710 IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 



The experimental work in soils during the past few years has in- 

 cluded the study of many important questions, chiefly, however, the ro- 

 tation of crops, the use of fertilizing materials, the drainage of the 

 soil, and the management of certain partially unproductive soils, such 

 as gumbo, peat, alkali and "push" soils. In a general way it may be 

 said that all effort has been directed toward securing the greatest crop 

 production wii^h the least soil depletion. 



It is evident therefore that the section has material at hand which 

 permits of authoritative statements along many lines of soil manage- 

 ment. There are, of course, many questions which it is not yet possible 

 to answer absolutely and completely, because anything like a complete 

 study of soils of the state will require years of labor and abundant facili- 

 ties. In so far as investigations have led to conclusive evidence along 

 certain lines, the section is ready and glad to make recommendations 

 regarding the management and improvement of Iowa soils, and to do 

 It free of charge. 



In order to advise regarding the proper treatment of any soil it is 

 necessary, however, that certain facts regarding the lay of the land, the 

 crops grown, the fertilizers added, etc., be in the hands of the station 

 men. It is not merely enough to send in a small sample of soil, al- 

 though that, of course, is helpful in many cases. It is suggested that 

 the following questions be answered by every farmer who wishes advice. 

 These answers and, if desirable, a sample of soil carefully taken, as 

 will be described later, should be sent to the Soils Section of the Iowa 

 Agricultural Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa. 



Where is the land located? 



How long has the land been under cultivation? 



What system of cropping is practiced? 



What rotation of crops is used? 



What was the crop yield last year? 



What was the crop yield the preceding year? 



What crop yields the best? 



What crop gives the poorest results? 



Has inoculation been practiced for legumes? 



Is the land level or rolling? 



What is the depth of plowing? 



Are there any peculiarities about the soil? 



Is the land drained? How? 



How much manure has been applied? When? 



How much fertilizer has been added? When? 



How much lime has been used? When? 



WHAT THE STATION CANNOT DO. 



Certain limitations are imposed upon the work of the soils section 

 by the laws under which experiment stations were founded and by the 

 size of the annual appropriations. The section cannot undertake to 

 analyze samples of soil or fertilizers for private parties. Analyses of 

 soils and fertilizers are expensive and tedious operations, and should 

 all members of the staff, the size of which is limited by the appropria- 



