58 FORAGE CONDITIONS ON NOETHEEN BOEDER OF GEEAT BASIN. 



of course there is a temptation to use it too freely at this season, 

 often resulting in allowing the fields or portions of them to remain 

 flooded for three da}'s or more at a time. In a number of instances 

 attempts were being made to secure a stand of alfalfa on land 

 which evidently contained considerable quantities of salt. While it 

 has been demonstrated that, when once established, this crop will thrive 

 in more alkali than will serve to effectually prevent germination, or at 

 least to destroy the young seedlings, it is doubtful whether the effort 

 to secure a stand in such land without treatment for the purpose of 

 neutralizing the effect of the salt is warranted. The sowing of 

 alfalfa on poorty drained land often results in disappointment. This, 

 however, is usually of no consequence on black sage lands, for the 

 drainage here is usually good, and whatever failures occur on such 

 soils are due more often to improper preparation of the land, resulting 

 in inability to property distribute the water. In such cases some por- 

 tions receive too little water, while in others it is allowed to remain 

 long enough to destroy the crop. The latter is especially likely to 

 occur in the spring of the year, when the flood waters are abundant 

 and there is a liability to desire to use them as much as possible. It is 

 doubtful whether alfalfa can be grown to the best advantage on the 

 lower bottoms, mainly on account of poor drainage. One or two fields 

 planted in such localities were carefully studied, and from information 

 received concerning them it was learned that the land needed reseeding 

 much oftener than better-drained areas. The lower bottoms are much 

 better adapted to growing redtop and timothy. 



