CROPS ON ALKALI LAND, HUNTLEY PROJECT, MONTANA. 19 
In ordinary seasons irrigation will probably not be necessary. If 
practiced at all, it should be done so early that the ground will not be 
too wet for plowing at the time the crop is ready to plow under. To 
obtain the maximum amount of growth, plowing should be deferred 
until the rye is well headed, but the land should be plowed before the 
grain has begun to fill. Fairly deep plowing — from 7 to 10 inches — 
is necessary in order to cover the green-manure crop thoroughly. In 
plowing the crop under, a chain or rod attached to the plowbeam 
ahead of the plow will turn all of the rye into the furrow, so that it 
will be well covered. After plowing, it is advisable to disk and har- 
row the ground thoroughly. Cultivation during the summer after 
every rain of any consequence is necessary in order to prevent crusting 
and to keep the soil in good tilth. 
Requirements for permanent reclamation. — Before any permanent 
benefit can be expected from any method of soil treatment it will be 
necessary that adequate drainage be provided in all cases where the 
water table has risen to within 3 or 4 feet of the surface. Where 
drainage systems have been installed, irrigation by means of the bor- 
dered plat system to promote leaching, together with frequent culti- 
vation, should also prove effective in washing out the alkali salts. 
The time required for reclaiming these lands will depend upon the 
amount of salts in the soil and the condition of the soil. It seems 
likely, from the results so far obtained, that treatments covering from 
one to three years will be necessary before satisfactory crop returns 
can be expected. 
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WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1914 
