The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1900-08-31
FOR THE FARMERS.
WHAT WAS DONE BY THE RE-
PUBLICAN ISTRATiON.
Surveying Soils In the Arid Region to
Aid Irrigation for Reclamation
In the Pecos Vailey-Saving OF Money
for Connecticut Tobacco Growers.

The most important WORK OF tne III
vision of Botany of the Department OF
Agriculture in the last three years, has
been the survey and mapping OF the
soils in a number of the important ag-
ricultural districts OF the United
States. The most important work or
this kind has been in the arid portions
of the United States, where irrigation
is practiced. About $4,000 acres have
been surveyed and mapped in some OF
the principal irrigated districts OF
Montana, Utah, New Mexico, and Ari-
IONA, the maps so prepared having
very practical value, as they show the
distribution of the different types OF
soil. which lands can be irrigated with
safety, those which require especial
care in the application of water on ac-
count of alkali and those which nave
too much alkali for cultivation With
out special efforts for reclamation
Practical methods for removing the
salts have been, and are being, worked
out. In the vicinity of Billings, Mon
tana, thousands of dollars are being IN
vested now as result of these investl-
cations, and it is likely that this In
vestment will be worth hundreds OF
thousands of dollars to the immediate
vicinity.
In the vicinity of Salt Lake, Utah,
there is large area of 10000 acres OF
land at present lying idle on account
of the accumulation of alkali, which 1t
has been estimated could be reclaimed
for a comparatively small sum, when 1t
would be worth in the neighborhood
of S5,000.000.
In the Pecos Valley, New Mexico,
plans were devised for the reclamation
of a large area in the immediate VEIN
itv of Roswell which has lately DceA
ruined by alkali and seepage water. II
is estimated that at Roswell alone the
damage to the land has amounted 10 at
least $500 OOO. This land can all be re-
claimed. and steps have recently been
taken to reclaim this land and to pro-
feet the rest of this area as pointed out
by the Department of Agriculture.
At Carlsbad the water itself con-
tains so high a percentage of alkall
salts that special methods will have 10
be adopted for the use Of this water to
prevent further injury, as the lands
have already been somewhat injured
in the valley. The results OF THIS
work will be worth hundreds of thou
sands of dollars to the Pecos Valley.
Over 100000 acres of land have
been surveyed and mapped in the
states of Massachusetts, Connecticut,
Maryland, and Louisiana, besides re-
connoissance over much larger area.
In the Connecticut Valley the tobac-
co lands were classified and mapped,
and the influence of the soil on the
character of the tobacco was stud!ei.
In addition to this the cause OF the fer
mentation of the cigar-leaf tobacco ha5
been worked out, and an improved
method of fermenting the Connecticut
tobacco has been introduced, which 1t
is believed will revolutionize the prac-
tice in that state. This method gives
a much more uniform product, ana
thus improves the value of the leaf
1t shortens the time required to Ter
ment the tobacco about eight months,
and so reduces the insurance ana the
loss of interest on the money invest
ed. 1t is estimated that the value OF
this work will amount to at least S50J,-
900 per annum to the farmers or the
Connecticut Valley. The investiga-
tons are being carried still further in
order to see whether the quality of the
tobacco can be further improved. There
is reason to believe it can be.
In addition to these practical results,
improvements have been made in the
methods of soil investigation, both in
the laboratory and in the field. Some
very important problems connected
with the physical and chemical consti-
tuition of soils are being worked out
which give promise of being of great
value in economic lines.
Under the present administration
the work of the office of experiment
stations has been more than doubled.
This is due in part to the development
of old enterprises and in part to the
establishment of new ones.
Under the liberal policy of the past
three years the agricultural depart
ment has largely increased its EFFORTS
to aid enterprises for the practical edu-
cation of the farmer. 1t has joined ac-
lively in the movement to improve the
methods of teaching agriculture in the
colleges and to introduce agricultural
subjects and nature study into the
public schools. 1t has shown what is
being done in these lines in Other
lands, and how we need to more thor
oughly develop our system of agricul-
tural education in order to keep pace
with the strenuous efforts of our in
dustrial rivals. 1t has collated and
published information regarding the
farmers institutes, showing that now
these institutes are held in forty-thr,e
states. and are annually attended by
half a million farmers. 1t has pro-
NOTED the establishment of reading
courses for farmers and published lists
Of useful books and bulletins. so that
/ porv opv farmer in the United States