay, 

 containing alkali salts in amounts that are not tolerated by most crop 

 plants. The total salt content of the virgin soil to a depth of 4 feet 

 on the experiment tract averages about 1.7 per cent and consists 

 principally of the sulphates of sodium, calcium, and magnesium. 



(2) Underlying the surface soil at depths ranging from 5 to 8 feet 

 is a stratum of sand and gravel. 



(3) During 1912 and 1913 ground water has accumulated in the 

 soil, and the ground-water level on the experiment tract has risen to 



