XUESjERY PRACTICE FOR PRAIRIE-PLAINS PLANTING 



0/ 



Table 15. — Analysis of a water sample front Abilene, Kans., considered barely 

 acceptable for use ery irrigati*' 



Component 



Analysis 



Remarks 



1. Total solids 



_ anic and volatile matter. 



3. Insoluble matter 



4. Iron, manganese, and aluminum. 



5. Sodium 



6. Magnesium 



Iciam 



8. Chlorine ion (soluble chlorides) 



far trioxide (soluble sulfates' . 



10. Bicarbonic acid ion (soluble bicarbonates). 



HYPOTHETICAL CHEMICAL COM BIN ATI 

 ACID AND BASIf IONS 



11. Sodium chloride 



2 - ram sulfate 



13. Sodium bicarbonate. 



14. Sodium carbonate 



15. Magnesium sulfate. .. 



16. Calcium si : ."• 



17. Calcium bicarbonate. 



lv Calcium carbonate. __ 



HAEDXK". AS CALCIUM CARBONATE 



19. Permanent hardness. 



20. Temporary hardness. 



21. Total baldness 



22. Xitrites 



''arts per 







88.0 



19.2 



( J ) 



11.3 

 23.5 

 130.4 



320.0 



25.3 

 C) 



116.7 

 106.7 



247 



175 6 

 247 



-. 

 ( 2 ) 



23. pH. 



High; much above average. 



High; above average but in keeping with total 

 solids. 



Relatively low. 



Not determined exactly but of the order of 

 1.5 to 2.0 p. p. m., at least one-half alumi- 

 num; relatively high if all iron or iron and 

 manganese; not likely to produce red or 

 brown «tain on white ware. 



Relatively low. 



Relatively high. 



Very high. 



Average or little above. 



Very high. 

 Do. 



Average or little above. 



Not unusual. 



Not unusual: bicarbonate alkalinity: little 



above average. 

 A m^re trace in this instance: not enough to 



be sienifi' .- 

 Very high. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Very high; chemically equivalent to item 17; 



precipitated on evaporation of water. 



Very high. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Sufficiently high to cause water to be viewed 

 with much suspicion if used for drinking 

 purposes: should be boiled if drunk: not 

 proof of bacterial contamination. 

 Relatively high (7.2 1 : definitely alkaline. 



• Analysis by C. J. Frankforter, Chemist, University of Nebraska. Lincoln. Nebr. 

 - Small, indeterminate quantity. 



An analysis is given m table 16 of water from a South Dakota well 

 considered unfit for use in a deciduous-plant nursery. The high con- 

 tent of sodium compounds (items 11 to 14) and the high pH (item 23 i 

 indicate the probability of a rapid build-up of harmful alkalis and 

 salts sufficient to cause eventual abandonment of the nursery site. 

 Sodium is one of the most toxic elements in alkalis and in appreciable 

 quantities will result in harm to most plant life. 



The significance of pH value in relation to prolonged use of water 

 for irrigating forest nurseries is not thoroughly understood, but it 

 may be of interest to state that in one North Dakota nursery water 

 with a pH of 7.2 raised the pH of the nursery soil from 6.6 to 7.6 

 in 2 years. The water had 187 p. p. m. of total dissolved solids. 

 largely in the form of calcium carbonate and bicarbonate. The build- 

 up of pH did not affect the hardwood stock in the least, but for the 

 more sensitive conifers, especially jack pine, it was necessary to apply 

 at time of seeding one avoirdupois ounce of aluminum sulfate per 



