This publication tells what a soil survey is and the potential clientele who may use them. Land users, foresters and conservationists are specifically mentioned to determine which soils are best for growing trees. Landscape archetects and home owners use soil surveys to plan and select trees for growing around homes.

Richly illustrated manual for the fast growing numbers of tropical freshwater and marine enthusiasts. Practical advice on creating an attractive, healthy home for your fish. Includes descriptions and photos of all the popular and exotic families.

Seventy alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) hybrids were produced by crossing l0 cytoplasmic male-sterile parents with 7 untested male parents. Variance components due to males, σ²M, females, σ²F, and their interactions, σ²MF, were estimated for yield during two growing seasons and for pollen production in one season. Variance components, σ²F and σ²MF, were more important than σ²M for yield in the year of establishment. Components, σ²M and σ²F, were approximately equal, and σ²MF was unimportant for yield in the second growing season. The only important component of variance for pollen production was σ²M. The greater importance of σ²F and σ²MF in the year of establishment was attributed to a correlation between seed weight and yield. The small value of σ²MF after the year of establishment indicated that parents could be selected for general combining ability without testing numerous specific combinations. Correlations between pollen production and forage yield were very small and nonsignificant, indicating that male fertility would not have to be restored in alfalfa hybrids used for forage production.

Urea and oxamide, each labeled with ¹⁵N, were compared as fertilizers in two field experiments in adjacent locations in successive years with ‘Sudax SX11’ Sorghum-sudan hybrid (Sorghum sudanense) as the test crop. Four cuttings were harvested during the first experiment and three during the second. Patterns of uptake of fertilizer N were in accord with the characteristics of the two carriers. In the first harvests in both experiments the amounts of N taken up from urea were markedly greater than from oxamide; but by the third harvests, yield responses and N uptake from oxamide were greater than from urea. Total recoveries of fertilizer N from the two carriers during the entire growing season were similar as greater recoveries of urea-N in the early summer were compensated for by greater recoveries of oxamide-N in the late summer. Of the N added in urea in the first experiment, 51% was recovered in the crops and 28% was still in the soil (0–25cm) at the end of the growing season. Corresponding figures for oxamide were 52% in the crops and 31% in the soil. In the second experiment, when fertilizer applications and planting operations were delayed until more favorable growing weather, 93% and 99% of the urea- and oxamide-N, respectively, were estimated as recovered in the crops, and measurements of the amounts of fertilizer remaining in the soil were not attempted.

A technique for controlling water content in the root hair zone of growing plants has been developed which involves growing plants on a fine screen placed over soil in such a way that only root hairs can extend through the screen into soil beneath. Gamma-ray attenuation is used to monitor the supply of water in the root hair zone. By means of controlling either the length of a hanging water column or the rate of water supply, the rate of water flow to the soil lamina beneath the screen can be so adjusted as to just offset the loss due to transpiration. A predetermined soil water content can be maintained to within 0.015 cm³/cm³ in the root hair zone of a growing plant. Plant growth was affected by soil water potential. Reduction in elongation rate of corn (Zea mays L.) leaves was observed at matric potentials higher than −1 bars. Elongation essentially ceased at matric potentials of about −22 to −30 bars within the root hair zone. A large water content gradient existed adjacent to the root hair zone and extended to a depth greater than 10 mm.