The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-18
MOISTURE IN THE SOIL
INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
Some Astonishing Discoveries Which
pIain-Use of the Electrodes.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1.-THE division of
soils of the Agricultural Department, which
was established couple of years ago, is
conducting some of the most interesting ex-
periments of the department. Prof Milton
Whitney, who is in charge of the division
is engaged at present in the investigation
of the climatic conditions of moisture and
temperature in their relation to the local
distribution of crops. The work has scope
as broad as the country. 1t will eventually
embrace all the soils and staple crops, and
in its relation to the future of the country
when crops must be specialized under the
intensified system of agriculture which must
come to our farmers in z few years it prom
ises to be of the utmost economic and prac-
teal value Its practical utility will be the
determination of the normal water contents
of the different soils in various portions
of the country, their capacity for the alb
sorption and retention of moisture, with the
amount of moisture required by different
crops, together with methods for ascertain
ing the point which lack of moisture would
endanger and the most feasible methods of
irrigation. Thus far the investigation has
covered 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 matter of tobacco growing
that tobacco wrappers which are growing
on the light soils of Connecticut require but
z per cent. of moisture, while the filters,
which are best grown on the heavy soils of
Pennsylvania and Ohio, require 20 per cent.
The investigation of wheat and the actual
amount of water required for it's maturity
will follow next, and subsequently the data
as to other crops.
The investigation of the Western soils,
made with the aid of the Weather Bureau,
which covers lower California the San
Joaquin valley, the great Palouse district,
comprising the fertile wheat growing dis
tricts of California, Washington and Mon
tana, the Yellowstone valley, the Red river
valley and also the Mohave and Nevada
deserts, has developed some most astound-
ing 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 chap
tiers in the history of the worlds agricul-
ture. Although these soils, excepting the
Red river and GeSert districts mentioned,
have only from One-fftn to One-half of the
annual rainfall received by the territory
east of the Mississippi river (that is from
seven to twenty inches) they do seldom, if
ever suffer from drought. Moreover, prac-
tically all the rainfall they do receive comes
in the fall and winter seasons. Only a
slight fraction falls during the summer
months, when crops are growing. Yet the
crops do not suffer. An investigation of
these far Western soils has shown that they
are largely made up of the disintegraton
of the original basaltic rock, and that there
is Sittle difference between the soils and
SuDSOilS difference very marked in the
East. They have a remarkable power for
absorption of moisture and do not readily
lose it by evaporation, although the humid
ity of the atmosphere during the growing
season is much lower than in the East
Thus the crops. by subsisting the winter
rains, can stand long periods OF drought.
In the San Joaquin valley, the great
grape-growing region of California, the an
nual rainfall is but seven inches and from
May to September only about ix-tenths of
an inch falls, yet the vines flourish through
out the season. 1t is true they are irri-
gated by canals, but the moisture is abb
sorbed and transmitted by the soils. There
is no surface application of water. In
southern California the winter rainfall is
about sixteen inches. the summer rainfall
less than an inch, and without irrigation
tobacco and other crops grow luxuriantly
At Chino, in this district, sugar beets,
which require a great amount OF moisture,
grow famously. The surface soil dries out
III the summer, forming a dry crust or
mulch, which seems to protect the soil be-
meath.
In the districts about MERGED Walla
Walla, Bozeman and Pullman. termed the
Palouse district the annual rainfall varies
one to ten inches fall during the season of
the growing crops, yet owing to the won
derfui power of the soil to retain water and
supply 1t to the crops a drought of months
is less injurious there than one of the same
number of weeks in the East, where the an
nual rainfall Is about forty inches.
In the Red river valley the difference of
the soils about Bismarck, when cpntrasted
with those about Fargo and Jamestown
where the crops depend upon timely rain
fall, renders the crops about Bismarck very
uncertain while those of Fargo and James
town seldom fail. In the Mohave and Ne
vada deserts the annual rainfall averages
about five inches but beneath the alkali
crusts the soil is always moist fact which
the scientists have as yet been unable to
explain. In fact, little is yet known of the
power of the soils to hold water. AS ar
tesian wells show water in all these districts
from forty to two hundred feet below the
surface, it is considered possible that there
is slow and continuous movement of water
upward from the artesian sources which
are beyond the influence of local climate.
This is especially believed to be true of the
desert districts, where the moisture of the
soil cannot be explained on the theory that
the soil could retain its moisture from the
insignificant rainfall 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 direc-
tion and intensity of what might be termed
the water waves of the earth can be ac-
curately determined.
The use of the electrodes for determining
the moisture of the earth has been quite ex-
tensively employed in the East, and with
very satisfactory results The principle
made use of is the resistance afforded by
the earth at different depths to the passage
of an alternating current Of electricity. If
the earth is absolutely dry of course the re-
Sistance would be too great for the passage
of the current AS the moisture increases
water being perfect conductor, the resist
ance decreases. In truck farming and gar
den work where cultivation is intense, 1t is
believed the use Of these electrodes which
require but two three ordinary cells for
their operation, can be used with great
profit by those who are at all scientific in
their methods.