The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-08
SOIL SURVEYS IN
TWENTY STATES
Secretary Wilson Gives Inter-
eSt!ng Data of the Work
MAPS OF COUNTRY MADE
Soil Surveys Are Being Used More and
More In Agricultural Develop
ment of the Country and
Are Helping Farmers.
MAPS OF COUNTRY MADE

washington, December 7.-(Special.)-In
his annual report just made public Sec
rotary of Agriculture Wilson deals inter-
estingly with the work of the bureau
of soils. The reference contains very
interesting data on the work done by the
bureau during the last fiscal year. The
Secretary says:
During the year the soil survey was
concerned In the mapping of the soils of
As different areas in 20 different states.
As the result of detailed surveys there
was completed the mapping of 24,4s6
square miles of area, the maps to be
published. on a SCALE of inch to the
mile, upon which scale an area of 10
acres has been considered the unit. In
addition to this, reconnaissance surveys of
large areas were completed in the great
plains country. Westward of the 99th
meridian to the foothills of the Rocky
mountains, where the soils generally are
level or gently rolling, they are uniform
conditions are such that except under
conditions favorable for irrigation, gen.
eral and extensive farming must pre-
vail for a time. 1t is estimated that this
area contains approximately 100000 square
miles. In this region, extending from
Canada on the north to Mexico on the
south, have directed that the soil survey
be SO made that the maps may be pub
lished on scale of miles to the inch
which is adequate to cover the needs of
that country for many years to come. On
this scale all of western North Dakota
was surveyed and the report and map
were prepared for publication. An area
OF 10000 square miles in southwestern
Texas was also completed, and the report
and map on the area are about ready
for publication. An area of about 10000
square miles has been completed in the
Panhandle of Texas, but as it is anticl-
pated that the whole Panhandle region
can be completed during the coming fan
and spring the report upon this area is
temporarily withheld awaiting the COM
pletion OF the survey of the entire region
The survey of the western half of South
Dakota has been completed and the force
will be moved into southern Texas A
total area of 76.1S0 square miles was sur
is expected that by the end of the pres
ent fiscal year western Nebraska, west
ern Kansas, and the whole of the Pam
handle of Texas will be completed, maxi
ing almost a continuous strip from
Canada to Mexico. This will leave the
western half of the area to be COM
pleted, including eastern Montana, eastern
Wyoming, eastern Colorado eastern New
Mexico and western Texas
Reconnaissance survey work is also be-
ing carried on in the Appalachian region
and by the end of the present field sea-
son practically all of Western Pennsyl-
vania will be mapped on scale of 8
miles to the inch. This same scale OF
work is also being used in the cut-over
pine lands of Washington, giving excel
lent results for large areas of fairly uni
form soils in a region relatively thinly
settled, and at very much lower cost
per square mile than for the more de-
tailed work required In the eastern states.
In the irrigated areas, or on the California
coast. Altogether the soil survey has
mapped during the fiscal year an area
of 10o,616 square miles, at a total cost
of about S14a000, including the field and
office expenses. This makes In all for
the soil survey 257, 694 square miles which
have been surveyed and mapped since the
beginning of the work in 1899
General interest in the soil survey
work has been rapidly increasing More
and more use Is being made of the data
In the agricultural development of the
country. The precise knowledge of the
soils and conditions prevailing In DIFF
ferent parts of the country is being
utilized by farmers and prospective set
tiers, and 1t is proving to be one of
the great educational means for the grad
ual development of more intelligent and
more systematic methods and agricultural
practices"