498 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



PROGRESS OF THE SURVEY IN THE WESTERN DIVISION. 



In tho States of tho Groat Basin and Pacific coast tlio soil survey 

 has been l)rou<i;lit to l)lay an important role in connection with the 

 settlement and the utilization of the soil resources of the districts 

 studied, as well as in the development of state and federal |)r()jects. 



In the State of Washington the survey of an area of 'S,f)(\S sfpiare 

 miles has been completed. This survey covers large areas of logged- 

 off and burned-over forest tracts adjacent to Puget Sound and em- 

 braces the compilation of maps indicating the adaptation of soil types 

 to the various systems of cropping and to reforestation. This State 

 is now confronted with the problem of developing vast areas of such 

 unutilized, unproductive tracts, a considerable portion of wdiich 

 have been returned to the State for unpaid taxes. The work of the 

 survey, which has been untlertakeii in cooperation with the State, 

 will require three or four more seasons for its completion and is 

 expected to provide a basis for the organization of practicable means 

 for rendering state aid in the clearing and develoi)ment of the lands, 

 including reforestation of such tracts as are found uiisuited to agri- 

 cultural purposes. 



At the request of the United wStates Reclamation wService a detailed 

 soil survey has been made of the Truckee-Carson reclamation project 

 in Nevada. The results when published will form a ready means of 

 supplying information to hoine seekers and be valuable in aiding and 

 directing settlement of the government and private lands under the 



Eroject now supplied with water for irrigation. The report will also 

 e of service to the settlers in pointing out the soil types upon which 

 the various crops are most Hkely to succeed. 



In Oregon an area representative of the humid coastal valley dis- 

 tricts in the vicinity of Coos Bay has been studied and mapped. 

 Owing to favorable climatic conditions and to the lack of suitable 

 transportation facilities for more perishable products, dairying is 

 here now the dominant agricidtural industry. Certain soil types 

 have, how^ever, been found suitable to the development of special 

 fruit, small fruit, and trucking industries as soon as favorable trans- 

 portation and market facilities obtain. 



In California similar studies have been carried into the Livermore 

 Valley, an important intermountain valley of the Coast Ilange noted 

 for the production of sugar beets, hops, and choice wines, while in the 

 dry-farmed grain-producing districts of the San Joaquin Valley the 

 scope of the soil survey has been extended to include the agricuhural 

 portions of Madera County. In the former area the results obtained 

 are valuable as data bearing upon the relation of soils to a number of 

 special products grown here; in the latter many soil types varying 

 widely in texture and other characteristics have been recognized. 

 Many of these when developed by future irrigation enterprises will 

 become suitable to the production of a wide variety of staple and 

 special farm, orchard, and vineyard crops. 



RECONNOISSANCE IN THE GREAT PLAINS AND SOUTHERN TEXAS. 



During the last few years a great deal of attention has been directed 

 to the utilization of the Great Plains region as a farming country. 

 Good crop yields throughout the United States, together with the 



