A(iRI(ULTURAL Al'lMlolMtlATlOX BILI^ IW24. 273 



cheiaicul uiul physical characUTifltic* of t\\o Huil. It titii<iioft r«nurr«>M of iiiutohaUi 

 .MuiUiMo for iiHo an fcrtili/<TH or noil anien<iiiK'rit<* aii<t atliMiiptH u> 'liftrovor now nourcoa 

 of rnat4>riul uixl a I)ftt4-r \^H^> of tlioH<> inatiTialH at prffo-nt known. 



Soil itnrify. T\w Hoil mirvi'V i« the larijtfit work uii'l<Ttiik<'n l»y thin >iur(>au \ 

 Hurvt'y \\nH Imm'ii iimil<' of ov«'r oix' tliinl the coiiliiH'iiUil area oi tin- rmU-il Su»t«i( ami 

 the Hotlti liav*' Ihm'I) chu-^tilii'il atxl iiiapixMi and rv]M)Ttn itwiii'ii ri'^rdinK the noil ty|Kti. 

 This work finhrawjt a hir(j«' U'rritory ami haw corrolated motf M)iln than any other 

 Hiinilar work in th<' world. Tho noil map, an itwucd by the Hiirvpy, ih of larifp hh«» In 

 farmort* or to thoMc contfinplatinR pnrchawiii^: fann landu; it fiiniitthott th<-rti with a 

 basiw ui)on which to ju<1v,h' tin* auriiidtural valiu' of nuch landn. Th*- ■ ' aro 



U!<im,' tht'.x*' majw in lar>,'i' numht-r in their devtdoj)m('nt work, and roa<l eh.. . ; - and 

 Hanil.iry en)fin»'erw are dfrnamlint; them t*) an inereiwinR extent. Th«> fami-loan bank 

 and the Kedprai rt'SiTvc bankn are nsiny them as a eherk in the valuation rif farm 

 landH, fon-strr** are fmployin>r them iw a ba^l^< of lh«' value of Hoilw wh«'n tin* timlxT 

 hiLM bfcn cut. Thi- Kfclamation Ser\iee i.n making; use of the ma]>s ifir di'vdopmfnt 

 work. |)artieu!arly in proviilin^ ellieient dniina^fe and in the prevention of the ns<' of 

 alkali: public schools of the country are usinij th<' ma|)« for the e<lucation of th«' chil- 

 • Iren rt'ijardinjj the physical structure an<l the ai;ricultural wealth of communitiej'. 

 The Post (Klicv Department and the Department of Justice make use of them for 

 ruiiiiini; down Iniudulent land caf<es. The War ("ollege and other bureaus of the 

 War Department have usetl them for the selection of sites for military maneuvers and 

 other purpows, and investment companies are employinp them in calculatinp risks 

 involved in agricultural occupation and health conditions. 



Durinir the last year surveys were comi)leted and bepun in «5f) counties in 29 dif- 

 ferent States. The area covered by detail surveys amounted to 27 .'.V.i7 square miles 

 reconnaissance surveys were (•om|>leted in an area comi)risinp 1S.:{| I stpiare mile. 

 In carrying; out survey work this bureau has the coo]>eration of 27 Stat«'s. namely, 

 Alabama. Arkansas. California, (leorpia, Idaho. Indiana. Iowa. Marylaiwl. Ma.H>sachu- 

 setts. Michigan. .\Iinne.sfjta. Mi3ais8i])pi. Missouri. Nebraska. Xew .Jersey. .\ew York. 

 North Carolina. North Dakota. Ohio. Oresjon. Pennsylvaiiia. South Dakota. Tennessee. 

 Texa.-), I'lah. West Virginia, and Wisconsin. 



The Mureau of Soils, throtiph its cooperation with th«!se several States is able to 

 correlate and unify the work in soil surveving as undertaken by these States. The 

 claKsitication and names of soil types, as adopted by this bureau, have been followt'd 

 by the ditTeriMit States and this bureau is looked to for pviidance as the leader in this 

 work. If the soil surveys in the different Slates are to be oi any peneral utility there 

 must be stime central agency which can correlate and unify them. The experiment 

 stations are usinp the .soil maps as a haais for extendinp their work in farm manapement 

 studies and in their advice to farmers as to fertilizer needs and their experimental 

 work which is carried on in the field. In addition to this repular work of the survey 

 there has been cooperation with the Department of Justice and other bureaus of the 

 (.lovernment where iniestions of soil clas.silication and determination of land values 

 has been involved. The stiil maps are used by several States in determininp (he basis 

 of taxation. 



Fertilizer invest igalions. — For several years attention in the fertilizer investipations 

 has been directed to concentrated fertilizers, with the object of presenting the pcwsi- 

 bility of nianufacturiu",' cheaper materials for the farmer. The importance of this 

 has lieen esju'cially impre.s.-<ed upon us l>ecause of the gradual al)sorption into feed stutTs 

 of much of the nitropenous material that heretofore has been used in fertilizers. We 

 are now working along the lines of the [)reparation of high-grade concentrated fertilizers 

 from low-grade or waste material, or materials not hitherto readily a\tiilable. The 

 f)rei)arati()n of such materials is dependent upon a new volatilization |)rocess for the 

 manufacture of ohosphoric acid. With phospohric acid at a satisfactory price, there 

 may lie prepared compounds of ammonium phosphate, ammoniiun nitrate, ])otassium 

 phosphate, or ammonium potassium phosphate, which may be mixed with am- 

 monium nitrate or ammonium chloride from nitro}j;cn lixation products to supply the 

 farmer with a highly concentrated fertilizer material. 



The work on nitrogen lixation with which the bureau has l>een concerned during the 

 last year, in cooj)erati<m with the Fixed Nitrogen l,al»oratory, has had as its object the 

 improvement of processes for the removal of ammonia from the gaseous mixture after 

 its formation in the catalytic chamber. One of the main difhculties in the ojjeration 

 of the so-called Haber pmcess is the efficient remtival and collection of -the ammonia 

 afteritsformation.andin our work on this prol)lem we have discovereil certain .solvents 

 which give promi.se of effectinp this removal more efficiently than has been i>ot<sibIe 

 before. A small unit, designed for this purpose, has l)een constructed and is being 

 tried out ex|)erimentally in ct>operation with the Fixed Nitrogen Researdi l,at)oratory. 

 In addition to the work of the bureau on the fixation of nitrogen from the air. work is 



