Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-06-10
AGRICULTURAL PAPERS.
A SERIES PREPARED ESPECIALLY FOB
TEE "RBcoRD-UHIoH."
Presenting Instruction Contained in Lect-
ures from the Chair OF Agricult-
ure, State University.

TWENTY. SECOND PAPER-RELArI0N OF THE
SOIL TO HEAT (eoNcLUDED).
We have seen that the temperature of
the soil is directly influenced by the spe-
cial nature OF the soil that the capillary
and microscopic coeffcients of the soil are
both instrumental in maintaining the mean
temperature, and in preventing extreme
heat or cold, either of which are fatal to
vegetation, in the soil. Since these agents
act through the surface of the soil alone,
we are prepared to fad that vegetation,
and any other matter which alters the na-
ture OF surface exposed to the heat OF the
sun. will also effect the changes of tenn
perature produced in the soil. As all
crops, more or less, shade or cover the soil,
we see that it is but seldom that the sun
acts directly upon the exposed surface soil
for an entire season, and the changes are,
therefore, generally modified largely by
the nature OF the particular crop. 1t has
long been taught that the
COLOR OF THE SURFACE SOIL
Affects very materially the amount of heat
retained and the rapidity with which it is
absorbed. Black soils are warmer than
light eolored ones, and the temperature OF
light colore6 soils may be raised several de-
grees by simply covering their surfaces
t.hia would ~ other black matter. In
E,-ro,,a tha,, r,.te nsa az tbis method 70
&c. +bri- carly frnits Melons will
-;,,o,, c,ns;derahly earlier IL the surface
sayI ba Covered with arfinch LAYER of black
s,rth FRAGMENTS NJ black CLAW slate will
scc1n,,iate the heat still more. Grapes
.nd s,naII frnits NAV he picked several DAYS
sooner from soils covered with charcoal or
othsr black earthly matter. The fruits of
Rance which are crown upon black soils
are much superior to those grown upon al
most contiguous lght-colored soils; and
on Ins hnne u os.ps n;t s,ie sra a,ts
of darn. colored CLAW slate, and which
very perceptibly betters the quality of
grapes raised. Potatoes mature several
" w. s on 10 ~, enA III, ~,
he vnrirl l,,,y the surfaces of two nlots Of the
same oualitv OF soil. one with lampblack
and the other with powdered carbonate of
mapnesia which is a white and very alb
sorotive substance. showed difference of
10 m ID degrees between the temperatures
of the hlaekened and whiteped soils.
Schpbler showed that the beat.absorbiue
mowers Of the different soils all sprinkled
with lamnblack were almost the same. if
not identical This seems to prove that
the SIMS heat was determined solely bv the
yery surface of the soil. The amount of
heat accumulated in a soil does not. how.
ever. depend solely upon the color of its
sprfaee. the relative heat. condnct;no
poyer OF the soil ingredients must also he
taken into account. In some soils esne.
.ciallv white siIicious soils
.,,.a--,
ii'i' ~" io"h"
More than exceeds the relative conducting
power of even black soils, and, therefore,
the temneratures of sneh soiIs are HIGHER
g.. ,.t. 49, c....
WAN s"ose VI oiA'A SUNS common quai V
sand is white material with a very high
heat.conducting power, and accumulates
more heat in a owen time than almost any
other soil ;ngredient Exneriments were
made mon grav;sb white onartz sand
e,ra1,;sb hI.oe ,ron;te sand a l;,ht or.v
1,;ns.ciav and several Grades Of ealcerons
soils r was fonnd fbat with tbe s.ma
ernosnrs tbe oravisb bIack Granite sand
became the xrarnest With the white ON art1
sand nert. and that these two siways
showed more heat than the bIack soils
THE degrees OF heat accumulated bv the
LIGHT soils were found TO be az follows
First a garden soil fnrobablv of q brownisb
.coIori next a vellov sandy CLAW. Their
pine CLAW a lime soil with CRYSTALLINE
grains and, lastly, white pulverulent
chalk soil gave the least heat. 1t was
tbs White onarsz sand was warmer r
than the dark granite sand. This
was no doubt due to the better con-
Quoting power OF the Quartz sind.
~, as t g.. IS =. Lee. III.
III -. a. M IT, -;
- naa. - I'll, H. LII tan.na1.tr,a -
ooa na saua 49, H q "a se 49,, l ..
80 iv ~ oS. q sae. oe ao eoASeu az AZ
. ~ =. 49, ~ IIEo go - - VIZ
t.l;ne l;pas so;l lie IN GARDEN soil i90o
= ~ -, L., oSo - 80 H.,
,,d ob.1l coil W. Gao <h,f %bara
d;Earanoa 81 aso bst,rasn ~ az
. te ra ~ tbs sand and the cbsIL
- IT, a,,,l.;.s Az 5;saat,o. &C.
s A a,; sne u.sas aI.. eSss
p,o J IL ~ ~ ,.h;nh aoss pou'
t eab o su - ST. 1.rs;oas hsna ~
s sauE A Lr~sa.eo, aae ,daff r. a.
sinai IyslosopP,o ooeo'ens .:.. IL 'ae az ~.
senoe VI 'nis nssiosoup,O n9, :. s. IRE ~ sae
son, even %as ~ pneu " .ne pia .ns
llol shs saoson - .II TaIei iooss' sne
surface TOOLS are nseraiy Dakeu 70 aea'h
anu 'ne piAn'' necessarily Aiiieu
AS GENERAL THING
The temperature of the soil decreases COM
r.n;dlv an we not be,ow tbs sur.
-, e' :,
lace Inc temperature Oh the garoen SOIL
at a depth of few inches was only about
six degrees above that of the surrounding
- ,h = ,s
dtuiOopiicfcy auu ot iOui ihOuOo ~ w 90 ouly