BUREAU OF SOILS. 501 



assessed has risen from about $37,500,000 in 1905 to over $109,000,000 

 in 1909, accordin<^ to the statistics of the Texas department of agri- 

 culture. Tliis remarkable increase has been largely due to the 

 increased value of land. The recoiuioissance survey of that region 

 disclosed a large percentage of good soil well adapted to a number of 

 forage crops and, during favorable seasons, to the various small 

 grains, including wheat and oats. Considerable of the region is 

 rough and broken and adapted only to grazing; The survey has also 

 shown the location of the soils adapted to many crops and the por- 

 tions of the area best suited to the production of cotton and Indian 

 corn, as well as other crops. 



The reconnoissance survey of the Great Plains has been the means 

 of gathering a great store of information regarding soils and soil con- 

 ditions, the adaptability of certain crops to the different soils, and 

 the best methods of handling the soils in order to conserve the soil 

 moisture, the general lack of which has heretofore constituted the 

 greatest hindrance to a proper development of the Plains region. 

 The results of the reconnoissance soil survev seem to show that in 

 general there is a rather exaggerated opinion of the profits in farming 

 in the West under semiarid conditions where irrigation is not possible. 

 This is perhaps due in part to a great deal of advertising, picturing 

 in glowmg terms the possibilities of agriculture, which does not 

 represent average conditions but cites results secured under the most 

 favorable conditions; in other words, the exceptions. This has 

 given rise to a speculation in land that has often resulted in liigher 



f rices being asked for the land than conditions would seem to justify, 

 nformation gathered by the reconnoissance surve3^s also seems to 

 indicate that the farms of many portions of the Plains region should 

 be several hundred acres in size and that a combination of general 

 farming and stock raising should be carried on, especially in the 

 regions where irrigation is not possible. 



The value of the reconnoissance soil survey may be summed up as 

 follows : 



1. Information is gathered and supplied to the home seeker, ena- 

 bling him to understand thoroughly the conditions in this new 

 country and showing him the location of the soils adapte<l to the t^'pe 

 of farming in which he desires to engage. 



2. Information is gathered and furnished the farmers living in the 

 region which aids them to overcome the bad effects arismg either 

 from some inlierent soil trouble, such as alkali, poor drainage, or mis- 

 take in crop adaptation, or arising from improper tillage methods 

 during seasons when climatic conditions are not favorable. 



3. It furnishes a broad and comprehensive basis for the future 

 scientific work of National or state agricultural scientists in studying 

 not only soil problems, but general agricultural problems. 



CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS. 



The laboratories have made a large number of physical, chemical, 

 and mineralogical analyses and examinations for the investigations 

 of this and other bureaus, for otlier departments, and in response to 

 other properly accredited requests. Methods for soil examinations 

 have received more than usual attention, particularly physical and 

 mineralogical methods, which will much facilitate future work. The 



