6 The Colorado Experiment Station 
air-dried soil, quite a notable quantity. The quantity varied in 
these samples apparently independently of the other factors, i. e. the 
amount of nitric nitrogen present bears no definite and direct rela¬ 
tion to the amount of water-soluble, nor to the carbonates, nor to 
Nitric Ratio 
Total Water-Sol. Sodic Carbonate Chlorin Nitrogen N :C1. 
1 . 39,314.0 779.8 2,145.0 7.08 1:302.0 
25,500.0 1,060.0 229.5 Trace tr. :229.0 
2 . 7,500.0 236.8 300.0 36.06 1:8.3 
3,890.0 456.6 112.0 0.39 1:330.0 
3 . 20,544.0 190.6 881.5 12.33 1:72.0 
8,130.0 199.2 218.7 , 1.63 1:173.0 
4 . 8,000.0 147.2 216.0 19.20 1:11.3 
8,640.0 293.4 54.0 2.07 1 :27.0 
the chlorid present. If there is any relation to the carbonates it 
would seem that the carbonates depress the nitrates. We have given 
the ratio of nitric nitrogen to the chlorin, but it is evidently of no 
value, varying from i 1330 to 1 :8.3, and showing but very little 
or nothing. 
At this time we paid much more attention to the ground-water 
and its composition than to the variation in the composition of the 
alkali on the surface of the soil. There is no doubt obtaining but 
that the alkalization of limited areas is due to the evaporation of 
water which finds its way into them, but which has no free under¬ 
ground outlet. We made no attempt to determine how much water 
was coming into this ground, but we did try to determine the com¬ 
position of the water that came in and whether there was much, 
if any, lateral movement of the salts in the soil. The chief thing 
which interests us at this time is the variation in the substances 
held in solution both in regard to their quantity and composition. 
There were drains in some neighboring lands, supposed to cut off 
the water which would otherwise flow into this land. They were, 
however, not effective, and this water did flow into our plot. We 
made two analyses of these drain-waters with the following results 
given in parts per million: 
Nitric Ratio 
Total Solids Chlorin Nitrogen N :C1. 
Drain No. 1. 888.0 40.7 0.24 1:170 
Drain No. 2. 1,047.0 44.3 0.48 1:100 
It is evident that such water, by its evaporation, might give 
i ise to large quantities of mineral matter, but to only very moderate 
quantities of nitrates which, owing to their ready solubility, would 
probably not be deposited at all. 
The study of the ground-waters within this alkalized area 
led to some interesting observations, for instance, they show that 
the character of the total solids contained in the water is not de- 
