Department of Soil Technology. 69 



reaching and benefiting in a most effective manner the people concerned 

 with crop production. If a specific appropriation for the survey could be 

 procured, the soil work could be puslied much more effectively. We 

 should conduct this work so as to obta.n a much more extensive knowl- 

 edge of the surveyed areas than we now possess. This will involve 

 certain physical, chemical, and bacteriological examinations of soils from 

 different localities having the same soil type, in order to ascertain whether 

 the soil type as now recognized is fairly uniform in its properties. This 

 should be followed by field or at least by pot experiments on these soil 

 types from different localities. It is onlj by possessing such intimate 

 knowledge of the soil of the S':ate that rational advice can be given con- 

 cerning soil management. If this information is available, we shall be in 

 a position to prescribe the best manner of handling any soil, the type 

 of which is known. 



Practically nothing is being done to determire the needs of the different 

 soil types for their most economical improvement. A series of soil 

 improvement plats should be established on di'iferent parts of the more 

 important soil types, to run for a period of y^ars. This would serve 

 three purposes: (i) to determine the needs of each soil type; (2) to 

 serve as a demonstration in each community; (3) as a source of experi- 

 mental data and basis for further research. 



Members of an extension staff should be provided to supervise this 

 work as it develops. They should have no college teaching duties except 

 perhaps in connection with soil instruction in the \\"aiter Course. Such 

 experiments should be careful and comprehensive and should embody 

 drainage, lime, farm and green manure, t ll^ge, and feruHzers. 



Drainage. — More assistance should be afforded the farmers of the 

 State along the line of land drainage. The arrangement of the Ontario 

 Agricultural College is regarded as very effective, first, in giving assist- 

 ance, and second, in affording the basis of valuable educaiional work. 

 The college provides trained men who are available to do the engineering 

 work and lay out the necessary farm drainage system. TTie expenses of 

 such work are met by the person to whom assistance is given and he also 

 affords all necessary provision for a neighliorhood demonstration, directed 

 by the drainage expert. The great lack of men in the State qualified to 

 give such expert assistance is a great handicap to the practice. This is 

 regarded as an effective educational measure rather than a plan for 

 commercialized assistance to farmers. It would be expected to be sup- 

 planted by the latter, thus relieving the College of such provision. 



Land on the University farm. — The teiching work is greatly in need 

 of land to be used for instructional purposes, as explained in the special 



