246 University of California Fuhlications in Agricultural Sciences [Vol. 1 



(to water) was obtained two miles south of Cedarville with the 

 assistance of Mr. "W. L. Turner, and another cohimn of four feet 

 from the meadowland that forms a broad border to the hike, and 

 in wliieh water was struck at four feet. 



Table 40. — Humus in Soil Columns of Surprise Valley, Modoc County 



CedabviliiB Cedarville 



Humus- Humus- 

 Soil Nitrogen in Soil Nitrogen in 



Clay 10.97 , -^- , , ^ , 



Ft. Humus Humus Soil Ft. Humus Humus Soil 



1 Loam 4.27 1.14 .05 Meadow loam 2.71 3.46 .09 



2 Loam 1.25 3.36 .04 Meadow loam 2.10 4.62 .10 



3 Loam 1.21 2.81 .03 Meadow loam .86 8.02 .07 



4 Loam 93 2.26 .02 Meadow loam .79 7.59 .06 



5 Loam 64 2.66 .02 Water 



6 Loam 63 2.67 .02 



7 Loam 56 3.93 .02 



8 Loam 60 2.33 .01 



9 Loam 51 2.55 .01 



10 Loam 36 4.72 .02 



Sum of per cents 10.96 6.46 



Average per foot 1.10 2.84 .03 1.62 5.92 .08 



Upper 3 feet :* 



Sum of per cents 6.73 ' 5.67 



Average per foot 2.25 2.44 .04 1.89 5.37 .09 



* Range of most annual plant roots. 



The surface soil of the Cedarville loam is surpassed in its 

 percentage x)f humus only by the black clay of Santa Clara and 

 the marsh lands among all of the soils of the state thus far 

 examined, and it ranks fifth with regard to the amount in the 

 three upper feet. The percentage throughout the entire column 

 of ten feet is quite high. This high humus content may be due 

 to the alfalfa crops that have been produced for seed on this 

 soil for a number of years past, as a soil from another locality 

 near Cedarville examined ten years ago contained but 1.56 per 

 cent in the surface foot. The humus is. however, remarkably 

 weak in nitrogen, if such was its origin. 



The meadow soil lying at a lower level is very similar to that 

 of Alturas in its humus content. 



