Bismarck daily tribune., 1908-12-12
MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
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VALUE OF SOIL SURVEY.

sHLoE VT OWL SoHVGr,
The soil survey work that has been
done by the government department
of agriculture in North Dakota is OF
great value in establishing the quail
ty of the different soils, with relation
to their productiveness, and in con-
vincing many investors who may have
been doubters that opportunities for
agriculture and natural conditions are
especially favorable in this state AL
though much work has been done in
the past few years in setting North
Dakota before the world, there are
some skeptics who need official proof
before believing that the climate and
soil of North Dakota are unsurpassed
in any of the northwestern states.
Recently, to show the interest in
this soil survey work, the New York
Sun devoted column to the work
done in North Dakota and this the
Tribune presents herewith to show the
nature of the work done and the dis
coveries of the government investi-
gators:
"There were found in the large area
covered by the survey no less than
twenty-five distinct types and condi-
tions of soil. The color, texture, geo.
logical origin and surface topography
of these different classes range from
the productive alluvial bottoms, fire.
quently capable of irrigation, to the
rough, broken grazing areas of the
Bad Lands region. By far the larger
part of the area consists, however, of
the level or rolling treeless prairie.
Here the different types of the Will
hams and Morton soil series consti-
tute the greater grain producing belt
of the dry land farming region of the
Great Plains.
''In the field examinations conduct
ed particular attention was devoted to
the study of the texture and structure
of the soil as determining its moisture
holding capacity and drought resist
ant properties and its consequent
adaptability to dry farming under
semi-arid conditions.
'The occurrence and distribution
OF various bodies of light sands and
sandy loans not adapted to agricul-
fure under prevailing climatic condi-
of
loans possessing heavier subsoils ex-
ceilently adapted to dry farming by
reason OF their favorable texture and
structure and covering the greater
portion OF the area surveyed, and
or much less extensive bodies of
neavy clay loans and clays usually
well adapted to crop production when
well drained and properly cultivated,
but owing to unsuccessful treatment
often considered of inferior crop pro-
ducing capacity.
fhe influence Of topography as a
limiting factor in the adaptation of
the soils to agriculture and to graz
ing purposes was also found to be an
extremely important matter
Less than a decade ago practically
the entire area covered by the survey
consisted of unbroken prairie, upon
which the only industries which had
gaintd foothold were the ranging Of
stock and the desultory collecting of
buffalo bones for the use of fertilizer
factories of the East. Climatic condi-
tfons were generally regarded as pro-
flibitive of the production of crops and
early attempts in farming the prairies
received but scant encouragement or
were met by unfavorable and not in
frequently hostile criticism on the
part of those engaged in the ranging
OF stock on the public land
Owing to the natural productive-
ness of the soils and to the ease with
which the treeless and generally well
drained prairie tracts might be placed
under cultivation, the ready outlet af-
&orded to products by construction of
Id1"dy llHeS anu 10 tne occurrence
of favorable seasons, the settlement
OF much of the area covered by the
sruyey has taken place very rapidly.
In the southwestern part of the state
the process of settlement with the ad-
vent of the homesteader and settler,
the building of towns and the opening
of railway lines is now taking place,