Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1897-11-26
LANDS IN THE PACIFIC WEST
NO BETTER SOIL IN THE WORLD
Investfgations by the Government
shows That Moisture Ii Held, and
the Lands Are Prolific, Although
the Rainfall II Not Heavy.

Washington, Nov. l9.--The division of
soils Of the agricultural department,
which was established couple of years
ago, is conducting some of the most in
teresting experiments of the department.
Professor Milton Whitney, who is in
charge Of the division, is engaged at pres
emit in the investigation of the climatic
conditions of temperature and moisture in
their relation to the local distribution of
crops. The work has a scope as broad
as the country. 1t will eventually en-
brace all the soils and staple crops, and
in its relation to the future of the coun-
try when crops must be specialized under
the intensified system of agriculture
which must come to our farmers in a
few years, it promises to be of the ut
most economic and practical value. Its
practical utility will be the determination
of the normal water contents of the diff
ferent soils in various portions of the
country, their capacity for the absorption
and retention Of moisture, with the
amount of moisture required for different
crops, together with methods of ascertain
ing the point which lack of moisture
would endanger crops and the most feas-
ible methods of irrigation.
The investigation of the western soils,
made with the aid of the weather bureau,
covers lower California, San Joaquin
valley and the great Palouse district,
comprising the fertile wheat growing dis
tricts of California, Washington and
Montana, the Yellowstone valley, the Red
river valley and also the Mojave and Ne
yada deserts have developed some most
astounding facts and some which the de-
partment of agriculture is not able to ex-
plain.
Professor Whitney says the history of
these soils will make the most remarkable
chapter of the worlds agriculture. Al
though these soils, excepting the Red riv-
er and desert districts mentioned, have
only one-fifth to one-half of the annual
rainfall received by the territory east of
the Mississippi iver-that is, from seven
to 20 inchesthey do seldom, if ever, suf-
fer from drought. Moreover, practically
all the rainfall they receive comes in the
fall and winter seasons.
Only slight fraction falls during the
summer months, when the crops are grow
ing. Yet the crops do not suffer. An
investigation of these far western soils has
shown that they are largely made up of
the disintegiation Of the original basaltic
rock, and that there is little difference
between the soils and sub-soils, differ
ence marked in the east. They have
remarkable power for absorption of moist
ure, and do not readily lose it by evap-
Grafton, although the humidity of the at
mosphere during the growing season is
much lower than in the east.
California's Luxuriant Growth.
Thus the crops, by subsisting on the
winter rains, can stand long periods of
drought. In the San Joaquin valley, the
great grape growing region OF California,
the annual rainfall is but seven inches,
and from May to September only about
six-tenths of an inch falls, yet the vines
flourish throughout the season. 1t is true
they are irrigated by canals, but the mois-
ture is absorbed and transmitted by the
soils There is no surface application of
water. In southern California the winter
s"iaaAoiA 10 upout ~ iuCnts, Tile summer
rainfall less than one inch, and without
irrigation tobacco and other crops grow
luxuriantly. At Chico. in this district,
sugar beets, which require great
amount of moisture, grow famously. The
surface soil dries out in the summer, form.
ing crust or mulch, which seems to pro-
tect the soil beneath.
In the Palouse.
In the districts about Milton, Walla
Walla, the Big Bend and Pullman, by the
department termed the Palouse district,
the annual rainfall varies from 10 to 20
inches, in which from one to 10 inches fall
during the season of the growing crops,
yet owing to the wonderful power of the
soil to retain water and supply it to the
crops, drought of months is less injuri-
Gus there than one of the same number
of weeks in the east, where the ANIMAL