The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-10-11
SOIL EXPERT IN
THIS DISTRICT
o. L. AYRs. or U. S. DEPARTMENT
or AGRICULTURE, AS
SIGNED HERE.
T o HELP FARMERS
Congressman Padgett's Request For
Permanent Expert Is
Granted.

Thought the efforts of Congress
man Padgett. the United States De
partment OF Agriculture has assigned
soil expert to the Seventh Congress
sional District After Dec. l, o. L
Ayrs, of the Bureau Of Soils, will b
permanently engaged in rendering
services to the farmers of this district
This will be of great value to. the
farmers of the several counties com
posing this district and is a distincI
Innovation.
| Information to this effect was re
ceived today by Congressman Padgett
in the following letter from Prof. ]. A
Bonsteel, in charge of Utilization OF
Soil resources, which gives detailed
information of the plan of the depart
ment:
Hon. L. P. Padgett, Columbia,
Tenn, Dear Sir:-I have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt of your let
ter of September 21st, concerning the
assignment of soil expert from the
Division of Soil Utilization in the Blu
reau of Soils to render service to the
farmers of your Congressional Dis
trict. The matter has been taken I'M
der consideration by the Bureau Of
Soils, and Prof Whitney, the Chief
of the Bureau directs me to say that
Mr.. o. L. Ayrs, who is at present en-
gagged in completing survey of Giles
County, Tennessee, and who was also
connected with the soil survey of the
Lawrenceburg area IN your district,
has been selected for this work.
I'm addition to Mr.. Ayrs' training
in the Michigan Agriculture College,
of which he is a graduate, and in addi-
ton to his four years of service in
the Soil Survey, large part of which
service has been rendered in the State
of Tennessee, Mr.. Ayrs is also prac-
teal farmer of considerable expert
ence. I believe that with the ex-
perience of local conditions which Mr..
Ayrs has obtained through his work
in Lawrence and Giles counties he
will be able to render distinctly val
liable service, and hope that as his
experience grows within your district
he will be able to solve directly or
with the assistance of the other ex- |
perts in the Department of Agricul- |
ture many of the farm problems which |
we discussed during the occasion of
my visit to Columbia during the latter
part Of July.
Mr.. Ayrs will begin his services on
Soil Utilization work on or about De-
cember LIST, as he will be actually en-
gagged in the completion Of the Giles
County survey UP to that time. 1t is
my present plan to have him make
rip through the different counties con-
shutting the Seventh Tennessee Dis
riot, in order to become directly and
acquainted with the gen
,ral character of the soils of the diff
erent counties in the district and with
he problems of their crop adapta-
ions, their management and their fer
ilization, and manurial requirements.
IS soon as Mr.. Ayrs has completed
his preliminary trip, ! shall instruct /
i'm to prepare a general working plan
y means of which he can come in
lose communication with the individ-
al farmers of your district who de-
ire to ask questions in regard to the 8
oils and soil management. l pre- Il
lme that many questions will be a
sked Mr.. Ayrs which cannot be d. Il
sctly answered, but ! trust that in Il
ach case, either direct answer can "
3 furnished or the matter can be "
ken up by the scientific investiga-
RS of this Department for solution. Z
Il shall direct Mr.. Ayrs to report to 4
)u personally in Columbia, In order
lat he may learn from you what
,ints within the district he should
st visit and the names Of some OF
e progressive farmers of the district .
no will be able to place him in direct
intact with the problems which he
to attempt to aid to solve.
MIR: Ayrs will be assigned to the
,venth District of Tennessee for per- m
anent service there SO long as is 81
cessary, and while he may not have N
finite fixed headquarters in the us 81
j sense of the word, he will need da
select some centrally located point oN
,m which he can best carry on his tn
erations throughout the district. m
II trust that this assignment Of m
II expert for the specific duty men, TO
med within the Seventh Tennessee
strict will prove Of service to the pc