SAMPLES Nos. 22652, 22653.

This sample is taken from George Britt's place at Milepost 41. Water soft. Field has been under cultivation thirty years. High, flat woods. Fertilized with a cheap manure, 200 pounds to the acre. Crops raised in this field consist of cotton, corn, and sugar cane. I would call your attention to the fact that in this field there is a disease in the cotton called "black root." The root turns black and the plant dies. Mr. Britt would like to know if this is caused by the soil; if so, what can be done to remedy it.

SAMPLES Nos. 22654, 22655.

This sample is from Milepost 46. High, flat woods, and remarkably rich. The sample was taken from virgin soil in the pine woods. Water soft. Well 10 to 12 feet deep.

The farms from which these samples have been taken have from 1 to 3 acres in sugar cane, and they raise from 10 to 12 barrels of sirup to the acre.

It must be remembered that the section of the country through which the Jacksonville and Southwestern Railroad runs is entirely a new country, nearly all of the land being virgin, with here and there a few places which have been in cultivation for years. This virgin soil with a little assistance should produce from 10 to 15 barrels of sirup to the acre.

EGYPT, GA.-SAMPLES Nos. 22658, 22659.

Land owned by Mr. E. E. Foy. This land has been in cultivation twenty-eight years. This year and last it was planted in cane. It was planted in rye in 1899, on which no fertilizer was used. The fertilizer used on cane crop both this year and last was stable manure, about a ton per acre, supplemented with about 200 pounds each of cotton-seed meal and acid phosphate. Land level and sandy.

ADRIAN, GA.-SAMPLES Nos. 22660, 22661.

Land owned by Capt. T. J. James. Land at present planted in cane; also last year. Formerly planted in corn and oats. Each crop fertilized with about 200 pounds of guano. Land level and sandy; free from stones; not very well drained. This land has only been in cultivation about five years.

AMERICUS, GA.-SAMPLES Nos. 22662, 22663.

Land owned by Mr. Tawson; rented by Stapleton for several years. Land has been in cultivation twenty years or more. A small creek within 300 yards of the edge of the field. Rather rolling, with a stiff clay subsoil. The field from which this sample is taken is typical of the land upon which cane is usually grown, rather than typical of the general soil of the locality. This land was in cane last year, but this season is not planted in anything. Fertilizer used last year and the year before consisted of 200 pounds of cotton-seed meal and 150 pounds of acid phosphate.

ALBANY, GA.-SAMPLES Nos. 22664, 22665.

Land owned by Mr. Morris Wesloski. This sample is taken from land which is at present in Irish potatoes and was in cane for two years preceding. Fertilizer used on the land this year was about 600 pounds of guano per acre. On the cane the same fertilizer was used, about 400 pounds per acre. Land is level, a dark loam. Field from which sample was taken is typical of the whole locality.

HARTFORD, ALA.-SAMPLES Nos. 22666, 22667.

Land owned by J. W. McKinney. Has been in cultivation about seven years. At present is planted in cane; last year in sweet potatoes. Samples taken from a

field typical of the locality. Rather rolling, sandy, well drained. About 200 pounds of guano per acre was used on both the cane and sweet potatoes. This was supplemented with a little stable manure.

The three samples sent were taken from along the Chattahoochee River, but in different localities, the samples differing considerably.

COLUMBIA, ALA.-SAMPLES Nos. 22668, 22669.

Land owned by J. F. Bowden. Samples taken from a field adjoining a creek, about 3 miles from the river. This field is typical of what is called the " upland” bottoms, as distinguished from the first and second bottoms. This land is well drained, rather sandy and level. A very stiff clay subsoil about 3 feet below surface. Samples taken from an oat field where corn was planted last year. One hundred and fifty pounds of guano was used on oats; about the same on corn. This land has been in cultivation for about fifteen years.

GEORGETOWN, GA.-SAMPLES Nos. 22670, 22671.

Land owned by H. Lampley. These samples are from a field of second bottom" land. Is subject to overflow from backwater in very high water. Is about onefourth of a mile from the river. Land level, sandy. Has been in cultivation for thirty years or more. At present is planted in cotton; formerly in corn. lizer used on both crops was about 150 pounds of guano per acre.

