HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 85 
The CuatrmMan. How many million acres have you gone over? I 
have not seen the statement this year. Have you the total of the dif- 
ferent years? 
Mr. Wurirney. Yes. 
The CuarrMan. Kindly read it. 
Mr. Wurrnry. Altogether we have surveyed 133 areas, averaging 
453 square miles and covering 60,263 square miles, or 38,568,320 acres. 
The Cuarrman. How many million acres did you cover last year. 
Mr. Waurtyey. 16,000,000. We have done a great deal of work. 
We have had our parties out constantly, winter and summer, and the 
efficiency of the parties is very much increased and the cost has been 
considerably reduced—that is, the cost per square mile. 
Mr. Grarr. When the map is made and the samples of soil are sent 
into the Department a chemical analysis is made of the soil, is it? 
Mr. Wuirney. No, sir; a mechanical analysis. So far we have 
not been able to understand the chemical analysis of the soil, but we 
have been working on the question of fertility, and I was going to 
speak of that in connection with our laboratory work. 
Mr. Scorr. What are the elements that enter into the mechanical 
analysis? What do you determine by that analysis? 
Mr. Wurrney. The size of the grades, the amount of organic mat- 
ter, and if there is any large amount of lime that is also determined; 
but it is the amount of the organic matter and the grade of the mate- 
rial that is important—how much sand and silt and clay. 
The Cuatrman. The percentage of each. 
Mr. Waritney. The percentage of each; yes. 
Mr. Wricut. After these samples are all tabulated and analyzed 
here and your report made, how do you get the practical benefit to 
the individual farmer ? 
Mr. Wurtney. The publication of the work of the Bureau was pro- 
vided for by Congress by joint resolution two or three years ago, and 
it provides for the publication of 18,000 copies, a certain number for 
the use of the House, a certain number for the Senate, and 8,000 copies 
for the Department. So we have 8,000 copies for distribution, and 
we send those out so far as they will go. The House of Representa- 
tives and the Senate together have 9,000 copies which they distribute. 
In addition to that we order, of our own responsibility, 1,000 copies 
of the reprints of each of these separate reports, with the map 
attached, and send these out so far as we can to applicants in the 
locality itself, reserving the balance for public libraries and for edu- 
cational institutions, and for persons who we believe will make use of 
the bound copy in a more general way than the inhabitants or any 
local person would probably do. 
Mr. Bowrz. While you are on that subject, Doctor, I understand the 
Secretary has recommended in some way that the number to be dis- 
tributed locally in that pamphlet form in a particular county should 
be increased. 
Mr. Wurtney. Yes. Te 
Mr. Bowie. Will you please explain what that recommendation is, 
and what expense it involves, and what change in the law is necessary 
to accomplish it? 
Mr. Wuirnry. Yes. 
Mr. Bowrr. If it is not interfering with the course of your remarks. 
Mr. Wurtnry. Not at all. The Department orders these reprints, 
as I said, for its own use, and in some cases we haye been able to fur- 
