Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-07-21
LARGE SOIL STUDY
PROJECT PLANNED
Agriculture Department TO
Undertake Survey for
Washington State.

The largest single project Of land
classification ever undertaken by the
Soil Survey Division Of the Depart
nent NJ Agriculture V1ll be started
this month In Washington state. Six
Of the most experienced soil scientists
81 the Bureau OF Chemistry and Soils
wili begin a detailed soil survey Of
eight counties a. the basis for land
classification and determination Of
land use. This is part Of the program
OF the State Planning Council OF
Washington which has made available
nearly 100000 for the work.
Covering a total Of nearly 3 900 600
screA--an area larger than the survey
of the entire State OF Vermont re-
Gently completed by the Bureau Of
Chemistry and Soils and much larger
than that Of the Island Of Puerto Rico.
which the Federal soil surveyors are
10 complete this year--this survey in
Washington will contribute signifi-
rantly 10 the land use program Of the
Pacific Northwest. as part of the
general land use program.
Object Of Survey.
The immediate object Of the survey
Is 10 furnish the basic information on
the soil types in this large area of
Washington in terms OF their inherent
fertility. location and topography. The
ultimate objective is classification of
the land according TO the uses for
which II is best dapted-agriculture,
forestry recreation. residence. indus
trial and urban sites, or mining. says
DR.. L. C. Wheeling associate profess
sor of soils of the Washington State
College Of Agriculture who. with Dr.
rector f. c. johnson Of the Wash
ington Agricultural Experiment Sta
ton. is In general charge Of the survey.
The ultimate detectives. says Or.
Wheeling may be translated into
terms OF human betterment. including
the rehabilitation Of families left
stranded In a hopeless struggle for
subsistence on the cut-over lands OF
the formerly prosperous timber sec
tions. the tightening OF tax burdens
now imposed by the upkeep of schools
and roads in scattered taX-delinquent
communities of the mountain valleys.
the conversion Of the poorer and
rougher lands to forestry and grazing
and the use OF the better lands for
profitable crop production.
Counties Included.
All Of the counties in the area sur
veyed are west of the Cascade Noun
tains mad include Snohomish. King.
Pierce. Grays Harbor, Kitsap, Mason,
Clallam and Skamania. Or. Charles
f. Kellogg of the Bureau of Chemistry
and Soils will have general direction
of the detailed mapping and soil clas-
sification of the area and DR.. c. G.
Nikiforoff of the Soil Survey Division
of the bureau will have direct charge
of the field parties under Inspector
Macy Lapham Of the western district
OF the soil survey. DR.. kellogg. who
helped TO plan and direct the impor-
tant soil and land classification sur
vey of Mckenzie County. N OAK.
which is serving as the basis for a new
program OF land taxation in that
State, recently made a tour of the
Washington area, and with the State
Planning Council and experiment
station officials planned the program
OF the bureau with a view to meeting
the needs OF the general survey.
In making the soil survey and es-
tablishing the soil types of this area
of nearly 100000 acres In accordance
with the uniform plan of soil classifi-
cation perfected through 81 years of
field experience in mapping more than
half the agricultural lands of the
United States. the Federal soil sur
veyors viii be assisted by trained State
workers, and it is expected that 30
men will be engaged in the task by
late Summer.
Rex willard, regional director, land
policy section. Division OF Program
Planning of the Agricultural Adjust
ment Administration, is cooperating
with the State Planning Council in a
study of the economic aspects of the
survey.
In addition to the regional survey
of the eight counties west of the Cas-
cades. the bureau will also make a de-
tailed survey of Yakima County in
order to outline possible extension of
irrigation and improvement Of present
drainage and irrigation in this i'm
portant fruit-growing region