ANALYSES OF ARTESIAN WATERS OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 267 
A large amount of valuable work has been performed in India 
and America with regard to the use of artesian waters for irrigation 
purposes, where in places great difficulty has occurred as to the rise 
of “reh” in the soils. Our soils in the western districts, where these 
artesian bores are situated, being of a sandy nature and good depth, 
a water containing a fair amount of saline matter could be used for 
irrigation, where the same water if applied to another class of soil for 
some years, especially if a system of drainage was not properly carried 
out, and occasionally the soluble salts worked out, would cause the soil 
to become saturated, and in time kill all useful vegetation. It has been 
found in America that the carbonate of soda is the worst form of salt 
that has to be contended against in the use of these saline waters for 
irrigation purposes. It renders the soil caustic and corrosive, and 
dissolves the humus, which is shown by the dark colour of the water 
standing on alkali spots, and the black rings left when such water 
evaporates. By the use of gypsum (calcium sulphate) in small 
quantities its corrosive action can be remedied to a great extent. A 
chemical action takes place, the gypsum in contact with the carbonate 
of soda forming carbonate of lime and sulphate of soda (Glauber’s 
salt). The first is beneficial to the soil, and the latter is a neutral 
salt, which, according to Professor E. W. Hi! gird, is from ten to 
twenty times less injurious than the carbonate of soda. In America, 
in districts affected with the carbonate of soda in the soil, it has been 
found in numerous cases that the simple use of gypsum, conjointly 
with summer tillage to keep the soil loose, has sufficed to enable land 
that never before produced anything of value to bear abundant crops. 
By the aid of deep tillage and rotation of crops it is often possible 
to absorb a large amount of these soluble salts or “reh” in the plants. 
Beets, carrots, and many other root crops are known to absorb a large 
amount of soluble salts. (Vide Be ports of Examinations of Water 
and Water Supply, by Professor E. W. Hilgaru, Agricultural Experi- 
mental Station, University of California.) 
As already pointed out, many of the soils in the districts where 
irrigation has been carried on in America and India contain already 
a fair proportion of “reh” — i.e., highly soluble saline matter. 
In a report* furnished by the Government of India, by E. E. 
Oliver, Esq., Department of Punjab, it is pointed out that “reh” 
is rarely developed in sandy soils. Mr. Ibbertson, another Indian 
authority on irrigation, says : “ Within his knowledge it never appears 
in sand. It is seldom very apparent in stiff clayey soils ; but loam is 
affected to an enormous extent.” 
In India, the antidote used for land affected with “reh” is 
nitrate of lime ; this salt was recommended by Dr. Brown, late 
Chemical Examiner to the Punjab District, who showed that, mixed 
with the injurious salts of “ reh,” decomposition occurs, and nitrate of 
soda with the sulphates and carbonates of lime are produced ; these 
salts being directly beneficial to vegetation, the nitrate of soda supply- 
ing the plants with the nitrogen they so much need, and sulphate of 
lime absorbing ammonia from the air. 
* Report on Ileh, Swamp, and Drainage of the Western Jumna Canal Districts, 
1881. Lahore Public Works Dept. Press. 
