Celebrating the Discovery and Donation of a Historic Soils Collection

Front cover of 'Important Soils of the United States'

On August 19, 2015, the National Agricultural Library hosted an event to celebrate the donation of this “antique” soil samples collection that was tucked away in a classroom cabinet and recently discovered by a science teacher in New Jersey. Below is the text from the original invitation.

"Important Soils of the United States, U.S. Bureau of Soils, 1916, is the title of the instructional bulletin that accompanied the thirteen boxes comprising the collection of soils. U.S. Bureau of Soils distributed these collections to schools and colleges for teaching agriculture and physical geography. During the event, the collection will be officially deeded by the teacher, Jill Guenther, to the National Agricultural Library where it will be archived for safekeeping, included in Library exhibits, and available upon request for onsite inspection.
 
What better way to continue the celebration of the International Year of Soils ?  We hope you will join us as we gather to commemorate the discovery of this historic teaching tool and consider the importance of keeping soils education in today's classrooms."

Original invitation to the event,
August, 2015

You might also be interested in the International Year of Soils (2015) exhibit. This exhibit focuses on Charles Edwin Kellogg, reknowned soil scientist.