Missouri Association of Professional Soil Scientists

To Advance The Knowledge And Wise Use Of Our Soil Resources

The Annual Business Meeting of the Missouri Association of Professional Soil Scientists was called to order by President Dan Childress. Members in attendance were Ken Benham, Bill Shields, Jerry Gott, Leon 'Th~mpson, April Wilson, Dan Childress, Dr. Harry James, Scott Eversoll, Rick Cox, Gary Sturdevant, Joe Blame, Jim Gross, John Bowers, Richard 'Tummons, Melvin Simmons, Grant Butler, Sheila Stanton-Bennett, Dennis Meinert, Ga~y Lindgren, Kevin Godsey, Tom DeWitt, Dave Skaer, Robert Rouse, Mike Burney, Ken Vogt and John Preston.

Tom DeWitt and Dave Skaer gave a report on the MAPSS certificaticri. Nine members took the certification test. Dave suggested that cards be issued to those passing certification.

John Preston reported on the Probauger. He would like to have more articles from the membership on field experiences.

Richard Tummons gave the treasurers report. A motion was i~adc and seconded to accept the report. Notion passed.

A motion was made to add a lifetime membership level to the constitution. Motion passed. A motion was made to set the lifetime membership dues at $150. Notion failed. A motion was made to set the lifetime membership dues at $100. Motion passed.

Tony Dobman discussed the state's role in overseeing on-site evaluations.

Notion was made to allow up to $500 for two legal opinions to determine what NAPSS liability would be on the certification of members as soil classifiers. Motion failed.

Election of officqLs for 1997 are as follows:
President Elect - Scott Eversoll Member-at-large - Dennis Meinert

MAPSS Committees for 1997: (* denotes chairperson)

Meeting adjourned.

The 1997 MAPSS Summer Float will be hosted this year by the Sullivan Soil Survey Crew on Friday, July 25 and Saturday, July 26. We will float Huzzah Creek. The meeting will be held at the Huzzah Valley Resort. It is located east of Steelville on Highway 8 at Huzzah Creek. Details are d follows:

Friday Get-To-Gether starts about 4:00 p.m., dinner about 6:00 p.m. and the float on Saturday about 10:00. 'The float will last about 4 hours.

Camping at the Huzzah Valley Resort is $6 per person per night, children 8- 12, $3, 7 and under, free. Cabins, bunkhouses and rooms are also available. Motels are also available at nearby Sullivan1 Steelville and Cuba.

MAPSS will provide most of the Friday night meal, menu to be determined. Please bring a covered dish to go with it. Breakfast is on your own, the resort does have a restaurant. Lunch on the river is also your responsibility.

Canoes are $15 per person, 2 per canoe, $8 for an extra kid, $18 to shuttle your canoe or vehicle and $5 to launch or land your own canoe from the resort's property. 'The resort also rents tubes, kayaks and rafts. Call for prices.

Canoeing, fishing and swimming. 'The resort has horseback riding and trail rides. 'They also have a night spot with dancing on Friday and Saturday nights.

Call the Huzzah Valley Resort at 1-800-367-4516 and make the reservations that you and your family will need. Let them know that you are with MAPSS. Also, let Dennis Meinert at the Sullivan Office know if you are attending so they can count you in on the evening meal. Phone 573-S60-37~o or write to 114 W. Euclid, Sullivan, MO 63080. You also can inform any I~PSS officer or John Preston in Cabool.

This test was used in a teaching effort in North Dakota by Bob Grossman. Bob submitted it in nopes the MAPSS membership might give it a go. Thanks Bob! Enjoy all of you brave enough to take it!

1. A soil is subjected to a uniform 2 in/hr rain. There is no runoff. What is the infiltration rate? Assume no evaporation.
2. The weighted average runoff in the vicinity of Columbia 15:
   

