4 N. H. Agr. Experiment Station [Bulletin 304 



"It is recognized," says the agreement, "that the problem in New- 

 England is quite possibly different from that of most other portions of 

 continental United States, for the reason that a large proportion of the 

 area has been and still remains in forest cover and pasture land. 



"The floods of the spring of 1936 brought forth considerable com- 

 ment. Data were presented showing the depths of silt deposition in the 

 valleys of several rivers. For example, in the Winooski River Valley 

 it was indicated that in a survey of 26 farms totalling 1,098 acres, 47.3 

 per cent, of the area was covered to a depth of 16-20 inches by silt and 

 sand. Quite probably similar conditions resulted from the flood of 1927 

 and other previous floods. 



' ' Data were presented showing that in some cases at least, the content 

 of phosphorus in the debris was higher than that of a normal profile of 

 the soil in the upstream portion from which the deposition originated. 

 The thought was expressed that the soil quite possibly came from culti- 

 vated lands. 



"Preliminary observations would indicate that erosion has occurred 

 on pasture lands where the fertility of the soil was allowed to decline so 

 that the grass cover became thin or over-grazing was systematically 

 practiced. The loss of soil and breaking of the turf may have only taken 

 place during the early spring before growth liad started, but over a long 

 period of years appreciable sheet erosion occurred. 



' ' On plowed land, particularly where crops such as corn and potatoes 

 were raised with the rows running up and down hill, there has been a 

 large loss of soil during the early summer rains before a good vegetative 

 growth had developed. At other times in the summer and fall, how- 

 ever, soil washing has been noted in periods of exceptional precipitation. 

 Evidence of the effect of the gradual loss of surface soil has been given in 

 the comments that farmers have made to the effect that the rocks tended 

 to come to the surface so that fields eventually became too rocky to plow. 



"The major part of the erosion so far observed has been caused by wa- 

 ter, but some wind erosion has occurred in limited areas of sandy land 

 along the Lamoille River in Vermont, in portions of Cape Cod on the 

 sea coast and in parts of the Connecticut River Valley. 



"The extent of the injury which has occurred to crop lauds and pas- 

 tures is not accurately known, nor are methods for controlling soil loss 

 clearly recognized." 



It is a source of great gratification that the Carnegie Institution of 

 AVashington awarded a special grant of $2,000 for the coming year for 

 the continuation of the cooperative studies in animal nutrition. These 

 fundamental investigations were first made possible through the interest 

 of Dr. Francis G. Benedict of that institution and have been conducted 

 since 1918 with his active cooperation and counsel. Upon his reaching 

 the age of retirement, it has been necessary to face some new arrange- 

 ment, and the action of the Carnegie board in approving the continua- 

 tion of funds under Professor Ritzman's supervision is deeply appre- 

 ciated. 



A serious set-back was incurred in midsummer when the wooden 

 building, formerly the dairy barn, which had housed the Agricultural 

 Engineering department, was lost by fire. A considerable amount of 



