United States Congressional Serial Set Volume 4466 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1902 edition. Excerpt: ...a cooperative plan of study was arranged. A circular outlining the nature of the work was prepared and sent to the various agricultural experiment stations. Twenty-eight stations agreed to undertake the work. The plan, in brief, is as follows: Each station selected a typical soil, preferably one that had received no fertilizer, which was considered the best suited for the purpose. Four adjoining plots cf cereals were sown--spring wheat, oats, rye, and barley. From the center of the plots and over an area of about 4 square feet samples of soil were secured to three successive depths of 9 inches. The soils and subsoils were shipped to this laboratory, where a portion was used for the experimental culture in pots and the remainder redistributed among the cooperating stations for analysis and study. At maturity the crops are to be harvested and forwarded to this laboratory, where they will be analyzed and the amount of mineral matter removed will be calculated. This is probably the most extensive chemical investigation of methods to determine the fertility of soil which has been undertaken. Each cooperating station was supplied with 54 samples, representing the soils and subsoils from 27 States, and with the analyses of the four varieties of cereals grown on these soils. There was also supplied to each station a piece of apparatus designed by this laboratory, whereby 12 samplesof soil may be simultaneously subjected to specified constant conditions of digestion, viz, a definite temperature and the continuous agitation of the soil in its solvent. With this equipment the cooperating stations will endeavor to verify the scheme of analysis, as outlined by this laboratory, and in addition such theories as have been or may be proposed by...