The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-18

perature in their relation to the local
distribution of crops. The work has a
scope as broad as the country It will
eventually embrace all the soils and
staple crops, and in it's relation to the
future Of the country, when crops must
he specialized under the intensified sys-
ten Of agriculture which must come 10
our farmers in a few years, it promises
TO be Of the utmost economic and prac-
teal value.
PRACTICAL UTILITY.
It's practical utility Will be the deter
mination of the normal water contents
of the different soils in various portions
of the country, their capacity for the
absorption and retention of moisture,
with the amount of moisture required
by different crops together with meth
DDS for ascertaining the point which
lack og moisture would endanger crops
and the most feasible methods of irri-
cation.
The investigation Of the western soils,
made with the aid of the weather bu-
reau, which covers Lower California,
the San Joaquin valley and 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 MOiave and Nevada deserts.
facts. and some which the department
of agriculture is not yet able to ecI-
plain.
NO DROUGHT.
Professor Whitney says the history of
these soils Will make the most remark
able chapter in the history Of the
worlds agriculture. Although these
soils, excepting the Red River and des-
ert districts mentioned, have only from
49,
fall received by the territory east OF
the Mississippi river Chat is, from
TO 20 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 the 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 disintegration of the
original basaltic rock, and that there is
little difference between the soils and
sub-sOils, a 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 humidity of the atmos-
phere during the growing season is
much lower than in the east Thus the
crops, by subsisting on the winter
rains, can stand long periods OF
drought.
In the San Joaquin valley, the grea-
grape growing region of California, the
annual rainfall is but seven inches, ant
from May to September only about six.
tenths of an inch falls, yet the vine:
flourish throughout the season. It is
true they are irrigated by canals, bu
the moisture is absorbed and trans
mitted by the soils. There is no surface
application of water.
ABSORPTION OF WATER
In southern California the white,
rainfall is about 16 inches: the summer
rainfall less than one inch, and with
out irrigation tobacco and other crops
grow luXuriantiy. At Chino, in this
district, sugar beets, which require {
great amount of moisture, grow
famoUsly. The surface soil dries out il
the summer. forming dry crust Of
mulsh, which seems to protect the sol
beneath. In the districts about Mer
ced, Walla Walla, Bozeman and Pull
man. termed the PalouSe district, the
annual rainfall varies from 10 to q
inches. in which from one to ten inche.
fall during the season of the CROWNS
crops, yet, owing to the wonderful
power OF the soil to retain water anC
supply it TO the crops a drought o
months is less injurious there than on,
east, where the annual rainfall is abou
40 inches.
MOIST BENEATH ALKALI
In the Moiave and Nevada. desert,
the annual rainfall averages about fiv
inches, but beneath the alkali crust
the soil is always moist, a fact which
the scientists have as yet been unable
70 explain In fact, little is known o
the power of the soils to hold water
AS artesian wells show water in al
these districts from 30 to 200 feet be
low the surface, il is considered posi-
bic that there is a slow and continuou
movement of water upward from tn
artesian sources, which are beyond tn
influences of local climate This i
especially believed to be true of tn
desert districts, where the moisture o
the soil cannot be explained on TIL
theory that the soil could retain it
moisture from the insignificant rain
fall. By placing electrodes in the sol
in all these places at various depth
from a few inches to % feet. it is be
leved that in the future the direction
and intensity of what might be termed
the water waves of the earth can b.
accurately determined.
USE OF ELECTRODES.
The use of the electrodes for determ
ining the moisture of the earth ha
been quite extensively employed in tn
east and with very satisfactory re
suits. The principle made use of is tn
resistance afforded by the earth a
different depths to the passage of al
alternating current of electricity. 1
the earth is absolutely dry, of cours
the resistance would be too great 70
the passage of the current. AS tn
y,,a;cf11T-e increases. wafer. haif1or mar