18 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



on the nitrogen, i. e., on the element present in iiiiniinum. Hence the addition of 

 nitrogen singly or in mixtures in almost all eases was accompanied by a decrease of 

 the loss of water Y>er unit of dry matter. 



Report of the nieteorological station. — Observations were made on the rainfall, evapo- 

 ration, and humidity of the soil; on the temperature of the air and the soil; on the 

 cloudiness, sun's radiation, and the intensity of the sun's rays; on the pressure of the 

 air and on the wind, etc. 



Report on the Ploti vineyard. — The ^\'ork here descril^ed relates to wine making as 

 well as to grape culture. 



The development of a soil survey, F. K. Cameron {Proc. Soc. Prom. Agr. Hci. 

 1901, pp. 35-41). — This article discusses the development and the general features of 

 the present method of conducting the soil surveys of the Bureau of Soils of this 

 Department. It is stated that in general the main feature of the soil classification 

 adopted is a physical one, bvit geological, chemical, and climatic conditions are also 

 taken into consideration in the classification or establishment of types for particular 

 areas. The soils are mapped in the field as the survey progresses from day to day on 

 base maps in which the conventional scale of 1 in. to a mile is adopted. The obser- 

 vations in the field are supplemented by laboratory studies. The main advantages 

 claimed for the system of classification are completeness and flexibility, permitting 

 a ready correlation of the soil types of one area with those of another. 



"The most striking i;)ractical result of the soil survej' is the impetus which it has 

 given to the idea of the adaptation of special crops to special soils," the prevailing 

 idea in this line of soil investigation being to determine the soil areas adapteil to par- 

 ticular crops, rather than the adaptation of the soil by the addition of fertilizers or 

 by other means to some croj) often selected without reference to its adaptability to 

 the soil. 



The soil as an economic and social factor, F. K. Cameron {Pop. Sci. Mo., 60 

 {1902), No. 6, pp. 539-550). 



The investigation of cultivated soils, O. Yibrans {Bl. Zurl-erruhenhau, 9 {1902), 

 pp. 25-31). — A general discussion of methods and results. 



Agricultural soil studies, H. Dcbbers {Jour. Landv., 50 {1902), No. 1, pp. 

 7-14). — A ci'iticism of the p>ractical usefulness of soil maps and charts based on geo- 

 logical classification, and suggestions as to their improvement in this respect l)y com- 

 bining the agricultural with the geological classification. A system of nomenclature 

 with convenient abbrevlationn for use on maps and charts is proposed. 



Studies on cultivated soil, T. ScHLOESiNCi ( Cowp<. Rend. Acad. Sci., ParU, 134 

 {1902), No. 11, pp. 631-635) .—The author analyzed separately the particles which 

 subsided after periods of 1 minute, 5 minutes, 1 hour, 5 hours, and 24 hours, in water 

 in which soil had been shaken, as well as all the particles visible under the micro- 

 scope which separated out from the dilute solution from the previous separations 

 after several months' standing. It was found that the content (jf phosphoric acid 

 and ferric oxid rapidly increased with the fineness of the particles, the ratio 

 between the two remaining almost constant. The finest silt particles and the col- 

 loidal clay contained almost the same amounts of iron, ferric oxid, and phosphoric 

 acid. 



Soils of North Dakota, E. F. Ladd {North Dakota Sta. Rpt. 1901, pp. 22-29). — 

 This is a compilation of average analyses of typical soils and subsoils of the State 

 examined during the past 12 years. 



Soil moisture study, A. M. Ten Eyck {North Dakota Sta. RpA. 1901, pp. 104, 

 105). — Determinations of the moisture in soils under different methods of treatment 

 were made at seeding time (May 8) and at harvest time (August 8). At seeding time 

 the moisture content of the soil to a depth of 2 feet was nearly uniform in 5 plats 

 under observation. At harvest time summer fallowed land showed 24.4 per cent of 

 moisture in 3 ft. of soil, corn land 24.2 per cent, and wheat land 10.2, and 11,2 per 

 cent in plats fall and spring plowed, respectively. 



