Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-03-23
THE sOIL-TEsT CONFERENCE.
MIR. whitney to Come Before the
Board with Further Advice.

Colonel Thomas Whitehead and Major
II. V. Gaines have returned from Wash
ington. where they attended the meetings
OF the Committee on Analytical and Ag-
ricultural Chemistry of the State Board
OF Agriculture of Virginia. This commit
tee Is composed of Major Gaines and Mr..
Absalom Koiner and at the conferences
held in the national capital Hon. ).
Wexford Corbin. president of the board,
and the Commissioner were also present.
DR.. McBryde. of the Agricultural and
Mechanical College. was detained by
sickness and the weather.
The object OF the meeting in Washing
ton was to confer with Hon. Milton
Whitney, of the United States Agricul-
tural Department as 10 the best means
Of introducing in Virginia experimental
stations for the purpose Of making soil
tests throughout the State. The board
had previously adopted q general plan.
but had left the details of its introduc>
ton and it's working to this committee.
Two lengthy conferences were held with
Mr.. Whitney. and the views Of that gem
tleman were fully laid before the Virginia
body.
TO COME TO VIRGINIA.
A great deal of general information a.
20 the manner OF conducting these tests
Whitney, who agreed TO come down to
Virginia and visit the Tidewater, Middle
and Piedmont sections for the purpose of
seeing for himself exactly what the State
needs in this respect. and TO famliariZe
himself with the soils Of sections of this
Commonwealth. Mr.. Whitney will also
appear before the State Board Of Agri-
culture when IL meets here April 9th, and
will at that time give that body such
further statistics. information, and sug-
yestions as may be at his command.
1t is proposed by the board to establish
at least nine of theee soil-test stations in
Virginia They will be located upon
farms, and the tests TO be made will be
not only to ascertain the adaptability oil
the land, but to find out its requirements
and Just what Is needed to bring 1t TO a
desirable condition. These experiments
are to be made under the direction of the
State Board of Agriculture. free Of cost.
and IL is believed they will be of untold
value to the farmers of Virginia.
OUTLINE OF THE WORK.
Major Gaines. who is chairman OF the
committee sums, up the general objects
Of this movement as follows:
]. To formulate plans and arrange de-
,ails for soil tests.
2 To organize the corps Of experiment.
ers.
3. To select characteristic soils for the
location OF these soil tests.
4. To proceed at once in the preparation
OF a soil map for the State of Virginia.
and to make mechanical and physical
analyses OF the respective soils of the
State.
s. To investigate the climatic conditions
OF Virginia in their relation 10 the de-
velopment and yield Of crops.
6. To investigate relations which the
Characteristic soils Of Virginia bear TO
moisture and heat, and the effect of
these agencies upon their production and
their adaptation 10 certain crops.
T. The changes made in the physical
conditions OF our soils by different fertil-
tiers, and the relations these changes bear
20 the moisture and the availability Of
the plant food contained in the soils.
This is a joint work between the com
mittee and Mr.. Whitney. But the COM
mittee will deal with the soil in the rela-
ton Of It's constituent elements to plant
growth. while Mr.. Whitney will deal
with the climatic conditions affecting
plant growth-that Is. the range Of tenn
perature, the rainfall and the quantity
of moisture retained by the soil. He also
makes mechanical and physical analyses
of the SOIL studies the effect which fer
tilIzers produce In changing the mechani-
cal relations OF soil element.