the land must simply be abandoned. The plot chosen for this study 
is representative of this class of land ; it is neither so wet as to be un- 
tillable, nor so badly alkalized as to be hopeless. 
1 recognize that this, like every other agricultural problem, is 
an involved one, and that it is difficult to determine to which factor 
the greatest importance should be given. In the present case, there 
are several patent questions, such as: Does the alkali present produce 
any effect upon the plant ? Is its action directly upon the plant itself 
or does it act indirectly upon the plant through its effects, mechan- 
ical or chemical, upon the soil ? Is the starvation of the plants observed 
in this case, due to an actual deficiency of available plant food, or to 
the mechanical conditions which obtained? Which is to be taken 
as the alkali in any given case, the efflorescence, the leachings from 
the soil, or the salts in the ground water, etc. 
I shall devote the subsequent portion of this study to the con- 
sideration of the soil and ground water. In this I shall consider 
the crop grown. 
I have chosen to pursue this investigation in a comparative 
way, believing that this gives the most satisfactory method of check- 
ing both observations and results. For this purpose, I selected two 
plots planted to beets by the Agricultural Department. The beets 
were of different varieties^ and the soils were both good and presum- 
ably free from alkali. The investigation was begun and carried on 
upon the assumption that the character and relative quantities of the 
soluble salts present have a direct and important bearing upon the 
amount and character of the mineral matters taken up. 
The experiments made in California with sugar beets on alkali 
soil could not give results necessarily applicable to our case, be- 
cause our alkali is quite different. The efflorescence, or alkali 
crusts, are the same, or essentially so, but the leachings of the soil are 
quite different; ours is much poorer in sodic carbonate and much 
richer in calcic sulphate. Our alkali crusts are correctly so called, 
but the salts held in solution in the ground waters, and the leach- 
ings of the soil, are both so rich in calcic sulphate that it seems a 
misnomer to speak of them as alkali, and it should be borne in mind 
that throughout this bulletin no distinction has been made between 
the incrustation forming on the soil and the soluble salts in the soil, 
though there is a great difference between them. The incrustations 
are sodic and magnesic sulphates, with small quantities of calcic sul- 
phate and sodic chloride, together amounting to about six per cent., 
while the water residue is largely calcic sulphate, with sodic and 
magnesic sulphates in smaller quantities. 
A brief description of the soil, and a statement of the general 
condition of alkalization, may be given in this place. 
