STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 183 



COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, UNIVEKSLLY OF 



CALIFORNIA. 



The following papers show some of the results of investigations and 

 experiments conducted by the Agricultural Department of the Univer- 

 sity of California: 



EXAMINATION OF SOILS FROM THE NORTHERN COAST RANGE REGION. 



Valley soil, from the higher ground in the Napa Valley, two miles 

 south of St. Helena. A dark gray loam soil, largely intermixed with 

 rock fragments (mostly soft yellow sandstone, partly angular bits of 

 shale, both rocks occurring on the adjacent hills), and some rounded 

 gravel, amounting to 21.7 per cent of the soil. There is a change of 

 color to a lighter hue at twelve inches, and at from two to two and a 

 half feet there underlies a somewhat close and more clayey material, 

 with fewer rock fragments. In this respect the land differs from 

 that lying further south, near Oakville, where the depth of the looser 

 material is greater, and oftentimes gravel underlies it at from four to 

 five feet. Otherwise the soil is probably substantially the same in its 

 chemical nature. 



Soil from Vaca Valley, understood to be from the bench land, sent 

 by Mr. D. Kutherford, of St. Helena, with this question: "This soil 

 grows apricots and cherries to perfection in Vaca Valley. What does 

 the soil of this region (presumably such as No. 672 above) need to 

 make it like this?" 



While it is not always to be expected that chemical analysis can 

 answer such a question, the soil sent was subjected to analysis, as no 

 sample from Vaca Valley had thus far been received. The soil is a 

 grayish dun, rather sandy loam, dry lumps crushing easily with the 

 finger. Nevertheless, when wetted it shows considerable clay in 

 becoming quite plastic when worked. Of course it is very easily till- 

 able, and known to be several feet in depth without material change. 

 Only 1.7 per cent of sand remained on the sieve with 1-56 inch 

 meshes. The analysis of the fine earth is given in the table, along- 

 side of that of the Napa Valley soil, for comparison : 