BRICKYARD, ALA.-SAMPLES NOS. 22672, 22673.

Ferti

Land owned by Mr. G. M. Flournoy. Samples taken from "first bottom" land, about 1 mile from the river. Subject to overflow every year. Has been in Johnson grass for seven years. A very rich black soil. No fertilizer used. Cultivated for fifty years or more. Level, poorly drained.

FITZGERALD, GA.—SAMPLE No. 22943.

Land planted by R. A. Wilson. This soil has been treated in the manner prescribed in your letter. During the last three years I have grown on this tract corn, potatoes, peas, watermelons, and various other crops, the most of which have produced two or three crops each year. Of course, 1 fertilize each crop some, the fertilizer used being phosphate and German kainit and barn manure.

AMBROSE, GA.-SAMPLE No. 22944.

Land planted by C. H. Buttler.

Field has been in cultivation for six years, and the following crops have been grown: Cotton, corn, potatoes, and sugar cane.

BEACH, GA.-SAMPLE No. 22945.

The

This soil was taken from a field now in cultivation for the third season. first season it was planted in sweet potatoes with poor success, it being too wet for the crop. The second season it was planted in sugar cane, with splendid results. It is now planted for the third season in sugar cane and promises to do well. Stable manure has been used freely each season.

DOUGLAS, GA.-SAMPLE No. 22946.

This field has been in cultivation for thirty years. Corn, cotton, and cane have been the principal crops raised almost every year on this land. Good crops have been made almost every year. From 300 to 350 pounds of commercial fertilizer

has been used almost every year.

SAMPLES Nos. 22949-22950.

Soil and subsoil of red clay land. Oak and hickory; in cultivation sixty or seventy years.

SAMPLES Nos. 22951-22952.

Soil and subsoil of poor sandy soil; in cultivation seventy years.

COLLECTION OF THE SAMPLES.

All the samples of soil were collected by Captain Purse. The following directions were sent from this Bureau for securing the soils and subsoils:

Samples of soil are to be taken in the following manner, and the locality should be selected which is typical of the neighborhood. By means of a spade from 10 to 20 pounds of soil should be removed from at least half a dozen different points in the field. Select them so as to have them as nearly typical of the whole field as possible. These samples should be put together on a hard, dry floor or oilcloth spread upon the ground, and thoroughly mixed, removing all stones and pebbles. sticks and roots. The residue should then be quartered and one-quarter saved and the other three-quarters rejected. This quarter should again be mixed thoroughly and again quartered, and this process continued until the sample weighs 4 pounds or less. This sample should be placed in a strong cloth bag, sewed up, and the franks I send you securely tied thereto.

The sam

It is important to have also a sample of the subsoil in each locality. ples of the soil are taken to the usual depth of plowing or to where the change in color of the soil is noticed-say, from 5 to 9 inches, according to circumstances. After the soil is removed from this excavation carefully, a sample of the subsoil should be taken to a depth of from 5 to 7 inches below the soil sample. The mixing and quartering of the subsoil should be accomplished in the manner described above.

In each case the previous history of the field, the character of the crops grown on it, and the kind of fertilization, if any, it has received are to be noted. There should also be given any prominent geological features of the neighborhood, the character of the stones and rocks, character of the water, contour of the land, etc.

ANALYSES OF SOILS.

Each sample was submitted to two chemical analyses. One, to determine the total quantity of substance soluble in hot concentrated hydrochloric acid, was conducted according to the methods prescribed by the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (Bul. 46, pp. 71 et seq.). The number of parts of potash and phosphoric acid soluble per million in N/200 hydrochloric acid was obtained according to the method of Moore (Journal of the American Chemical Society, vol. 24, No. 1, p. 79). These analyses were made by Mr. C. C. Moore.

The mechanical analysis of the soils was made according to the method of Osborne (Principles and Practice of Agricultural Analysis, vol. 1, pp. 196 et seq.), by Mr. F. M. Cockrell, under direction of Mr. C. C. Moore