16 



The following" average of soils from the experiment station farm is 

 typical of the bettor class of soils: 



Avcracjc of soil of experiment farm. 



Percent. 



Coarse material 1. 664 



Fine eartli 98. 336 



Analyt^i8 of fine earth: 



Insoluble matter 80. 410 



Soluble matter 19. 590 



Soluble silica 130 



Potash 600 



Soda 360 



Lime 1 . 160 



Magnesia 1 . 150 



Manganese oxid 960 



Peroxid of iron 3. 920 



Alumina 6. 150 



Phosphoric acid - 290 



Sulphuric acid 1 13 



Organic matter 5. 440 



Moisture 4. 080 



Nitrogen - 170 



The soils in general are loams with just the desirable proportion of 

 sand to cla}', so that on the one hand they are not too loose, while on 

 the other they do not bake or ofter obstacles to the free movement of 

 crops. 



Alkali is found in harmful quantity in only a few sections of limited 

 extent. 



CLIMATE. 



The climatological records of the Montana Agricultural College 

 cover only a few years, but this deficienc}' has been made up, in a large 

 measure, by the painstaking labors of Mr. Peter Koch, of Bozeman, 

 Mont. Mr. Koch began taking observations January 1, ISSO. and 

 continued them through a period of twenty 3'ears. Under the direc- 

 tion of the author a complete transcript of his records has been made 

 into a permanent record book, to which have been added, from the 

 college records, the data pertaining to the years from 15)00 to l'J()2, 

 inclusive. In the following paragraphs the results of Mr. Koch's 

 records for twenty years, together with those of the additional \ ears, 

 are summarized. 



From 1880 to 1902 the average rainfall at Bozeman has been a trifle 

 more than 10 inches. Some portions of the cultivated area of Gallatin 

 Valley have a greater precipitation, while other portions have less, the 

 average for the entire valley being probabl}' somewhat less than that 

 of Bozeman. This precipitation is considerably- more than that of the 

 State as a whole. In this period there were a few dry years, notably 

 1889 and 1900, in both of which the precipitation fell below 15 inches. 



