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Title: Report on the Agriculture Experiment Stations of the University of California (PH 4-16)(1890) Collection Type: Directories and Documents Collection Name: Pamphlets Catalog #: PH 4-16 Author: E.W. Hillgard Published: 1890 # of Pages: 211 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

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Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

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62 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. A glance over the figures representing the four surface soils in the foregoing table (Nos. 499, 858, 1186, and 193) shows that unlike the soils of the foothills proper, they contain a very large proportion (about 85 per cent on the average) of inert matter, mostly fine quartz sand; which, of course, depresses all the plant-food percentages to a corresponding degree. Were their texture a loose, sandy one, and the subsoil of easy penetration by the roots, this would not necessarily detract from their productiveness, although their phosphoric acid supply is unusually low. But being compact and somewhat difficult of penetration by roots, it follows that unless very thoroughly and deeply cultivated, and with favorable seasons, their product of cereal grains especially will necessarily be low. The Wheatland soil has the advantage of a considerable supply of lime; of the rest, only that of the Galt gravel plains may be considered deficient in this respect. At the same time, the soil last named has a very respectable supply of potash, while in the Wheatland and Florin soils this ingredient is in unusually low supply for California. The former has yielded fine crops of grain when fresh, but the diminution of the product has caused a search for better paying cultures; among these, fruit—particularly table grapes, apricots, and plums— would seem to be the most promising. As regards the samples representing the “‘ bedrock lands” about Florin and Mayhew Stations, it is curious to note, in the above analyses, that, notwithstanding the great differences in the appearance of the three materials, they do not differ widely in most points of their composition. The prominent points of difference are that the surface soil contains about 10 per cent more of inert matter (fine sand) than the other two, but much less iron, and only a very minute amount of phosphoric acid. The latter, however, increases very rapidly downward, the adobe containing more than twice as much.as the top soil, and the “ bedrock” again nearly twice as much as the adobe, or four times as much as the surface soil. The deficiency of the phosphoric acid in the soil is measurably offset by the fact that nearly all of it (.016 out of .019) is in an available condition, and hence the deficiency has not been much felt in the past; yet it does seem quite important that the relatively large supply in the lower depths should, if possible, be rendered accessible to the roots of trees. The supply of lime is nearly the same in all Sud probably adequate, although more would be desirable in the stiff adobe. It is certain that this desirable downward penetration of tree roots is not possible when, as near Mayhew Station, they encounter a hard, polished crust covering a very solid hardpan of several feet depth: and while at Florin the hard crust is less prominent and th a Bard Te ‘ eee } nd the material less solid, yet its condition indicates a want of drainage during the wet ing the formation of iron solutions, injurious to the root ti Beeanny causing ts other locality. It is obvious that the root aoe bee eracily Sanit Piven ghinuck. seeubatratinssart ite ne canto go far during the season financially practicable method ree eaking up of the latter by some for the success of orchards. m to be the necessary condition Messrs. Weinstock & Lubi , eeralecalcion thelrrenci ey ee attempted this on a somewhat exten at Florin, by blasting with eithe Hew Station, and Messrs, Kroll & Rutte? hole bored with the a r black or giant powder at the bottom of * uger to the depth of six The : = shattering of the “bedrock” ¢} pth of six feet, or even more. No. 2 has been used, seems sufi produced, at least when giant powder trees, The expens Iclent to insure the welfare even of pear eration will, of course, vary, with the natu planted per acre, from $30 to tW?° — p