LXIV. CHEMICAL NATURE OF THE SOILS OF N.S.W. 
on the subject of alkaline soils. I may add our own obser- 
vations on soils which had become charged with alkali from 
continuous flooding without efficient drainage or correctives. 
Such soils are very rich in mineral plant-food, notably in 
potash, but deficient in humus and in nitrogenous matter. 
Their capacity for water is reduced. The soils become 
hard, so hard that some of the samples had to be taken by 
means ofa crowbar. The tendency of continued irrigation 
with alkaline water is to destroy the organic matter, the 
soil becoming cemented together so as to render tillage 
operations difficult and finally impossible. 
A knowledge of the behaviour of these salts is of import- 
ance to us in view of the fact that a large proportion of 
our artesian water is charged with one or other of them, 
for instance— 
Cuttaburra Bore ... 300 grains NaCl per gallon. 
Opera Bore oes nce | MZRO) tires 5 ” 
Baneangle Bore... te MIE es 4A ar 
Sandy Creek Bore sino VL OB eae ” ” 
Clifton Bore a wo» 98, 4 55.-.NaaGO emer 
Osaca ...- se sac, OO. ms a5 7 
The above figures are taken from analyses published by 
J.C. H. Mingaye. 
There are many others containing over 30 grains per 
gallon of carbonate of soda. It is quite clear that the con- 
tinued use of such water, if allowed to lie on the land, 
would in course of time prove detrimental, and I have 
examined soils where the land has been thus flooded with- 
out drainage, or any attempt to correct the alkali present, 
which have shown as much as ‘9% alkali, and exhibit all 
the peculiarities described by American writers as charac- 
terising their alkali deserts. 
Speaking generally, if this kind of water has to be used, 
it should be employed with judgment, and care should be 
