EDITORIAL. 203 



a competent cruide as Dr. Ewart, which, if caniod on systematically 

 and in a cooperative way, might ])e producti\'c of noteworthy results. 



The rapid evolution of the soil work of this Department from a 

 subordinate division of the Weather Bureau to a Bureau organ izatioii 

 of its own within a period of six years from its inception, and with an 

 appropriation the year of its elevation to a Bureau of over |109,000, 

 gives this line of investigation a prominent position in the activities 

 of the Department. The reorganization of the division into a Bureau 

 of Soils went into effect July 1. and involves the extension of its work 

 along a number of lines of practical utility as well as the strengthen- 

 ing of those developed in the past. The Bureau is charged with the 

 study of soil problems in their relation to practical agriculture; the 

 investigation of the physical and chemical properties of soils, the 

 classitication and mapping of soils, to show the distril)ution of the 

 various soil types, with a view to determining their adaptabilit}'' to 

 certain crops and their management and treatment; the investigation 

 of alkali problems and their relations to irrigation and to seepage 

 waters; and the investigation of tobacco soils, methods of cultivation 

 and curing of tobacco, introduction of improved varieties, and the 

 marketing of tobacco in foreign countries. 



The interest which has been aroused by the investigation of tobacco 

 soils, and especially the successful growth of Sumatra tobacco in C'on- 

 necticut, has given rise to demand for investigation of tobacco soils in 

 other localities and for soil studies on the adaptability of other crops, 

 notably the sugar beet and certain varieties of fruits at present grown 

 to perfection only on quite restricted areas. During the present year 

 an area of nearly six million acres has already been surveyed and 

 mapped, which has included field work in about a dozen different 

 States, and other sections of the country' are being taken up this fall. 

 In several of the Western States this work has included studies of 

 alkali problems, and plans were laid for making a practical demon- 

 stration in Utah of the efiiciency of drainage in the reclamation of 

 alkali lands. The appointment of Mr. F. D. Gardner, who had this 

 work in hand, to the management of the Porto Rico experiment station, 

 prevented carrying out these plans; but nuich interest has been 

 expressed in the luidertaking, and it is hoped that such a demonstra- 

 tion may l)e made later. 



Following the success in growing Sumatra tobacco under shade on 

 soils of certain definite character in Connecticut, cooperative experi- 

 ments were imdertaken Avith a numl)er of farmers in Connecticut and 

 Massachusetts on areas as widely separated as possible, on typical 

 soils which were thought adapted to this crop. In this Avay nearly 

 48 acres of Sumatra tobacco were grown during the past season 

 under the supervision of the Bureau. While it will naturally be some 

 time l)efore the actual results of this experiment are known, the 



