EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 



337 



KEPORT OF THE SOIL PHYSICIST. 



Director R. S. Shaw: 



I take pleasure iu submittiug to you the report of the Department of 

 Soils for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1017. 



The various lines of experimental work are progressing in a satis- 

 factory manner, the members of the department pursuing their work 

 with vigor and enthusiasm. Although it is not advisable to present data 

 at this time showing results of soil treatment at the various county 

 farms, striking results are being obtained. As stated in the lOlG re- 

 port, we plan to take up this line of worlc in a number of counties. Dur- 

 ing the year satisfactory arrangements were made with the officials hv 

 charge of the Cass county farm and a rather elaborate experiment sta- 

 tion project was begun. In addition, a smaller project was begun on 

 the Manistee county farm. 



The chemical and pliysical studies of the soil classes found in Cass, 

 Van Buren, Allegan, Ingham, Manistee, Mason and Wexford counties 

 are well under way. Tlie composition of several samples taken in St. 

 Joseph, Allegan and Ingham counties appear in the following tables : 



ST. JOSEPH COUNTY. 



The soils of St. Joseph county may be classified under five general 

 heads. A brief description of these groups together with the pounds of 

 plant food contained in the surface soil of representative samples is 

 given below: 



Level sands originally timbered with oak. 



p li' N 



Ca 



Mg 



010 

 0G4 



22265 



)5 



26886 



1354 

 1385 



10008 



8157 



5036 

 2643 



Level sandy soils containing considerable gravel and originally tim- 

 bered with oak. 



P K N Ca Mg 



Rolling sandy loam somewhat stony and having sandy subsoils. These 

 soils originally grew maple and beach. 



P K N Ca 



Mg 



1312 



1076 



r:c:43 



28331 

 31101 



2568 

 2085 



11078 

 8300 



6013 



