A study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of polysaccharides on certain important physical properties of an irrigated soil compared to other well-known brack-soil reclamation agents, viz. gypsum, sulphur, potassium sulphate and manure. Field-plot trials were carried out on a sandy loam to sandy clay loam being predominantly saline-sodic, but the plots were freely interspersed with spots of a sodic nature. The source of the polysaccharides used was molasses meal, a waste product of the sugar-cane processing industry, which is mainly used as a stock feeding concentrate. The experiment was conducted under rigidly arid climatic conditions in the southern Cape Province, and a minimum of irrigation water was used. Five months after application of the ameliorants soil samples were taken and analysed. Effects on infiltration rate, modulus of rupture and bulk density of soil briquettes, aggregate stability, pH, total salt content of the saturated soil paste extract as well as sodium adsorption ratio, Na K ratio, chloride content and carbonate plus bicarbonate contents thereof, were measured. Results proved the instant as well as long-term effectiveness of molasses meal and its superiority to the other ameliorants. Physical soil properties were drastically improved after a relatively short period of presence of molasses meal in the soil whilst total salt content, pH and SAR remained unchanged. The only chemical alterations noted in the case of this treatment were in the Na K ratio and in the carbonate plus bicarbonate content. The former was attributed to the relatively high content of K + in the molasses meal and the latter to intense microbial activity. However, neither the much heavier application of K + by potassium sulphate causing a very favourable Na K ratio, nor an equal amount of manure could bring about the same improvement in physical soil conditions as did molasses meal. So it was tentatively concluded that the aggregating powers ot the polysaccharides in molasses meal may be stronger than the dispersing forces of the Na +-ions adsorbed in these soils.