Graham guardian., 1912-11-08
STUDY OF THE SOILS

"Nof industry is so vital to tht
we'll being of nation. as agriculture
and nothing is SO vital to agriculture
as the soil. From its treasury i
has been estimated that we drew
during the year 1909 more thar
IS, ,296, 100000, and its, ,possibilitie!
are as yet only partially realized
There are still in this country mil
lions of acres which. have, never fell
the ploW, while those which are now
under cultivation can, by the ap
plication of scientific principles, be
made to produce many times the
present values of their products
How to use and not abusa this
great resource is the most i'm
portant problem which faces: the
farmer of today-one worthy OF
the best efforts of our most pro
found prosperity of the nation.'
The above is a statement from
Bulletin IS of the Bureau of Soils
relative to the soils of the country.
While a comparatively small per,
centage of the soils of the United
States have been surveyed and ana
lyzed by the Department, more
than 800 types of soils have been
discovered during the progress Of
soil survey. The existence of such
a large variety of soil types, each
possessed of definite and pecuias
characteristics calls attention to the
importance of a careful study Of the
soils and their relation to agricul-
ture. The Bulletin says: +
The old idea of soil investigation
was TO collect samples, examine them
in the laboratory, and see what dif-
ferences could there be determined;
the newer. idea is to study the char.
acter'stics and properties of soils in
the field, classify them according to
obvious. differences. and, with this
information in hand, use the labora-
tory as a means of ascertaining the
cause of such variations as can not
he determined in the field. This
method of attacking soil problems is
the reverse of the usual practice,
but because of the great difficulty
in Duplicating field conditions, it is
believed that a field examination
should precede laboratory studies.
The field observations can thus be
used as a check upon laboratory in
vestigation and as an aid in their
Interpretation. Field studies fur
nish a safe and necessary anchor
with which to keep the laboratory
experimenter from being dashed
against the rock of pure speculation.
The classifying and mapping Of
the various soil types, together with
the study of the conditions and pro-
cesses under which they have been
formed, will furnish essential and
invaluable data for the conduct Of
laboratory Investigations. Natures
great laboratory is in the field, and
a study of her methods can not fail
to offer many valuable suggestions,
and in some cases, is the only means
of solving her problems. 1t is through
a combination of field and laboratory
investigation that an understanding
of this extremely complex body
the soil can be reached"
The Bulletin treats exhaustively
the soils. their origin, formation
and best treatment for agricultural
purposes, the great difference be-
tween the many types, and adds:
Since the soil varies so much as
regards both its inorganic and
organic constituents. marked diff
ferences in character must neces-
sariIy result from the almost indef-
mite number Of combinations which
may be found. All these differ
ences, however, may be traced to
two sets of factors: First, the
character Of the rock or material
from which the sell has been derived;
and, second, the processes or agen-
cies by means of which this material
has been changed from mere rock
or rock debris into medium suitable
for the growth of plants. The for
mer has to do with soil-forming
agencies. To these two groups of
factors are to be attributed the
numerous variations in soil condi-
ditions found over various parts of
the earth.
The Importance of distinguishing
between these two groups of fac
tors can not be too strongly EN-.
phasized. The tendency in the past
has been to stress the former tC
the neglect of the latter, and this
has resulted in classifying togethe,
soils of very dissimilar character
simply because they were derived
from the same rocks or from rocks
which have been formed in the same
manner" '..