279 
of Edinburgh, Session 1878-79. 
higher level than the surrounding land, or to the system of flush 
irrigation, which is often so wastefully carried out as to swamp the 
lands watered. Moreover, in many cases the canals and their dis- 
tributaries have been so carelessly aligned as to interfere seriously 
with the surface drainage. The canal water, itself containing 
more or less of these sodium salts in solution, is a new and 
inexhaustible source of reh, and though the process in this case 
may be slow, it is sure, ultimately, to result in the appearance of 
reh and the consequent unproductiveness of the land. 
Various remedies for this state of things have been suggested, 
some of them very desperate, such as an entire remodelling of the 
canals, or an extensive system of deep drainage, or the substitution 
of what is called “ lift ” for “ flush ” irrigation, which would mean 
that every drop of water used be lifted from reservoirs and dis- 
tributed over the land by manual labour. All efforts to reclaim 
land once infected with reh, by cultivation or otherwise, have 
proved abortive. 
Mr J. Wilson, M.A. Edin., Assistant Settlement Officer, having 
sent a small sample of reh to Professor Wilson, with the request that 
it be analysed, the investigation was kindly intrusted to me, and 
I now beg to lay before the Society the results of my analysis. 
Results of Analysis of Sample of Reh. 
Moisture 
Insoluble inorganic residue* 
2*5 
68T 
95 
0*1 
0- 35 
0*35 
12*1 
3*6 
1- 9 
0-7 
trace 
/ Na . 
Fe . 
Organic matter 
\Mg 
99-2 
* Organic matter insoluble in water was not estimated. 
