1920.] French Agricultural Soil Maps. 59 



" With the geniality and intelligence of a French professional 

 gentleman, he explained how these maps were made, and wa 

 willing to copy one with the preliminary sketched plans. 



" His laboratory staff was then reduced in number, and he 

 was at work helping in the devastated areas of the North of 

 France, but with considerable trouble he had the map 

 (reproduced here) copied. 



" The genesis of the maps is in the Communal Council, 

 when it decides to ask the General Council of the Department 

 (a similar body to the English County Council) for a grant to 

 arrange a survey. The General Council will grant a part of the 

 cost on condition that a copy of the survey is sent to them, 

 and I think the State also is asked to contribute. When the 

 decision to draw up a map is made, the Chief or the Director 

 of the Station visits the parish, and prepares a copy of the 

 cadestral map of the area to be surveyed. 



" After correcting the cadestral map the Director next 

 obtains the geological map made by the State and corrects 

 it by going over the parish himself and making a geological 

 drift survey. The next stage is to draw samples of soil of each 

 part, taking great care properly to arrange the samples. Each 

 sample is put in a special bag, numbered and marked, indicating 

 the place from which it w r as drawn. These samples are taken 

 to the Director's laboratory and are analysed chemically and 

 physically. 



" In the map copied, 30 samples were made. All were 

 analysed for chemical composition and eight were analysed 

 physically. On each place from which a sample was 

 taken a small diagram is drawn, showing the percentage 

 of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potash and lime. The eight 

 physical analyses are shown also on the map,* as well as 

 diagrammatically. The name of the Station and the kind 

 of soil are shown by colours and letters. 



" With the map a monograph is prepared, giving information 

 as to the history of the agriculture of the parish — the areas 

 devoted to the various crops, and census of animals. The 

 monograph is a small book of 11 pages. 



" The next and last stage is a meeting of the agriculturists 

 of the parish, in order that the Director may explain the map 

 and the various uses to which it may be put, as well as the 

 relative values of the manures applicable to the soils in the 

 parish. The kinds of wheat and corn used may also be 

 discussed. 



* Nos. 1, 12* 13, 17, 22, 23, 26, and 30. 



