ALKALI SALTS 399 



310. The handling of alkali lands.^ — Ordinarily there 

 are two general ways in which alkali lands may be handled 

 in order to avoid the injurious effect of soluble salts. 

 The first of these is eradication, the second may be 

 designated as control. In the former case, an at- 

 tempt is made to actually eliminate by various means 

 some of the alkali. In the latter, methods of soil 

 management are employed which will keep the salts 

 weirdistributed throughout the soil. In many cases 

 soils would grow excellent crops if the alkali could 

 only be kept well distributed through the soil layers 

 so that no toxic action could occur, at least within 

 the root zone. In general, steps should always be taken 

 toward the control of alkali, whether eradication is at- 

 tempted or not. Under irrigation, careful control is 

 always wise. 



311. Eradication of alkali. — Of methods designed to 

 at least partially free the soil of alkali, the commonest 

 are : (1) leaching with underdrainage, (2) correction with 

 gypsum, (3) scraping, and (4) flushing. 



312. Leaching with underdrainage. — Of the various 

 methods for removing an excess of soluble salts, the use 

 of tile drains is the most thorough and satisfactory. 

 When this method is used in an irrigated region, heavy 

 and repeated applications of water must be made, to 

 leach out the alkali from the soil and drain it off through 

 the tile. When used for the amelioration of alkali spots 



1 Dorsey, C. W. Reclamation of Alkali Soils. U. S. D. A., 

 Bur. Soils, BuL 34. 1906. Also, Hilgard, E. W. Utilization 

 and Reclamation of Alkali Lands, Soils. New York, 1911. 

 Also, Brown, C. F., and Hart, R. A. Reclamation of Seeped 

 and Alkal^ Lands, Utah Agr. Exp. Sta., BuL 111. 1910. 

 Also, Dorsey, C. W. Reclamation of Alkali Soils at BiUings, 

 Montana. U. S. D. A., Bur. Soils, BuL 44. 1907. 



