A laboratory study was conducted with 2 objectives: i. to determine the effects of salinization on the cation composition of saturation paste and soil solution extracts and ii. to determine the accuracy with which the saturation extract, the traditionally used method, reflects the composition of the soil solution, the ionic medium in which plant roots reside. A factorial experiment including 5 sulfate salt species each applied at 5 rates was established in a loamy sand soil and the composition of the 2 extracts was determined after equilibration.