188 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



ever, differ materially in aspect from this, and are doubtless richer 

 in plant food. 



Nos. 708 and 709. — Bench and im,esa soils, from the Zaca ranch, 

 between the Santa Inez and Santa Maria Rivers, Santa Barbara 

 County. Sent by Mr. Oscar Steinbach, of San Francisco. This tract 

 is understood to be mainly mesa land lying between the two main 

 streams, and intersected more or less by small creeks, running dry in 

 Summer, but sometimes carrying considerable volume in Winter, and 

 whose narrow bottoms are largely quite sandy and stony. The slope 

 lands bear a growth of scattering live and white oaks, with alfilerilla, 

 bunch grass, wild oats, etc. On the mesa proper, about one hundred 

 feet above the drainage, the tree growth is more scattering, but other- 

 wise the vegetation is the same as on the slope or bench lands. There 

 is little difference between the soil and subsoil for two feet, or even 

 more. 



No. 708 was taken from the westward valley slope, about fifty feet 

 above the level of the creek bed; to twelve inches depth it is full of 

 rock fragments and gravel, which forms thirty-eight per cent of its 

 mass. The fine earth passing through 1-50 inch meshes, is of dark 

 mouse color, rather blackish- a sandy loam. At forty-two inches 

 the color changes to a lighter hue, but the subsoil continues the 

 same for several feet. 



No. 718 was taken from the mesa about one hundred feet above the 

 creek bed; a dark mouse-colored loam, with much gravel and some 

 rock fragments, to the extent of 47.6 per cent. The fine earth is a 

 sandy loam, like 708, only somewhat lighter colored. The analyses 

 resulted as follows: 



There are no wide differences between these soils, save such as 

 would be expected from the difference in location and the greater 

 degree of moisture naturally prevailing in the bench land as com- 

 pared with the mesa. Both have ample supplies of all the ingredi- 

 ents of plant food — potash, lime, phosphoric acid, and humus as rep- 

 resenting the supply of nitrogen, and should yield excellent returns 



