The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-12-11
SOIL SURVEY.
Prof. Bennett Is Conducting Ex-
perlments In This State.

orangeburg, Sumter and Lee Coun-
ties Being Now Looked After by
an Expert.
The farmers of Sumter, Orangeburg
and Lee counties are to be given the
benefit of the soil experimentation
that has been conducted at Washing
ton by the bureau of soils. deprat-
ment of agriculture, for the past few
years. The bureau has sent out Prof.
Frank Bennett to arrange for the
practical application OF the test and
he will 60 to work at once in the
counties named, so that the soil may
be gotten into shape by next spring.
The plan that the dapertment is
going to offer to the farmers is In
the interest Of better. more economi-
cal and more diversified crops. One
of the chief aims Of the experiments
to be conducted is to find out the cor
rect rotation Of crops on given
piece Of land so as to secure the best
results and to point out to the far
mers what Is the best method to pur-
sue In order to give his land rest and
get therefrom the greatest yield at
the lowest expense.
The work will be conducted by the
representative of the department at
no cost to the farmer and when a
working basis is found full informa-
ton will be given out to the farmers
of tho State, SO that all may reap the
benefit from the proposed plan.
Within the past few years the de-
partment of agriculture has interest
ed itself in the work Of a possible
development of the soil Of the South
ern States. It has been realized that
there are latent possibilities here
which If scientifically developed
would be a surprise to many. To this
end a large part of the appropria-
tim given the department has been
expended In the South.
And one of the many important
steps taken for the ultimate benefit
of the Southern farmers is an ex-
pertinent survey Of lands in the coun-
ties Of Sumter, Lee and Orangeburg.
This is the first experiment of the
kind ever undertaken by the depart
ment.
Congressman Lever has been in
strumental In bringing this about and
the scheme is outlined below and is
supposed to enlighten the farmer on
the subject of the best methods OF
planting his farm in order to secure
the best results financially.
The soil surveys Of the counties OF
Sumter and Orangeburg have just
been completed, while that of Lee
county was completed some time
since. Prof. Frank Bennett Of the
United States department Of agricul'
ture, bureau Of soils, is in charge OF
these surveys. The chief of the bu-
reau is Prof. Milton Whitney, at one
time professor of chemistry at the
University of South Carolina.
Mr.. Bennett is Southern man, a
graduate of the University Of North
Carolina and a practical farmer. He
has the supervision Of these maps,
which give contour maps showing
the character Of soil, streams, towns,
houses, etc. This Is known as base
map. The character OF the !oils Is
represented by colors, so each farmer
knows what soil he has upon his in
dividual farm, and thus he vii! see
what crops are best adap..l ID his
particular soil after following the
work done by the bureau Of soils.
In order to make the maps more
practical Mr.. Bennett has been put
in charge Of the fertilizer and crop
experiments. Samples Of these soils
in the three counties have been sent
to Washington and have been carried
through what 81 known as the wire
basket test The test is briefly as
follows:
About one bushel of soil Is divided
into about 25 small baskets and then
in these baskets various seeds are
planted with various kinds Of fertill-
ger. The object of this is to see the
result of plant growth and to get a
fertilizer formula. When this for
mula is obtained it will be used In
the field whose soil corresponds to
the soil tested. Mr.. Bennett Is here
to put this test in the fields from his
personal observation and experience
in Washington. This test is to be
put to each type Of soil encounted IN
the three counties named above.
The plan Mr.. Bennett proposes to
pursue Is to get a cetrain number Of
farmers in each of the counties nam
ed that are willing to cooperate in
these experiments. Two or three
acres are to be taken in and every
known fertilizer will be used there
on. And then new crops. such as the
vetches, clover, grasses, alfalfa, fruit
and trucking will be Introduced. But
the staple crops. such as cotton
the upland, long staple
corn, oats and the like, will be given
special attention. The new crops,
the vetches and the like are to be
introduced as accessories Of these
principal crops and as method Of
the introduction of the crop rotation.
These experiments look ultimately
to the ascertainent of certain fer
tilizer formulas and crop practices
which will give the largest yield with