20 
Colorado Experiment Station 
ALKALI FROM UNCULTIVATED LAND 
Sample taken from near Parma. The portion soluble in water equalled 27.55 
percent 
Analytical results Combined 
Percent 
Percent 
Carbon . 
0.070 
Carbon . 
0.070 
Silicic acid . 
0.165 
Calcic sulfate. 
3.474 
Sulfuric acid. 
54.222 
Magnesic sulfate . 
0.462 
Carbonic acid. 
0.358 
Potassic sulfate. 
0.652 
Phosphoric acid. 
0.152 
Sodic sulfate . 
91.507 
Chlorin . 
0.632 
Sodic carbonate . .. 
0.863 
Calcic oxid .* 
1.431 
Sodic phosphate. 
0.352 
Magnesic oxid . 
0.155 
Sodic r, hlorid . 
1.043 
Potassic oxid . 
0.352 
Sodic silicate . 
0.334 
Sodic oxid. 
41.506 
Ferric and Alum, oxids. 
0.001 
Ferric and Alum, oxids. 
0.001 
Manganic oxid (br).... 
0.338 
Manganic oxid . 
0.338 
Excess sodic oxid. 
0.143 
Ignition . 
(0.761) 
Ignition . 
(0.761) 
Sum . 
100.143 
Total . 
100.000 
Oxygen equivalent to 
chlorin . 
.143 
Total . 
100.000 
It is not safe to assume that the alkali covering' this large area 
was identical in the details of its composition, but it is safe to assume 
that this analysis represents the general character of all of the alkali 
in this area, and even further, that this is the general type of alkali 
occurring in this whole section of the valley. We have other analyses 
that support this statement, but I consider it needless to indicate how 
general this type of alkali is. I took a sample of alkali within the limits 
of the town of Alamosa which on analysis proved to consist of up¬ 
wards of 96.0 percent of sodic sulfate. This alkali occurred very 
abundantly at the point where it was collected and the following note 
entered at the time the sample was collected may be of some interest: 
“The lot adjoining the one from which this sample was collected, was 
improved and the house occupied. The lawn (blue grass) was excellent, and 
the garden in fine condition. Com, beets, peas, cabbage, carrots and pota¬ 
toes were growing thriftily.” 
Another sample of alkali collected near La Jara some 16 miles 
south of the Alamosa sample, contained 25.5 percent of water-soluble 
of which 91.0 percent was sodic sulfate. Two samples of soil were 
taken with this last sample. One of them represented the top 2 inches 
of soil of a cultivated field; the other one represented the succeeding 
4 inches. The following partial statement will suffice for our pur¬ 
pose : 
