FOURTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VI. 439 



find the landowners face to face with the same problems. In Illinois, 

 also, although we think of that commonwealth as one of the richest roil- 

 ing states of the Central West, we find the thoughtful farmers earnestly 

 studying soil conditions. In the West, alkali and irrigation are demand- 

 ing the attention of land owners and Government experts. In this State 

 we have our peculiar soil problems. It is not strange, and the fact that 

 we have these problems is our reason for investigating and studying 

 them in' their relation to Iowa's agricultural progress. When I first 

 came into this State I was impressed by the fertility of the land as indi- 

 cated by the wonderful growth of the grains and grasses. On every hand 

 the fields gave evidence of an abounding fruitfulness. But there was 

 one blot upon the landscape. As far as the eye could see, in many sec- 

 tions of the State, could be seen innumerable low. wet spots, wholly or 

 partially unproductive. These areas, some large and some quite limited, 

 were thus unproductive because of inadequate drainage. There is no 

 question about it. You know that it is true. In fact, as you traveled here 

 to this convention, you found here an acre and there an acre unproduc- 

 tive or partially unproductive all owing to the fact that it was not ade- 

 quately drained. A few^ years ago the fact that drainage conditions ought 

 to be improved in this State grew stronger and stronger. In the full- 

 ness of time it became evident that something ought to be done, all with 

 the intent of bringing this problem nearer to the people and land own- 

 ers of the State. Therefore it seemed wise that the department of soils 

 of this college should institute investigations which would furnish some 

 valuable data that could be tabulated and later sent to the people of the 

 State for the purpose of crystalizing sentiment in favor of more ade- 

 quate laws, something that would not only make men believe in these 

 important drainage problems, but also lead them to act. We have sent 

 out not less than four thousand letters to almost every township in 

 your State, and about two thousand replies have been received in reply 

 to the questions which were asked. It was our purpose to find out just 

 what the drainage conditions of this State are. We did not go to any 

 particular section or township or county, but we went to the farmers of 

 the State; to men many of whom were personally known to us, and 

 asked them to give us answers as fair and comprehensive as they pos- 

 sibly could. These two thousand letters have brought us data which 

 ought to be of real value, for they come from men who have land to 

 drain and who are interested in better drainage and better tiling of the 

 land. Tbnight I do not want to weary you with a great number of fig- 

 ures, nor with a mass of statistical matter, but we have some data which 

 I believe will be of interest to you. 



(At this point Professor Stevenson explained clearly and rapidly the 

 charts which were hung upon a screen upon the platform, giving the 

 following data) : 



