The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1897-11-20
LANDS N THE PACIFIC NEST
.No sETTea eoIL " 1HE WORLD.


Washington, Nov. ls.--The division of
soils Of the agricultural department.
which was established couple Of years
ago. is conducting some Of the most in
teTesting experiments Of the department.
Professor Milton Whitney, who is in
charge Of the division, Is engaged at pres-
ent in the Investigation Of the climatic
conditions Of temperature and moisture in
their relation 70 the local distribution Of
crops The work has q scope as broad
As the country. II viii 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
few years, IL promises to be Of the MT
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 PaIouse 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
vada deserts have developed some most
astounding facts and some which the de-
paTtment Of agriculture is not able to ex-
plain.
Professor Whitney says the history Of
these soils viii make the most remarkable
chapter of the worlds agriculture. Al
though these soils, excepting the Red NV
er and desert districts mentioned, have
only one-fifth TO One-haIf of the annual
rainfall received by the territory east Of
the Mississippi river-that is, from seven
10 20 inehes-they do seldom. II ever. sui
fer from drought Moreover, practically
all the rainfall they receive comes in the
fall and winter seasons
Only a 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 disintegntion Of the original hasaltic
rock, and that there is little difference
between the SOILS and snb-soils, a differ
ence marked in the east. They have a
remarkable power for absorption Of moist
ure. and do not readily lose il by evap-
grafton, although the humidity Of the at
mosphere during the growing season Is
much lower than in the east.
CALIFORNIA; LuxurEaat Growth.
Thus the crops, by snbsisting 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, vet the vines
flourish throughout the season Il 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
rainfall is about l6 inches, the summer
ainfall less than one inch, and without
irrigation tobacco and other crops grow
lnxuriantly. 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, waIla
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 il to the Z
crops, a drought of months is less injuri- 8
GUS there than one Of the same number
of weeks in the east, where the annual
rainfall is about 40 inches.