WATER SOILS. 343 



WATER— SOILS. 



The artesian waters of South Dakota, J. H. Shepard {South Dakota Sta. Bui. 

 81, pp. 4-^-62). — This is substantially a condensed reprint of matter first published 

 in Bulletins 41 and 49 (E. S. R., 7, p. 287; 8, p. 965) of the station. 



Significance of silicic acid in -waters of mountain streams, W. P. Headden 

 {A)tier. Jour. Set., 4->!(-'r., 16 {190o), No. 92, jjp. 169-184)- — Chemical studies of the 

 waters of the Cache la Poudre River and some neighboring streams are reported 

 which show a very high percentage of silicic acid (15 to 46 per cent of the solid mat- 

 ter) in the waters. This is believed to be "due to the action of water and carbon 

 dioxid, and, perhap.s, also of the acid products arising from the decomposition of 

 vegetable matter on the feldspars of the granite of the region." 



On the application of fluorescein in underground hydrology, E. A. Maetel 

 {Compt. Rend. Amd. Set. Park, 137 {1903), No. 3, p]).- 325-227).— X sunmiary of 

 results of observations by the author and others on the efficiency of fluorescein as a 

 means of studying the movement of underground waters. 



Soil moisture investigations for the seasons of 1901 and 1902, J. J. Ver- 

 non and J. D. Tixsley {New Mexico Sta. Bui. 46, pp. 46)- — The investigations here 

 reported are a continuation of those previously reported (E. S. R., 13, p. 430). The 

 later experiments, however, were transferred to land which was thought to be more 

 uniform than that used in the experiments of 1899 and 1900. The soil of the plats 

 used is in the main made up of river deposit with more or less wash from the foot- 

 hills. "The first and second feet are mainly clay loam, passing into loam in some 

 places and into clay in others. . . . The third foot varies from loam to clay loam^ 

 and in some places there are thin strata of clay. The fourth foot is generally g 

 reddish sand, and under this lies a fairly clean sand down to the water table at about 

 14 ft." The soil "is variable enough to prevent the results on the different plats, 

 from being strictly comparable. ' ' 



The ground was plowed to a depth of about 6 in. in November, 1900. Borders 

 were thrown up around the plats and the first irrigation was given December 18, 

 1900, the second February 7, 1901. In March following 2 plats were subsoiled to ^ 

 depth of about 20 in. The seed bed was prepared by disking the soil 3 or 4 in. deep 

 and leveling with a smoothing board. Corn was planted April 10 and on May 8 all 

 the plats were irrigated. For the crop of 1902 the ground was prepared in about the 

 same way as in the previous year. It was plowed in December, 1901, and 2 plats 

 were subsoiled. All except 3 plats were given a heavy irrigation on March 12. On 

 April 3 the soil was stirred to a depth of 2 or 3 in. with harrows and corn was planted. 

 All plats were again irrigated on April 23. Certain plats were not irrigated after the 

 spring application of water in order to determine the amount of moisture in the soil 

 when corn shows decided effects of drought; some plats were irrigated when the 

 corn seemed to need it; some were irrigated only twice — when the corn was a few 

 inches high and at time of tasseling; some were irrigated in the ordinary Mexican 

 way — at time of planting, before tasseling, and when the grain Avas forming; and 

 iinally, certain plats were irrigated every 10 to 14 days. Observations on the growth 

 of the crop and the moisture content of the soil at frequent intervals were made as 

 in previous experiments. The conclusions reached are as follows: 



" While the ' Mexican method' of 3 irrigations will produce a fair crop of corn, it 

 is itrobable that in ordinary seasons from 1 to 3 additional irrigations may be given 

 with advantage. 



"In general, the moisture content of the soil and yield of corn increase with the 

 number of irrigations; but on the individual i)lats there is little if any connection 

 between moisture content and yield. 



