Department of Soil Investigations. 5r 



vestigator, and as students are a transient class, new men must be 

 taken on and trained at inconveniently short periods. The proper 

 numerical balance between the permanent staff and the student corps 

 is yet to be determined. 



Investigation Work. 



The investigations of the department are conducted in (i) the ex- 

 periment field on the University Farm, (2) in a small glass-house, and 

 (3) in the laboratory. Experiments will soon be begun in the soil 

 tanks which will shortly be completed on the experiment field. 



It is intended to limit the number of distinct lines of investigations 

 to a small number. This will permit of a better development of any 

 one subject, which must always be subdivided into a considerable 

 number of separate investigations, and the more of these that can 

 be conducted at one time the sooner definite conclusions can be 

 reached. The natural limit to a concentration of effort, in this way, 

 arises from the slowness with which results come from experimenta- 

 tion that involves the growth of crops. As one step leads to another 

 in experimentation, it is necessary to finish certain sub-investigations 

 before beginning others ; hence, in spite of the desirability for con- 

 centration, the time of the staff can be more economically spent on 

 three or four lines of work than on one. 



The main lines of investigations, together with the subdivisions now 

 being conducted, are as follows : 



(i) Effect of moisture and temperature on the availability and utili- 

 zation of plant nutrients in the soil, and the relation of this to crop 

 production. Including 



(3.) Relation between soil-moisture content and the removal of 

 nutrients by the plant. 



(h) Relation between soil temperature and the removal of nu- 

 trients by the plant. 



(c) Relation between the removal of certain nutrients by the 

 plant and the yield and composition of the plant. 



(d) Relation between the moisture content of the soil and trans- 

 piration by the plant, and between the transpiration and the ab- 

 sorption of nutrients. 



(e) Eft'ect of moisture content on root growth. 



(f) Effect of moisture content on bacterial flora. 



(g) Conditions affecting the concentration and composition of 

 the soil-water solution. 



