The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-05

grated with comparatively little de-
composition. SO that the soil grains are
still composed of the several minerals
OF which the original rock was made
up. This disintegration in most cases
has reached to a considerable depth
and results in soils having similar ply
steal properties to great depths. There
Is seldom a difference between the soil
and subsoil. as there Is under the more
humid climate of the East. The soils
generally are silly in character and
contain relatively little very fine ma
terial having the properties of clay.
The relation OF some OF these soils
to water m to crops Is very remark
able. They absorb moisture so read
lily. lose Ii through evaporation so
slowly, n yet supply the needs of
plants SO regularly and a~bundantly.
that they can stand long periods of
drought. during which the crops con-
tinue to grow without any signs of
suffering for lack of water. These
properties are so marked, that II prop
erly understood they will u~ndoubted-
ly throw an important light upon the
general principles of the relation of
soils to moisture. For this reason they
are of unusual interest to students of
agriculture, and IL is hoped that a SIM
Pft " t"t W, ri
arouse an interest in those who have
ready access to the soils in question,
and a thorough and detailed
study of the reasons for the extraor-
binary properties the soils possess.
The facts are not new" continues
Mr.. whitney; the farmer in these ia
vored sections Is as familiar with the
fact that certain soils will withstand
droughts of six months duration as
our Eastern farmer is that his crops
require rain at intervals of a week or
ten days. Hilgard has in numerous
publications called the attention of the
scientific world to the facts. They are
so unusual, however. and so unlike the
conditions in the Eastern portion of
our own country or of Europe. that too
much attention can not be drawn to
them nor too much thought and study
be given to the explanation of the IN
ditions.
In the wheat areas about Bozeman
the soils produce fine crops of wheat
without irrigation. In Montana and
Washington the crop Is harvested dur
ing September or the verv last of Au-
gust. 1t is therefore strictly a sum-
mer crop, and is produced during the
months for which the records are here
given. The soils all have. undoubtedly.
the power of retaining the winter rains
and of giving the moisture up to the
'IopS dS IL 10 nttQtu. ii TdlIlldll
amount to from IL to is inches. and
most of it falls during the winter
months. With so little rainfall it is
doubtful. and by many 1t is thought
to be wholly improbable, that any of
the water teaches downward through
the soil and runs off in the country
drainage. BY far the largest portion
at any rate. and probably in most
cases all. of the rainfall evaporates
from the surface of the ground or is
TRANSFERRED by the growing crop.
I'm the humid regions of the East
ern states. with 40 inches of annual
rainfall, half of this teaches down and
runs off in the drainage. This leave
but IS or 20 inches OF rainfall there for
the use of crops. This is a familiar
fact, and under the conditions it is
perfectly possible to make a crop il
the rainfall is well distributed. The
soils have no such power, however, as
they have in the far West of retaining
moisture, a drought Of a few weeks
duration in the a doing more harm
I'm a few weeks than a drought of the
same number of months would do in
these Western soils. The foothills soil
of Bohemian produces without irriga-
ton a very sure crop of hard wheat.
In the valley between the mountains,
with but little difference in the eleva-
ton and within one or two miles the
Ndiics ol' a W Ut uIlsdlcu SEVERAL
times during the season, and the wheat
produced is soft. Surely there are no
more interesting conditions affecting
the relation of soils to water and to
crops thar those present in these two
soils at Bozeman, n their investiga-
ton should throw much light on this
interesting subject. There are only
certain kinds of soils which have the
extraordinary power of conserving the
moisture for the use of crops possessed
by the foothills soil at Bozeman and
Walla Walla in Washington" In the
same connection are mentioned the
soils in the northern part of the mo-
have desert.
Among the soil samples collected for
the department during the year were
some from IL miles west of Billings.
1t was taken from the prairie above
the ditch" The analysis to which it
was submitted by experts showed that
ii contained no gravel or coarse sand,
and CAV the following percentages:
Moisture. 2.9S; organic matter. 4.4O:
medium sand, 016; fine sand, 1856: very
fine sand, 2S.79: silt, 34.45: fine silt, 4.67,
and clay. 1925. The chief. however.
submits no general comments upon
this soil.
+. b. Piper, managing editor of the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, who is here,
gives the Washington Post an inspired
interview in which he claims Oregon
for the republicans. and says that
Washington is reasonably sure for
them. Getting farther away from
home he begins to get nearer the truth,
for he says: Montan and Idaho? oh,
the republicans are in a hopeless mi
nority in those states and will not be
able to elect any of their candidates
in November" HOSFORD.
Recruiting the Engineers.