   < 4 inches _____	4 - 12 inches _____
   12 - 18 inches _____	> 18 inches _____

3. What is the difference between permeability and saturated hydraulic conductivity?
4. The Hydrologic Group. describes the relative infiltration under what conditions?
5. Over what period of the year is the infiltration rate for cropland frigid soils the lowest? Why?
6. A Vertic subgroup is in Hydrologic group D. Compare infiltration under furrow and sprinkler irrigation.
7. Why does a strong crust usually have a larger control over the infiltration rate for a coarse-silty soil than a soil in a fine family?
8. Why is the composition base for engineering the <3inch and that of agriculture <2mm.
9. Why is this statement generally true? Bulk density is a better predictor of permeability for weak medium subangular blocky than for strong fine blocky.
10. The pass 10 is 70% What Is the rock fragment content for the <3inch? Is this on a weight or volume basis?
11. Carbonate clay has zero exchange capacity. What is the effect of carbonate clay on shrink-swell?
12. Name one interpretive property other than grain size which is on a whole soil basis (inclusive of rock fragments)

Answers

On October 25 and 26, 1996 the following people took the written and field test for Certification of Professional Soil Scientists. Mike Burney, Ricky Cox, Tony Dohman, Kevin Godsey, Richard Henderson, Dennis Meinert, Matt Roth, David Skaer and Kenneth Vogt. In order. to pass with a grade of 75%, one person had to retake the written test and on person had to retake the field test. As a practice, April Wilson took the field test.

The written test consisted of 100 multiple choice questions while, the field test required each person to complete the soil morphology and interpretations for two sites. Field sites were located on the University of Missouri Research Station at Mt. Vernon.

Members of the certification committee were Ken Benham, Grant Butler, Tom DeWitt, Harry James and Randy Miles. 'The committee appreciates members' efforts to send potential test questions. We now have a pool of many questions for use in fufrure written tests.

1. Mother Nature has no respect for our profession.
2. When joining, the other mapper is always wrong, but you can't always prove it.
3. 'The odds of a sample falling out/off of your probe/auger is directly proportional to the dire necessity to investigate the sample.
4. Soil characteristics always change during field reviews.
5. When digging pits by hand, the odds of encountering a stone or boulder larger than the pit increases with depth
6. Laboratory textures never agree with field textures.
7. When spot checking, the Project Leader is sure to find only inclusions.
8. Field notes and 232's never agree with map unit concepts.
9. The odds of being caught by a thunderstorm increases proportionally with the distance a soil scientist walks from his truck.
10. When working a forester, tree species never agree wIth the Soils 5.
11. The further the distance from a telephone, the greater the odds of getting stuck or breaking down.
12. Flat tires always occur just before quitting time.
13. No amount of planning ever takes the place of pure luck.

The exact number of followers in this cult is unknown; however it is believed that the number is not large as compared to other cults. One of the first strange things about this sect, and this alone makes it unique among sects, is that its members can be found in virtually every county in the United States. Ordinarily, cults tend to be regional in character, but then this is a stronger cult. As a whole, its members seem to be of average intelligence and are not striking in appearance in any way. Their mode of dress is quite ordinary; it might even seem that they consciously dress to appear unobtrusive. These people carry about their persons some very strange objects. Might we call them fetishes? Knives, bottles containing water or acid, small magnifying lenses and other unique bits of paraphernalia are seen, but more about these later.

The general appearance of the rites they perform suggest some pagan worship. One might happen onto a group of these quaint folk in a pasture or field or forest. Sometimes in remote vastness and even sometimes very near towns or dwellings. The rites are nearly unbelievable when first observed. It seems that a hole in the ground, varying in diameter from a few inches to a few feet and in depth again from a few inches to a few feet, forms a kind of altar. Generally, this is roughly round in outline but oblong ones have been observed, particularly when the worshippers are searching for a sacred entity called Krotovina. At the beginning of the rites, one or two of the group (the group may be any size, but seldom over 12, begin digging the hole. High priests, called correlators, designate the spot at which the altar is to be made. this hole is made with talking, laughing and joking; however, when it comes time to remove the object of worship from the hole, the group usually falls silent and stands in reverent awe. The deity is, of all things, a slab of earth about eight inches long, four inches wide and one foot or more deep. The greatest dimension is nearly always from the vertical This is very gently removed from the hole and very gently laid nearby upon the ground. Quite frequently this is done by one of the high priests. Usually a few moments of respectful silent awe follow the placing of the deity. This object is calleed the Profile; however, sometimes these are preserved for future worship and are then called Monoliths.

