114 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



tempeiTiture of the region is high, witli a low relative humidity. Tlie summers 

 are usually long and hot and the winters mild and pleasant. The maximum 

 temperature is 110° and the minimvim seldom falls far below zero. . . . The 

 average annual precipitation at Roswell is 1(5.0 in. The greater part of this 

 amount falls during the months of June and July in frequent showers, which, 

 although often violent, are generally local and of short (hiration. Only a small 

 percentage of the annual precipitation falls as snow. . . . 



" The general aridity of the climate renders farming without irrigation 

 impracticable except in a few low-lying areas adjacent to Pecos River. In con- 

 sequence agriculture is restricted to those portions of the valley where water 

 can be obtained from some of the various canals or from artesian wells. The 

 cultivated portions of the basin at present comprise about one-eighth of the total 

 area included in this report, the remainder being utilized for pasturage of 

 cattle — an industry to which the higher lands are well adapted. . . . 



" It is believed that there is no cause for fear that tlie \\'ater supply through- 

 out the northern part of the Roswell basin will give out or become inadequate 

 for all requirements under proper economy of practice. In the region of Artesia 

 and McMillan not enough wells have been sunk to indicate the amount that the 

 water-bearing beds may be expected to yield. There is pressing need for greater 

 economy on the part of the users of well water throughout the Roswell basin." 



SOILS— FERTILIZERS, 



Soils, A. M. Peter and S. D. Averitt {Kciitiicki/ .S7«. BiiL JN'o. 126, pp. 63- 

 126). — This bulletin discusses methods and uses of soil analysis, reports analyses 

 of 127 samples of soils from different parts of Kentucky, and gives the results of a 

 comparison of 3 methods of determining hunuis in soils and a study of the causes 

 of error in determinations of this substance by the method of the Association of 

 Official Agricultural Chemists. The unsatisfactory character of methods of soil 

 analysis for practical purposes is pointed out, but the uses which can be made of 

 results obtained by these methods are indicated. 



Results are reported which indicate that the official method for humus in 

 soils gives results whicli are much too high. The author proposes to approxi- 

 mately eliminate the error by " deducting from the apparent weight of humus 

 10 per cent of the weight of the residue remaining after burning off the humus." 



The determination of humus in portions of the humus solution corresponding 

 to 1 gm. of soil by boiling with potassium permanganate solution (3 gm. of salt 

 to 1 liter of water) gave results which agreed fairly well with the determina- 

 tions by the official method corrected as described. An attempt to use a colori- 

 metric method with the nitric-acid solution of the residue obtained by evaporat- 

 ing the humus solution to dryness did not give satisfactory results. 



The chemical investigation of Tennessee soils, C. A. Mooers (Bien. Rpt. 

 Torn. Dept. Agr., 1003-.'i, pp. 147-15.'i}. — This paper discusses briefly what con- 

 stitutes fertile soil, the importance of the mineral constituents of plant food and 

 The best proportion of these constituents in soils, and the need and value of 

 chemical investigation of the soils of Tennessee. 



Mechanical analysis of soils {.Jour. Agr. HcL, 1 (1906), Xo. 4, PP- -P'0--'f7Jf). — 

 The method adopted l)y the chemical committee of the Agricultural Education 

 Association is described and the general principles of the method are discussed. 

 The method is as follows : 



"(1) Ten gm. of the air-dry earth which have passed a 3 mm. sieve are weighed 

 out into a porcelain basin and worked up with 100 cc. of fifth-normal hydro- 

 chloric acid, the acid being renewed if much carbonate of lime is present. After 



