LII REPOET OF THE SECEETAKY OF AGEICULTUEE. 



The importance and necessity of having this knowledge of the soil 

 conditions has been recognized, and very urgent requests have been 

 received for an extension of the soil-survej^ work to embrace practi- 

 call}' all of the lands in the Colorado Desert which can be irrigated, as 

 a basis for the intelligent cultivation of this area, and to insure, as far 

 as possible, the successful settlement of the country. Recognizing the 

 importance of this work, it is proposed to combine a number of our 

 field parties and place them in the area during the coming fall and 

 winter to make a soil survey of about 1,500 square miles of the Colo- 

 rado Desert, so that settlers ma}^ know the actual character of the soils 

 which the}^ purchase, and that industries can be established on the 

 soils best adapted to them. 



In addition to this work it is proposed to extend the soil survey to 

 the Santa Clara Valley in the interest of sugar-beet, grain, and stock 

 production, and to take u\) the San Bernardino Valley in southern 

 California, which is the last of the great fruit areas in southern Cali- 

 fornia that remains to be surveyed. It is believed that very valuable 

 results will be attained by the soil survey when it is extended to the 

 sugar-beet area around Chino and the fruit areas of Pomona, Riverside, 

 San Bernardino, and neighboring towns. 



In all it appears desirable to spend twenty-one months, on the basis 

 of one party, in the State of California during the next field season, 

 and it is believed that the importance of the areas to be investigated 

 fully justifies the time and attention to be given to the work. 



COLORADO. 



During the present field season a soil survey is being made, under 

 the charge of Mr. Macy H. Lapham, of the irrigable lands of the 

 Arkansas Valley between Rockj^ford and the Kansas State line. 

 There will be nearly 1,000 square miles of intricate soil mapping, with 

 alkali problems to be worked out, but it is believed that by concen- 

 trating some of the northern parties in this area during the fall the 

 whole area can be surveyed. This work is undertaken principally in 

 the interest of the sugar-beet growers and of the melon and truck 

 growers. Not only is it desirable to understand better the relation of 

 the soils to crops, but with the extension of irrigation S3"stems the 

 natural drainage is found to be deficient and alkali is rising and threat- 

 ening trouble and losses. The work has progressed far enough to 

 indicate that the alkali problem can be economicall}^ and efiiciently 

 controlled, and it is believed that the classification of the soils will 

 give a basis for the most profitable development of the sugar-beet and 

 track interests of the area. 



It appears desirable to spend about six months during the next field 

 season in a survey of the San Luis Valley, where the alkali problem is 

 becoming far more serious even than in the Arkansas Valley. 



