Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-01-12
GEOLOGICAL REPORT
e. FoR-sTATE OF IOWA
Department Preparing to Make Ex-
tensive Soil Analyses in Inter-
ests Of Agriculture.
SURVEY AND MAP 80 COUNTIES
Mineral Products Have Shown a
Gratifying Observation-Disclosures
cry of Brick Clay in
Story County.
SURVEY AND MAP SO COUNTIES

Des Moines, Jan. 1O.--State Geologist
Samuel Calvin, of Iowa City, on Sat
vrday submitted to the state geolog-
ical board, which met here, his sew
cnth annual report. The board is COM
posed of Governor Shaw, Auditor of
State Merriam, President IIendriNon,
of the Iowa Academy of Sciences;
President Beardshear, of Ames coll
lege. and Acting President Cnrrier, of
the State university.
Prof. Calvin wrote of five important
subjects, in addition to many minor
ones, in his report He says that to
date the department has surveyed and
mapped thirty-three counties of the
state; that it is preparing for extern
sive soil analyses for the benefit of the
agricultural interests of the stale;
that the product of miners and min
cral products for 1895 will show Il graf
flying status as compared with 1897;
that important formations of value in
the brick industry have been discoy-
cred in Story county during the past
year; and that natural history mono
graphs are in course of preparation
which will be of value to the farmers
OF Iowa. Many other affairs of the
geological survey and it's work during
the past year are treated of by the re-
port. In addition to this general trea
tisc the report includes special reports
from every helper i'm the work, With
extensive maps and pictures relative
to the work. The report makes volu-
minous book.
The study of surface deposits by the
geological board will be OF great eco
az, ,1x-ilN
says: "The survey has planled from
the first a systematic study OF the soils
as one of the most important phases
of it's work. We are fortunate in en-
listing the co-operation of the expert
mental station at the Iowa Agricultu-
raj college, and the work is now under
way.
IN complete series of both mechan-
zeal and chemical analyses of the va
rious soil types of the state is planned
and thorough study of both the
scientific and agricultural problems is
to be made.
THE study of those physical and
chemical properties of the Iowa soils
is to be OF the most important and
typical soils, adapted to the different
staple crops, grass, wheat, corn, etc.
Important features of the work will be
Il careful study of the texture of the
soils, or the amount of sand, salt or
clay and the relation of the soils to
moisture and heat.
"The samples of SOIL should repre-
sent considerable areas of land and
should be of the best as we'll as the
poorest for the staple crops"
Thirty three counties of the state
have been fully surveyed and mapped
by the department. During the past
year Scott county was completed, and
Cedar, Muscatine, Hardin, Story, Car
roll, Dubuque and Humboldt counties,
in all an area of 3,374 square miles
were mapped. The total are;, surveyed
up to date is 1926 square miles and
includes some Of the more difficult por-
tons of the state. The following ta-
bic is of the counties surveyed and
mapped, with their area in square
miles: /,