A Soil Survey Centennial Snippet
AWSS Newsletter, December 1999

In the spirit of the Soil Survey Centennial, enjoy the following excerpt from the article, "Investigations in Adapting the Automobile to Accurate Soil Survey and Road Traverse Work," Texas Agricultural Experiment Station Circular No. 19, December 1919.

"In carrying on soil survey work, field men have found it increasingly difficult to secure livery accommodations in all parts of the country, due to the fact that the automobile has so largely taken the place of the horse in local and short distance driving. Where the roads are such that cars may be operated in all or most parts of a county there is no doubt that it pays to use cars, even though the cost is somewhat greater, as greater distances can be covered which more than offsets the added cost.

"In the Texas soil survey, ..., the first method tried was to have a two-wheeled road cart attached to the rear of a car, the odometer on the road cart, and while one man operated the car, the other man rode on the cart and kept a record of odometer readings. This proved a very good plan, but requires two men at all times. It is also quite a heavy load on a small car where the roads are muddy or rough, and its operation consumes considerable gasoline. It is also rather rough riding for the man on the cart unless the road is absolutely smooth. The dust and the exhaust odors from the car are sometimes very uncomfortable to the men. This is a good method where the roads are good to moderately good, and the results are apparently as accurate as with a buggy."