Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-11-18
SCIENCE AND THE SOIL
orsllTS ARE PULLING TO SCIENTISTS,


u.osnington, Nov. THE division OF
oils Of the agricultural department,
'~h,ch was established a couple OF
..ors ago, Is conducting some of the
.ost Interesting experiments Of the de-
.-,rsnt. Prof. Milton Whitney who
lin -,butge of the division, is engaged
rr,. ient in the investigation of the
'n,notl, conditions of moisture and
,.r,perature In their relation to the To-
cal dstribution Of crops.
The work has a scope as broad as
the country. 1t will eventually embrace
all the soils and staple crops, and In
To relation to the future of the coun-
,rv when crops must be specialized un-
dsr the intensified system of argcul-
tpre. which must come to our farmers
In n few years. 1t promises to be of
the utmost economic and practical
value
If practical utility will be the deter
,nination' of the normal water contents
ofthe different soils in various portions
~ the country, their capacity for the
ABSORPTION and retention Of moisture,
Win The amount of moisture required
iy diferent crops, together with meth
dds Tor ascertaininC the points which
lack the most feasible methods of irri-
CATION A.. w..
s,ls. made with the aid of the weather
bureau. which covers lower California,
,be san Joaquin valley and the great
palouse district, comprising the fer
iIie wheat growing districts of Callfor-
,ia washington and Montana, the
Nfu1lay the Rod IFiNnr Vnl-
iey and also the Mojave and Nevada
deserts have developed some most as
touhdng facts, and some which the
department of agriculture is not yet
able to explain.
Prof Whitney says the history OF
these soils will make the most remark
able chapter in the history of the
worlds agriculture. Although these
eoils excepting the Red River and
desert districts mentioned, have only
from one-fifth to one-half of the an
nual rainfall received by the territory
cast Of the Mississippi river that is,
from seven to twenty inches), they
seldom If ever, suffer from drought
Moreover, practically all the rainfall
they do receive comes in the fall and
winter seasons. Only n slight fraction
falls during the summer months when
the crops are growing. Yet the crops
DO not suffer.
An investigation of these for West
prn soils has shown that they are
largely made up of the dsintegration
Of the orlgiual hnsaltic rock, and that
here Is little difference between the
soils and sub soils, difference very
marked in the East. They have a re-
markable power for absorption Of mois-
turp. and do not readily lose 1t by
evaporation. although the humidity
Of the atmosphere during the growing
season is much lower than In the East.
Thus, the crops. by suhsisting 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 about 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,
hut the moisture Is absorbed and trans
mltted by the soils. There Is no sur
face application of water.
In Southern California the winter
rainfall is about sixteen inches; the
summer rainfall less than one inch and
without irrigation tobacco and other
IN this district, sugar heets, which re-
puire a great amount of moisture, grow
famOusly. The surface soil dries out
in the summer, forming a dry crust
or mulch, which seems to protect the
soil beneath.
III lilt ulNlTltI HUNuI w ana wa AHA
Bozeman and Pullman, termed the
palouse district, the annual rainfall
varies from ten TO twenty inches, In
which from one to ten inches fall dur
ing the season Of the growing crops.
yet owing to the wonderful power of
the soil to retain water and Supply II
to the crops, a drought of months Is
less Injurious there than ono of the
same number of weeks In the East,
where the annual rainfall is about
forty inches.
In the Moiave and Nevada deserts
the annual rainfall averages about i've
inches but beneath the alkali crusts
the soil Is always moist, fact which
the scientists have as yet becn unable
10 explain. In fact, little Is known of
the power OF the soils to hold water.
As arteslan wells show wnter In all
these districts from 40 to 200 feet be-
low the surface, II Is considered pos
sible that there Is slow and contlnu-
Gus movement of water upward from
The artesian sources. which are beyond
the Influences OF local climate. THIS
Is especially believed to he true of the
desert districts. whore the moisture OF
the soil cannot he explained on the
theory that the soil could retain It's
moisture from the insignificant rain
ihl BY placing electrodes in the soil
IN all these places at various denths
ron n few inches to twenty-five feet.
u "a believed that in the future the
direction and Intensity of what might
DO termed the water waves of the earth
can be- accurately determined.
The use Of the electrodes for de-
,rmlnng the moisture Of the earth
mas been quite extensively employed
IN thr East and with very satisfactory
results The principle made use of Is
me resistance afforded by the earth
az different depths 10 the passage of an
alternating current OF electricity. If
me earth is absolutely dry, OF course
tne resistance would be too great for
me passage of the current. As the
moisture Increases water being n
perfect conductor, the resistance de-
sFeases. In truck farming and enr-
zen work, where cultivation is intense,
" believed that the use of these
Electrodes which require but two or
unIeg ordinary cells for their operation.
.ah pe made with great profit by those
, MN are at all scientific in their