After placing theis deity beside the altar and the moment of silent meditation, the worshippers fall upon this object of worship and literally tear it to pieces. They take bits of earth from this holy body and crush it in their hands. They prod it with knives, measure it with rules or tapes, treat it with acid, crush it and expectorate on it or wet it with water and rub it gently between their fingers. Is this saliva-soil some strange communion? It is at this stage of the rite that talking in tongues is observed or it at least it seems that i is a talking in tongues for it is incomprehensible to the uninitiated. Some say they understand each other but this seems unlikely to the casual observer. Sometimes they say names of rivers, towns or counties that may be hundreds, even thousaids, of miles away. From this it might seem that the beholding of this deity brings on visions, for some of the worshippers have never been to the towns or counties they are heard to mention1 Sometimes thev seem to disagree abcut certain phases of the religious experience. Two might be on their knees, rubbing this moistened dirt between their fingers and be heard to say:

1st: "Loam".
2nd "Nope, very fine sandy loam".
1st: "'That's not very fine sand, that's angular silts".

When at times it seems that they're talking in a strange geometry, as one might be heard to say, "weak subangular blocky" or "strong prisms". And at times it seems that architecture has contributed something as one hears something about "strong columnar structure". When they can be heard talking in algebra, or it seems when they talk of "Al, BiR, AOO or Cca". And sometimes something might be said that resembles Russian, German, Latin or Greek (it probably wouldn't be recognized by Russians, Germans, Latins or Greeks, however) . One of the high priests was heard frequently say something resembled a "mollic epipedon". This incantation seems to have some particularly reverent significance as the lesser members always seemed to gaze upon him with awe when the time came when these words could be used.

The high priests seemed to be prophesying the coming of some incomprehensible entity that is already worshipped by lesser members even though the don't understand it, or even know who or what or how it is or what it will do when it arrives. It is called Taxonomy

After Profile is treated, spat upon, gouged, crushed and discussed, the high priests begin questioning on who is called Party Chief and they may talk about this thing for from 15 minutes to four hours and it seems as if they are always talking about something the It (Profile) isn't. Lesser members who haven't yet attained mystic insight of the high priests or even the Party Chief usually know what "It" is but not what "It" isn't.

Following the discussion of what It isn't a short social period in which members talk about other members (not present, of course) , of how hard it is to get funds from administrators, the relative merits of various types of spades and of hunting or fishing trips.

The hole is always filled but this cannot be done until sanctioned by one of the high priests. This is done quite subtly. The lesser members, who usually do the filling, may stand for some time waiting for "that's all", nod of the head, or the high priest may sanction it by kicking a clod in the hole. Lesser members never begin filling an unsanctioned hole. Once begun, the fllling is completed- with vigorous dispatch, as many as a half dozen may gather around and shovel and kick dirt into the hole.

It might be mention that, as in all religious groups, there are usually one or two nonbelievers. They usually stand around telling jokes at the most inappropriate times sometimes openly heckling the worshippers and sometimes picking up bits of plants and looking at them with an air of boredom, or rarely, interest. Sometimes cows and what cows eat and other mundane things are talked about.

Anonymous

Mark Kluhsman, Reeds Spring, MO
Curt Rankin, Buffalo, MO
April Wilson, Springfield, MO
Brad McKee, Eminence, MO
Shawn Altermatt, Marble Hill, MO
Matt Ojile, Neosho, MO
Matt Massie, Mt. Vernon, MO
Jeff Woodward, Neosho, MO
Sheila Stanton-Bennett, Eminence, MO
Jimmy Smith, Palmyra, MO
John Fraga, Sullivan, MO
Stuart Miller, Columbia, MO

Dr. Harry James, Springfield, MO
Richard Tummons, Columbia, MO
Joe Blaine, Mansfield, MO
Grant Butler, Hillsboro, MO

President - Robert Rouse
Vice-President - Scott Eversoll
Secretary-Treasurer - Richard Tummons
Members at Large - Dennis Meinert, Dick Henderson
Dan Childress - Past President
Tony Dohmen - Past President

1. 2 inches/hour.
2. 4 - 12 inches.
3. No difference.
4. Completely wetted.
5. Winter. Ice.
6. Initial infiltration under furrow may large if cracks extend to the surface. Not true for sprinkler.
7. Soils in fine families likely have restrictions below the surface.
8. Engineers are interested in aspects of behavior that are influenced by rock fragments. Plant growth is less influenced.
9. If the structure is strong, fine blocky, free wate~ moves downward between the units.
10. 30% by weight.
11. Very little.
12. AWC, shrink-swell.