1038 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



tucky and the adjacent counties of Ohio. This embraces the blue grass 

 region of Kentucky, and it is upon these fine, fertile, blue grass soils 

 that the White Burley is grown." The soils are all heavy clays of a 

 uniform deep red color. The subsoils contain on an average about 30 

 per cent of clay. "The characteristic soil of the limestone area of 

 Kentucky, adapted to the White Burley tobacco, as the result of sev- 

 eral years' investigation, may be said to maintain on an average about 

 20 per cent of water." 



Export tobacco is grown in Kentucky and Tennessee on silty soils, 

 which are quite fertile in character. These soils are derived chietly 

 from the St. Louis group of the subcarboniferous. They contain from 

 40 to 60 per cent of silt and 22 to 23 per cent of clay, and maintain an 

 average water content of about 15 per cent. 



"The object of the daily record of moisture in the soil is not only to determine the 

 average amount soils contain, but to determine the normal as well as the extreme 

 variation. . . . It is possible from such records to show the character of a season. 

 The methods of cultivation should have for their prime object the maintenance of 

 the water supply above the line of drought, so that the growth of the plant shall 

 receive no check. If this can not be done by the ordinary method of cultivation, 

 irrigation must be resorted to upon such occasions, if the crop is to be maintained in 

 its best condition.'' 



The moisture of the soil in 1895 and 1896, F. Houdaille (Ann. 

 Ecole Nat. Agr. Montpellier, ?> (1895-' > 96), pp. 150-163, charts 2).—- This is 

 a continuation of work of previous years, 1 and consists of monthly 

 determinations of moisture in a calcareous clay soil with free drainage 

 and a more compact soil, at the surface and at depths of 0.25, and 0.05, 

 and 1 meter. The relation between the moisture in both soils, the 

 rainfall, and evaporation is summarized in the following table: 



Relation of moisture of the soil, rainfall, and evaporation, lSQo-^B. 



January . . 

 February . 

 March .... 



April 



May 



-I line 



July 



Annus) . . . 

 September 

 < tatober. . . 

 November 

 December. 



Evaporation. 



1895. 



Mm. 



104.5 

 84. G 

 161.8 

 134.4 

 120. 6 

 129.6 

 199. 6 

 1G7. 4 

 141.3 

 94.2 

 47.7 

 89.9 



1896. 



.1/ in . 



71.(1 



72.8 



166.5 



211.2 



215.5 



168.3 



263.2 



228.5 



163.5 



93.0 



81.0 



96.1 



Precipitation 



(A). 



1896. 



Mm. 



5.0 



97.3 



41.0 



54.0 



203. 

 95. 

 12.0 

 20. 

 4.5 



144.5 

 94.0 

 11.0 



Mm. 



U.:: 

 56.5 

 9.5 

 7.5 

 13.5 

 49.3 

 17.5 

 13.0 

 39.0 

 62.5 

 97.0 

 79.0 



( lorrected evap- 

 oration (B). 



1895. 1896 



Mm. 

 39.9 

 32. 4 

 62. 

 51.5 

 46.2 

 49. G 

 76.2 

 64.2 

 54.1 

 36.0 

 18.2 

 34.4 



Mm. 



27. 2 

 27. 9 

 63.8 

 81.0 

 82.5 

 64.8 

 101.0 

 49.3 

 62.8 

 35.7 

 31.2 

 36.9 



A— B. 



1895. 1896 



21 in . 



— 34.9 

 I 64.9 



— 21.0 

 -f- 2.5 



i 356.8 

 : 45.4 



— 64.2 



— 44. 2 



— 49.6 

 + 108.5 

 + 75.8 



— 23.4 



Mm. 



—15.9 

 | 28. 6 

 —54.3 

 —73. 5 

 —69.0 

 — 15. 5 

 —83. 5 

 —36. 3 

 —23. 8 

 + 73.2 

 +65. 8 

 +42.1 



Moisture a t 



depth of 0.25 



meter. 



1'er et. 

 10.8 

 13.2 



12.6 

 12.4 

 12.7 

 9.2 

 4. G 

 3.8 

 4.2 

 7.2 

 13.0 

 11.2 



1896. 



1'a- et. 

 13.3 

 12.0 

 11.0 

 9.0 

 5.2 

 4.9 

 4.5 

 4.5 

 6.1 

 5.4 

 9.4 

 14.4 



On the improvement of humus soils, J. Dumont (Gompt. Rend* 



Acad. Sci. Paris, 125 (1897), No. 13, pp. 469-472).— The effect of different 

 fertilizers on the formation of ammoniacal and nitric nitrogen was 



Bui. Met. Herault, 1886, 1890, 1892, 1894. 



