The Salt Content of Some Soils near the Salt Plain in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma, in Relation to Crop Production 1

The Alfalfa County salt plain lies south of the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River, about 4 miles east of Cherokee, Oklahoma. It covers an elliptical area of about 60 square miles. The plain is practically level, and is absolutely devoid of vegetation except for a few grassy mounds near the edge. The farm land surrounding the plain is slightly higher than the plain and is nearly level. It is used primarily for wheat production, although some other crops, such as grain sorghums, corn, oats, Sudan grass, barley, and alfalfa, are grown to a limited extent. Native grass, largely Andropogon scoparius and A. furcatus, is found surrounding and even growing on the grassy hammocks occurring within the borders of the salt bed. There is, however, a considerable acreage of land lying southwest and northwest of the plains proper in which scattered areas occur where the salt content is such as to make them unproductive. Such areas are commonly found in the wheat fields, and are so numerous and of sufficient size as to reduce greatly the yield of wheat. The boundary between excellent wheat and absolutely barren soil is usually sharp and quite distinct, though in some instances narrow borders of inferior crops occur. Twelve sandy loams, 16 loams, 16 silt loams, 4 silty clay loams, 43 sandy clay loams, and 18 clay soils were studied.