166 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



Titility and usefulness of the work and suggestions as to other lines 

 that could be j)rofitably developed. 



So far as the Bureau is at present informed this work has aroused 

 a great deal of interest, and it is believed that it will be of value to 

 the peojjle. Requests have been made for upward of 25,000 copies 

 of each of these reports, with accompanying maps, to supply the local 

 demand which is likely to arise. So much interest has been taken in 

 this survey that urgent requests have been made by the Illinois exper- 

 iment station that the work shall be continued in the State, and it is 

 proposed to assign a party to the State for the entire field season of 

 nine months during the coming year. It is understood that the station 

 will continue its cooperation, and possibly arrangements can be made 

 for more than one party, so that the work may progi ess rapidly. 



One of the most serious problems encountered in the soil survey, 

 particularly in Clinton County, is in the hardpan, or the compact 

 nature of the underljang clay subsoil, in some of the soil ty]3es. This 

 not only renders cultivation difficult, but makes crops uncertain under 

 certain climatic conditions, and an investigation of the cause of this 

 and a possible remedy is now engaging the attention of the laborato- 

 ries of the Bureau. 



INDIANA. 



No work was carried on in this State during the past fiscal year, but 

 a party is at i^resent engaged in making a soil survey of Posey County. 

 This is in charge of Mr. Marean, and the whole area of the county is 

 to be survej'cd. This is particularly in the interest of the truck grow- 

 ers, as large quantities of watermelons and other truck crops are i3ro- 

 duced on some of the sandy soils of the area. 



While there has been some demand for the extension of this work 

 to include the whole area of the State, the plans at present contem- 

 plate a survey of only three months' duration in Boone Countj^ during 

 the next field season. 



IOWA. 



During the past fiscal year a soil survey has been made around 

 Dubuque, under the charge of Mr. E. O. Fippin. Eight soil types 

 have been recognized and their relations to crops reported upon. 



Rather strong demands have come for the continuation and exten- 

 sion of this work to include the entire State, but it is proposed to 

 spend but six months during the next field season in surveying a part 

 of Cerro Gordo and Story counties in the interest of sugar-beet pro- 

 duction, as well as of ge.neral farming, stock raising, and dairying. 



KANSAS. 



During the past field season 461 square miles have been surveyed 

 around Wichita. It was expected that this would be a very uniform 

 area, but nine soil tj'pes were encountered, each with distinct proper- 

 ties and adapted more or less to different crops or requiring different 

 methods of cultivation. The possibilities are shown of some degree 

 of Specialization of crops and the introduction of fruit interests to 

 take the place of the almost universal crops of wheat and corn, which 

 it is believed will be of value in the further development of the agri- 

 cultural interests of the area. This work has been in charge of Mr. 

 J. E. Lapham. 



