THE AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE HIGH TIDE. 85
salt water was harmful to submerged crops, the salt left after
the flood receded, and, especially when incorporated with the
soil, was not directly injurious to subsequent crops.
The indirect action of the salt water was, however, very
marked. The earth worms were killed off, and were seen after
the inundation strewn upon the ground, and were quickly con-
sumed by the gulls. It is only now, after nearly two years, that
young worms are beginning to re-appear.
But the injury, say the authors, was more far-reaching than
this. For some time after the flood, the soil was in a remark-
ably good condition, the reason for this being that the immediate
effect of salt is to granulate gelatinous clay, in the same way
that salts of lime are known to do. The condition of the soil,
however, gradually altered until it became difficult to work, in
dry weather hard and "cindery," and in wet the water per-
colated through the soil to the drains only half as rapidly as was
the case on the unflooded land. In order to ascertain the
chemical changes that occurred to render the flooded soil more
gelatinous, samples of the flooded and unflooded soils were
analysed, when it was discovered that the amount of lime, mag-
nesia, potash, and soda was less by one-fifth in the clay from the
former than in that from the latter. These effects appear to be
due to the chemical action of the chlorides of the sea water upon
the double silicates of the soil, which are decomposed, the
silicate of alumina being left behind in a gelatinous condition.
The writers conclude that one effect of the salt has been to
eliminate the lime and other bases from the clay, and hence the
unworkable and infertile condition of the soil.
The means by which the excess of salt might be removed
formed an interesting point for investigation. In course of time
it would certainly be eliminated by cropping, but evidence shows
that this process is too slow and expensive to be solely depended
on. Other methods must be employed, and the effectual and
practicable ones appear to be thorough cultivation and drainage,
By keeping the drains in proper working condition, the salt.
being very soluble in water, is readily carried away by rainfall.
As showing the effects of rain in a thoroughly drained soil in
removing salt, the writers mention that, in an experiment made
in the laboratory, it was found that 13/4 in. of rain water, when
allowed to filter through bin. of the soil from the flooded arable
land at Wallasea, was more than sufficient to remove almost
every trace of salt. Of course, as is pointed out, the elimination