The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-14
This the Prediction of H. C. Smith, In Charge of the
 County Soil Survey
SCOPE AND NATURE
 OF THIS GREAT TASK
Map of County Containing Minute Data To Be Furnished by Fall. State Completed in Three
 Years-The Interview.


 county has been in progress for week or more.
 H. c. Smith. detailed by the chief of the bureau of soils at Washington, and F. S. Pace, who was detailed by Com missioner Wilkinson to represent the state of Alabama, are doing the work. MT. Smith being in charge.
 MT. Smith, when seen by an Age- Herald reporter yesterday, stated that the work in Jefferson county iii com mon with the other surveys in the state, began as soon after the opening of the fiscal year, July 1, as circum- stances would permit.
 1 He also discussed interestingly tho l facts regarding the nature, scope and plans of the work, and stated that the survey in Jefferson county will prob ably be finished early next fall and 1 that the report of the work will be issued together with a complete county map, several months later.
 "The nature of the report will make ] it especially valuable for the farmers in this county" said MT. Smith. Tt will consist, first of an accurate base map made by the United States geolog- 1 ical survey and on this map will be placed all streams, roads, houses, churches, school houses, cemeteries, railroads, coke ovens, etc.. together with a system of contour lines so ar ! a1a sea level of any place may be readily l determined.
 Value of the Map.
 "The soil surveyors use this map, and with colored pencils color the map to represent the location and different areas of soil. Thus a farmer wishing to find the kind of soil as classified on his farm, has but to locate his place on the map, ascertain the type of soil from the color and read the description of the soil, It's capabilities and best methods of treatment in the cultiva- tion printed with the map"
 By types of soil, MT. Smith ex- plained that all soils are divided into classes and types depending on their color, geological origin, crop produc- tivity, elevation and depth of soil and subsoil.
 For instance," he said, the lims- stone soils near and in Birmingham. are called Hagerstown soils because similar soils were first found near Hagerstown, Maryland. Thus flag erstown soil in Jefferson county will be nearly like the same type of soil in other counties and in other states.
 Advantages of Scheme.
 "The advantages of this scheme of classification and correlation of soils are obvious. If a farmer from, say Cambria county, Pennsylvania. grow ing truck in the DeKalb silt loam with good success, wish es to remove to Ala bama or Georgia and grow truck for the northern markets, he will be helped considerably to know whether tn ere are | types of soil similar to his in these states, and also to know their precise 1 location. Much truck about Birming- ham Is grown on DeKalb silt and sandy loans, and a similar condition exists near Johnstown, Cambria county | Pennsylvania"
 Agricultural History. MT. Smith stated that the report would contain short discussion of the history and agricultural settlement of the county; chapter devoted 70 cltmate another to physiography and geology, while agriculture, agronomy and soils would be fully dwelt upon. When asked about his general i'm pression of the county, MT. Smith ex- plained that he had not been here long enough to become well acquainted with the general agricultural conditions prevailing at present but expressed himself as being well pleased with the bright prospects for the studious farm CT in the future. He made several coni- parisons between the local area and the area near Johnstown. Penn., where he surveyed last summer, and said that both counties have large coal, iron and limestone industries large urban popu- lation, excellent transportation, and great natural resources.
 Great Opportunity.
 "The same kinds of soil prevailing near Birmingham" he said, "bring from s1O0 to $250 per acre near Johnstown, and this indicates a rise in Jefferson county farm values in the next de- cade. Again the immense and growing city population, the natural increase in the price of beef will tend to create a great demand for market, garden and fruit products which already net the grower very remunerative prices. Con sidering the ease with which fodder can be grown the abundant pasturage, and high prices for dairy products dairying should be very profitable"
 The county roads near Birmingham were warmly praised by MT. Smith as an indication of the thrift and progress of the county.
 Alabama Complimented.
 In regard to the awakened attitude of the state as related to agricultural education and soil surveys in general, Alabama was paid the compliment by the surveyor of being one of the fore most states in this regard. and MT. Smith stated that the whole state was l on ths eve of a new era in agricultural industry.
 l Tt is hoped" said MT. Smith. that the entire state may be surveyed in | about three years or less, and the en- | fire e7 counties manned"