Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-17
SURVEY PROVES SOIL HAS LIFE
LIKE THAT OF ANIMALS; BUREAU
ACTS AS DOCTOR TO CURE ILLS

ping system and the intelligent use Of
fertilizers for restoring the soil to a
healthy condition of production.
Survey Has Value
To make this service of nationwide
scope and bring it directly to every
farmer in the United States is the big
problem. Field workers are conducting
one Of the biggest pieces OF work of the
kind ever undertaken in any country.
This is the soil survey. When finished
it will give a detailed account of the
| physical and chemical makeup of every
| square mile of soil in the United States.
The information thus obtained Is of
value in many ways, but particularly
to the farmer, 1t forms Il basis for
determining how to treat the soil and
cultivate it to the best advantage.
There are others, besides farmers.
to whom the information given by soil
surveys is of value. The prospective
farm buyer Is able to find the right
soil for his purposes and has expert
| Judgment as to the kind of soil in any
one locality and the farming it is best
suited for. The survey gives a basis
for the experimental field work of the
state experiment stations. n also
gives the stations the necessary knowi-
| edge for telling farmers the best crop
| ming systems and cultural methods for
their particular sections. The rail-
| ways use the soil maps in their devel-
opment work. Road engineers and
sanitary engineers use them. Forestry
! men use them as II basis of sales OF
| land after the timber has been cut.
They are important tn the reclamation
/, s~eryice for its development work, par
tieu!atly for providing efficient drain
age.
Used During War
The postoffice department and the
department OF justice use the maps
for running down fraudulent land sales.
During the war. the war college and
other branches of the war department.
| used them in the selection OF camp
sites. for military maneuvers and for
other strategic purposes. Investment
companies are using the maps in calcu-
lating risks involving land values. agri-
cultural occupations and health condl-
tons.
Department workers have often been
asked to place q monetary value on
the sell survey. 1t is impossible to
place n money value on OF
this kind. but if all the farmers III the
United States would pay a dollar an
acre to learn what the soils are, what
they correspond to in other regions,
and what the general experiences of
farmers and scientific men have de-
veloped AS to the best cropping system.
the best treatment and the best way OF
developing the soils on each farm, we
would have a nice little value of over
$3.50, 900 900 on the surveys of more
than 100000 square miles already
studied-approximately one-third OF the
total area of the United States.
OF course. though, no charge is made
by the bureau for its advice to farmers
or TO anyone else to whom the knowl-
edge or information may be Of use. On
the other hand, it is anxious to be OF
as wide service as possible, and is en-
gagged in many other kinds OF work
besides those mentioned.
The bureau of soils is only one OF
the Is bureaus that go to make UP the
United States department of agricul-
ure, all working together, each using
Information furnished by the others in
planning and suggesting better methods
Of agriculture for tie benefit Of every
citizen Of the United States.