Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-05

Such Is the case. when the subject OF
dirt is discussed in connection with the
bureau OF soils of the Department OF
Agriculture. Throwing, of the husk OF
dryness. 1t becomes 4 matter of unusual
interest. showing. as it does, the giant
strides being made in agricultural affairs.
The United States bureau Of soils might
really be compared to young man with
! an M. D. after his name. While the latter
goes around examining tongues and feel
Ing pulses, the former goes about prod
ding the ground and poking around gen.
| orally. Whereas the latter might pro-
nounce in startling voice typhoid the
former might say in the tone of finality,
good for potatoes
In other words, the work that the bll-
| reau of soils is doing is to examine the
ground and tell the farmer, orchardist
OF otner interested person just what his
grow. In these days of modern farming
| no sensible man goes to work and drops
his seed into the ground regardless of the
questions of fertility. condition Of soil and
| SUITABILITY OF the crop. Farming today is
a science. and the bureau Of soils forms
an important item in that science.
| In order to grow successful crops the
first and most important question is the
soil. The best Of seeds
| Prime may be purchased, the
Nal most constant care may
| be given the growing
| crop, but if Mother Earth is not in accord
all will come to naught.
In the beginning the present bureau had
no distinct individuality, being merely a
part of the weather bureau. In 1894. how
! with the title of division of soils, in
charge of Milton Whitney. The present
organization was effected in 1901, Prof.
Whitney continuing as chief of the bu-
reau, position which he still holds. 1t
was not until 1870 that the work of
making general soil surveys was begun, a
work which today has been extended to
practically every state
During the fiscal year just closed sur
veys were made of 1S1, ia square miles, or
1I0.91269O acres-an area 5v per cent
greater than Great Britain and Ireland.
or that amount 31,3O4 square miles, or
ZO.N3456O acres. were surveyed in detail,
while the remaining area was SURVEYED
in general way. In the case of the for
mer area detailed maps have either been
printed, or are in course OF printing, on
scale of one mile to one inch the terri
tory thus covered including ground in
twenty-eight states The remainder of
the area: was mapped on Reconnaissance
scales Of four to six miles to one inch
and show only the more general facts re-
gardlng the classification and distribution
OF soil material. These maps are con-
fined principally to the semi-arid regions
In the northwest and southwest
So much for the work of single year.
The total area of soil surveyed and map
ped in the United States
Millions from the beginning Of the
~ A.-., work up to June 30, 1912.
VI 1@o'c'' deducting for the few
overlapping areas between tie general
reconnaissance and the detailed survey, is
&C.. 800 square miles. or 39s, ACC, 500 acres.
Deducting those parts of the country
sparsely settled, where about l per cent
Of the soils have been surveyed, nearly
80 per cent Of the soils Of tho country
have been classified and mapped.
OF the 1JO people who make up the bu-
reau of soils more than 100 compose the
field force. or those soil experts who make
the actual surveys. This field force is un-
der the direction of c.. F. nIarbut. In adj
dition to regular survey work, two chem
teal laboratories are maintained at the
bureau, in charge OF DR.. Frank X. Cam
eron. for the examination of soils chem
ically. and DR.. Oswald Schreiner. for the
investigation OF soils in connection with
their fertility.
In many government offices the results
accomplished benefit more than one class
of people. So it Is with the bureau OF
soils. The reports prepared by the bureau
describe the origin, mode of formation and
photographic features Of the soils, and
discuss their physical characteristics, fer
their adaptation to crops and to rotation,
and the methods of management re-
quired to achieve the best results in cult
vation These reports are extensively
agricultural schools and state officials.
Educs tionally, the work of the bureau
has another side as we'll. The soil sur
veys themselves arc of
Educational value to universities and
VI, agricultural schools as a
'"'uo' basis of instruction, not
only in agriculture. but in commercial
geography. in political and social econ
omy. and in geology. physics and agri-
cultural chemistry. In addition to the
maps, however. the bureau prepares sets
Of soil samples. This work was started
several years ago. and consisted Of put
ting together a set of soil samples which
included the most important soils that
had been identified up to the time Of
preparation. These sets were sent to
agricultural colleges for use in instruc-
ton, but tho demand became large
that the bureau soon found itself unable
to keep abreast of the work. Since then
the surveys work has identified a much
greater number Of very important soils
in the country. Consequently. on this
account, in addition to the consistent de-
mand by educational institutions. it is
proposed to prepare sets of about fifty
samples of soils with a corresponding
number of subsoils, which will be dis
tributed as were the former sets. In this
way students can see as they study
actual samples Of soils used by thousands
and thousands of acres for truck, corn.
wheat, fruit. tobacco and other special
and general farm crops.
The educational value Of the soil sur
yeys is not the only one that can be
added to that Of helping the farmer.
boards of trade, municipal authorities
and business organizations frequently ask
for the results Of soil surveys. These
are used for the encouragement of more
profitable agricultural developments In
the surrounding territory as 8. means OF
attracting q desirable class of farmers
and farm labor for the upbuilding OF
agriculture and the betterment OF trade
conditions.
Then railways, real estate companies
and colonization organizations use the
SURVEYS The railroad companies use
INAUGURATION OF