The Agricultural Ledger 1901 (Mineral and Metallic Series No. 18)

The Agricultural The Utilisation of the Chaptier I. from the surface and the constant upward movement of water from the excessive supply so near the surface tend to bring up all the soluble salts and accumulate them at the surface thus giving rise to the formation known as reh. [...] The next important steps in the investigation of the subject are detailed in the Correspondence relating to the deterioration of lands from the presence in the soil of reh " which was published in 1864 as No. [...] Climate then is one controlling factor ; but the rate of accumultion of the salts is affected to a very important extent by the condition of the surface of the soil and by the size of its particles as these affect the rate of evaporation. [...] During the end of September and the whole of October the heat of the sun is very great and duing the rest of the cold weather the heat is at any rate sufficient to maintain a brisk rate of evaporation. [...] Thus the existing usar soils are in every way fitted to secure a maximum accumulation of salts at the surface.* The irregularity of the surface distribution of the alkali has always attracted attention It may perhaps be explained as in the main the result of two causes—(a) difference in the original alluvial depsits and (b) the annually recurring struggle of the vegetation.