202 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



direction, however, of only one man, in order to avoid confusion 

 and hesitation among the survey corps. 



As originally planned, the soil survey was an organization with 

 three main departments. In the actual carrying on of the work 

 it is gradually splitting into two organizations : A Soil Survey 

 with a field division and a chemical division, and a Bureau of Crop 

 Experimentation. In the following description of the work al- 

 ready accomplished by the Soil Survey, the meaning of the latter 

 expression is understood. The work of the soil survey proper, as 

 now understood, includes the identification of the various soil types 

 in the field, and the mapping of their distribution, the study of ex- 

 isting agricultural conditions in the areas studied, and the de- 

 termination of the physical and chemical composition of the vari- 

 ous soils. By far the greater part of all the work is the identifi- 

 cation, diflFerentiation, and mapping of the soils in the field. The 

 field work of the survey is carried on with two degrees of accuracy 

 and detail. A particular region, usually one of the main physical 

 regions of the State, like the southeastern lowlands, the Ozark 

 regions, etc., is gone over first in a rapid survey for the purpose 

 of determining the general character of its soils and for grouping 

 them into their groups according to their origin or some other 

 relation. This work is done rapidly and the results are intended 

 to be used for purposes of general information about the region 

 and as a guide for future work. General soil maps are prepared 

 for the regions studied. They are published with an accompany- 

 ing report, which describes the main soil groups and the general 

 agricultural conditions as well as offers suggestions for the treat- 

 ment of the various soils. We designate this work as reconna'e- 

 sance tvork. 



The other character of field work is detailed work. An area, 

 usually a county, is taken up and mapped in great detail. Every 

 type of soil in the county is identified and its distribution deter- 

 mined accurately. An attempt is made to determine the charac- 

 ter of the soil in every ten-acre area in the county. Samples, usu- 

 ally several, from each soil type, are collected for study in the lab- 

 oratories of the survey. A county map will be prepared and pub- 

 lished, showing the distribution and area of all the soils of the 

 county. It will be accompanied by a report describing the soils 

 and agricultural conditions and giving practical suggestions for 

 treating the soils. We designate this as detailed work. 



The progress of the two grades of field work that had been 



