Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1886-08-26
The Great Superiority Of Western
Over Eastern Kansas Soil.
lGanien,Citr uersld.l

The discovery, through number OF
practical experiments. that the soil Of
Southwestern Kansas is one vast bed Of
mari to the depth of fifty or more feet,
and because Of its being mari that veg
citation growing in it can withstand a
wonderful and unequalled degree the
effects of dry weather, is happily veri-
fed by clear and satisfactory explana-
ton Of what seems phenomenal quality
of soil. 1t is phenomenal, because its
equal for fertility and certainty Of pro-
duction is not known. Where, except
in Southwestern Kansas, can soil be
dug fifty feet in depth with every sue
cessiye foot of depth richer, more pro-
ductive, any more drouth proof, than
the soil above it. There must be a rea-
son for everything and the reason for
this extraordinary combination of plant
producing properties, which the soil be-
ing found to possess is given by Prof.
Robert Hay in the following letter to
Judge Bailey. editor Of Garden City
Cultivator. Those who desire to un-
derstand why mari withstands drouth
can comprehend the question better b.
a careful perusal Of Prof. Hays expla-
| nation:
| DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
Letter from Professor Hay.
Hon. L. d. Bailey.
DEAR SIR:-* snow about the 'mcrl,' you
I
do not indicate that you have any difficulty in
recognizing it in the position have ascrbcd to it,
have called it marl because it is marty, and be-
cause that term is not one Of very exact meaning.
and therefore suitable to deposit which, having
extensive area, has some variation Of structure
I have not had it analysed. think, however, Dr.
A. G. Peale of this survey, would analyze one or
twO samples for you, as he is investigating miner
slogcaliy western formations. If you do this, get
two or three samples from localities mile apart,
and from the i-otton, of an exposure and one from
near the top, close under the soil You might
write and ask I'm first. Address him at the Office
OF this survey, Washington, D. c.
1t is manifest witt out analysis tina; the mari
contains both lime and silicon and the facts Of the
fertility of your plains In tie presence OF moisture
proof that they are in the roper physical form
plant food. There are variations. "a I have said,
in its structure There is more clay sometimes,
sometimes more sand sometimes more Eue. /
know one place on the north fork of the Solomon,
where it is made Up almost altogether Of broker
up chalk of the neighborhood. But notwithstand-
ing variations in different localities, it is singular
ly uniform in character throughout its depth in
any one place, except that in some places there lie
Indication of there being two LAYERS Of it, the
lower one more sandy.
The mari is made up largely Of the broken down
material of rocks of the cretaceoue age, such as
ou,crop at Hartland, Kendall and Syracuse, and as
many OF the cretacous shalcs contain gypsum, sui
phate of lime in its crystalline form OF selnitc the
mari may be reasonably expected to contain it also
and to have its properties. There are in parts of
the west, beds of dccomposed, or weathered gyp-
sum, which arc simply a white powder This
spread the land aids its fertility. doubt no.
the bed in your cellar layer Of the white
gypsum, though there are similar beds which are
decompOsed limestone carbonate. not sulphste.
Gypsum land plaster, has value, for the lime
it contains, but it. main value IL it's power OF hold
ing water in such form that it will yield it to the
atmosphere very slowly, bat plants can take il ss
they will. Take pound Of plaster Of Paris,-you
can get it for five cents weigh quart OF water,
say Ave pounds mix water with the plaster till it
is getting stiff, work ii into the shape Of ball Or
cube, say the latter. have it free from the sides
Of the vessel and let 1t dry. Weigh the water You
nave left and you know then how much water your
pound of plaster has absorbed. Let your cube dry,
not in the sun, for couple Of days, and
weigh it; you will how little wat. r
it has lost By evaporation. You then
pound it into powder, the watcr a. well ca
the gypsum and put II to the roots OF the plants;
it is like watering them. The plants can get the
water when the air can't. Soils that
have gypsum appear dry and yet may yield
good crops. What rains comes On them
is retained TO a very great extent as their
point of saturation is not soon reached. And
every dew fall and every slight shower serves to
replenish them with moisture while soils not con-
tanning it would lose those slight supplies by al
most instant evaporation.
make the point about the tertiary mari of the
west that though not having much OF the homus or
black soil, found from decomposed plants, yet it
lie rich soil itself and every tearing of Its depth
by the pillow brings mp new matter in q fit physical
condition FOR plant food
am yours truly,
ROBERT HAY !
Inv,,r Nh July 96 1896