The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-11-19
INTERESTING tXsE .IMrNTS
As TO the Water Required by Different
Farm Plants aud the tapaciiy of Differ
enr Soils to Furnish Moissure-k.m IN k
able Facts Developed by Investig atioL .
Tel PiAiua


enr Soils to Furnish M"is'ur--k. III n r K
able Facts Developed by Investigation .
on Western Plains
Washington, November 1.-THE divi-
| sion Of soils, of the agricultural depart
ment, which was established couple
Of years ago, is conducting some of
the most interesting experiments Of the
department. Professor Miller Whitney,
who Is in charge Of the division, Is en-
gagged at present in the investigation Of
the climatic conditions Of moisture and
temperature in their relation to the To-
cal distribution Of crops. The work
will eventually embrace all the soils
and staple crops and in it's relation to
the future Of the country, when crops
must be specialized, under the intensi-
fed system Of agriculture, which must
come to our farmers in a few years, it
promises to be Of the utmost economic
and practical value. Its principal util-
ity will be the determination OF the
normal water contents Of the different
soils in various portions of the coun-
try, their capacity for the absorption
and retention Of moisture, with the
amount Of moisture required by diff
ferent crops, together with methods
for ascertaining the point at which lack
Of moisture would endanger crops and
the most feasible methods Of irriga-
ton. So far the investigation has COW
cred only truck soils in the east, to-
bacco soils and an investigation Of
western soils. Some marvellous results
have already been obtained. 1t has
been ascertained, for instance, in the
nf tobacco growing that fOhon.
CO wrappers. which are grown on the
light soils Of Connecticut, require but 7
per cent. Of moisture, while the filters,
which are best grown on the heavy
soil OF south Pennsylvania, require 10
per cent. The investigation Of wheat
and the actual amount of water reQuir-
ed for it's maturity will follow next,
and subsequently the data as to other
crops.
The investigation Of the western soils
covers lower California, the San Joa-
Quin valley. the great Palouse district,
comprising the fertile wheat growing
districts Of California, Washington and
Montana, the yellow stone valley. the
Red river valley and also the Mograve
and Nevada deserts. and has developed
some most astounding facts and some
which the department of agriculture is
not yet able to explain. Professor
Whitney says the history Of these soils
will make the most remarkable chapter
In the history Of the worlds agricul-
ture. Although these soils. excepting
the Red river and the deserts have
only from one-f1fth to one-half Of the
annual fall received by the territory
east Of the Mississippi river Chat is
from seven to twenty inches), they do
seldom, If ever, suffer from drought. In
the Mograve and Nevada deserts the
annual rain fall averages about five
inches, but beneath the alkali crusts
the soil Is always moist, a fact which
the scientists have as yet been unable
to explain. As artesian wells show
water in all these districts, from 40 to
200 feet below the surface, it is consid-
cred possible that there Is slow and
continuous movement Of water upward
| from the artesian sources which are
beyond the influences of local climate.
BY placing electrodes in the soil In
| all these places at various depths.
| from few inches to twenty-five feet
| it Is believed in the future that the di-
; rection and intensity OF what might be
termed the water waves Of the earth
can be accurately determined. The
use Of electrodes for determining the
moisture of the earth has been quite
| extensively employed in the east and
| with very satisfactory results. In truck
| farming and garden work, where culti-
| walton Is intense, 1t is believed that the
| use Of these electrodes, which require
! but two or three ordinary cells for their
| operation, can be used with great
| profit by those who are at all scientific
| in their methods. .t-.' e..