1918.1 SOILS FERTILIZERS. 621 



Soil survey of the San Fernando Valley area, Cal., L. C. Holmes, B. C. 

 EcKMANN, G. L. Harrington, J. E. Guernsey, and O. J, Zinn (U. S. Dcpt. 

 Agr., Adv. Sheets Field Oper. Bur. Soils, 1915, pp. 61, pis. 4, fig. 1, map 1).— 

 This survey, made in cooperation with the University of California, deals with 

 the soils of an area of 175,360 acres, situated in southwestern California, and 

 embraces practically all the San Fernando Valley and a part of the lower 

 mountain slopes and foothills along its margins. Physiographically, the valley, 

 or main portion of the area, is an oval basin. The somewhat regular and 

 smooth side slopes consist of " merging alluvial fans which usually are very 

 sharply differentiated in topography from the hills and mountains flanking 

 their upper sides." 



The soils of the area have been broadly grouped in three main provinces 

 vvith respect to their origin, as follows: "(a) Residual soils or those occupying 

 the hills and mountains and derived by weathering in place from consolidated 

 rocks, (&) coastal-plain and old valley -filling soils or those derived from uncon- 

 solidated yet old, weathered, water-laid deposits, and (c) recent-alluvial soils 

 or those of the recent-alluvial fans and valley slopes, this group being by far 

 the most important." The first group is represented by 7 soil types of 4 series, 

 the second by 4 types of 1 series, and the third by 22 types of 4 series. In 

 addition to the above, three miscellaneous classes of material are mapped, 

 namely, rough broken land, rough stony land, and riverwash. Rough stony 

 laud, rough broken land, Yolo loam, and Tujunga fine sandy loam predominate, 

 occupying 13.7, 11.4, S.9, and 6 per cent of the total area, i-espectively. 



Soil survey of Hov/ard County, Md., W. T. Carter, .ie., and J. P. D. Hull 

 (U. S. Dept. Agr., Adv. Sheets Field Oper. Bur. Soils, 1916, pp. 34, fig. 1, map 

 1). — This survey, made in cooperation with the Maryland Geological Survey, 

 deals with the soils of an area of 161,920 acres, located in the central part of 

 the State. Physiographically the county is a thoroughly dissected plateau. 

 The area lies chiefly within the northern division of the Piedmont Plateau, 

 wliile the southeastern one-sixth of the county lies within the Coastal Plain. 



" The soils of Howard County may be classed in three groups, namely, 

 residual soils, formed by the disintegration and decomposition of the under- 

 lying rocks of the Piedmont Plateau ; soils of the Coastal Plain, derived from 

 sedimentary material deposited on a former ocean bed ; and alluvial soils, con- 

 sisting of recent sediments deposited along the various streams of the county." 

 Thirteen soil types of 10 series are mapped. Chester loam, including the stony 

 phase ; Manor loam, micaceous phase ; and Congaree silt loam, predominate, 

 occupying 50.5, 18.7, and 10.4 per cent of the area, respectively. 



Soil survey of Bottineau County, R. C. Doneghue (North Dakota Sta. Bui. 

 124 (1917), pp. 115-148, map 1). — This survey has been noted (E. S. R., 38, 

 p. 422). 



Soil survey of Kay County, Okla., N. M. Kirk and R. C. Jukney (17. S. 

 Dej)t. Agr., Adv. Sheets Field Oper. Bur. Soils, 1915, pp. 40, pi. 1, fig. 1, map 

 1). — This survey deals with the soils of an area of 602,240 acres in north- 

 central Oklahoma, lying wholly within the Great Plains region. The topog- 

 raphy of the county is level to gently undulating and undulating, the eastern 

 portion being somewhat hilly. Drainage is well established. 



The upland soils of the county are mainly residual in origin, being derived 

 from limestone and shale, while some are of eolian origin and were derived 

 from material from the river bottoms. The soils of the first and second bot- 

 toms are of alluvial origin. Twenty-eight soil types of 13 series are mapped, 

 Gerald silt loam, occupying 40.3 per cent of the area, predominating. 



Further studies of the nature of animonification, K. Miyake (Soil Set., 

 4 (1917), No. 4, pp. 321-325).— Further studies on the subject (E. S. R.. 36, 



