The Safe Drinking Water Act and its 1986 Amendments are expected to result in increasing costs for water systems. The ability of systems to finance the required improvements is examined. The financial needs of water systems are examined to determine if needs vary by system ownership or system size. Increased water rates are expected as a result of financing system improvements. The increase in rates is predicted, and the effect of increased rates on low-income households is examined. The study concluded that the problem facing Virginia's water systems is not an inability to finance system improvements. The increased rates expected as a result may, however, impose hardships on low-income households. / Master of Science

This thesis concerns the revitalization of the Roanoke City Market Building, an historic structure in the heart of downtown Roanoke, Virginia. Generated in two parts, this thesis first explains the rationale for saving the building and the strategy developed to that end. Secondly, the building design is presented, showing in physical terms, the possibilities of the Roanoke New Market, a building adapted for re-use. / Master of Architecture

The life history of Fusconaia edgariana, the endangered shiny pigtoe pearly mussel, was determined in a two-year study at North Holston Ford, North Fork Holston River (NEHRM 86.9) above Saltville, Virginia. Sixty 0.5m² Quadrats indicated a mean density of 10.6 mussels/m², representing 1 species. Six additional species were collect handpicking or in muskrat middens. The density edgariana was 1 adult/2 m². Distribution of the pigtoe was restricted to shallow areas of mixed gravel, and pebble substrate in low to moderate velocities. Drift nets (130um mesh) indicated glochidia edgariana were released into the water column from 23 June to 18 August, 1981 and 24 June to 28 August, 1982. Of the 4,800 fish examined from June 1981 to June 1982, 1.5% carried shiny pigtoe glochidia. The telescope, common, warpaint, and whitetail shiners were found naturally encysted by 1 to 3 glochidia of F. edgariana. Laboratory induced infestations were conducted on twenty two species of fish, and all but two species sloughed the glochidia within 4 to 14 days. The whitetail and common shiners retained glochidia for 38 days, indicating these two fish species to be probable hosts for the shiny pigtoe. / Master of Science

This research quantifies specific cash price premiums and discounts associated with various characteristics of slaughter cattle in Virginia. Econometric models of Virginia slaughter cattle basis were developed for each practical combination of sex and market by differentials in weight, grade, breed, lot size, order of sale of a particular lot, number of cattle in a particular sale, and a seasonal indicator based on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle futures contract month. Explanatory models were found to account for 41 to 64 percent of the variation in slaughter cattle basis for steers and 35 to 47 percent of the variation in slaughter cattle basis for heifers. Results explain over 30 percent more of basis variation than previous research. These basis estimates reduce basis error and hedging risk and potentially offer Virginia cattlemen the means to initiate effective slaughter cattle hedging programs. Furthermore, the implementation of a forward pricing agency which uses estimated basis values may provide alternatives to facing basis risk when selling slaughter cattle in Virginia. An analysis of basis risk provides some indication of the magnitude of possible exposure facing the average Virginia cattleman when making hedging decisions based on estimation procedures as defined herein. The formation of a forward pricing agency should be contingent upon further analyses of basis risk as outlined in this research. Investigation of basis estimate residuals concluded that more variability is present as time to contract maturity increases. This information should prove valuable for those involved in trading options on live cattle futures as options expire one month prior to their respective futures contracts. / Master of Science

We compared techniques for assessing nutritional condition in 3 groups of terrestrial salamanders. We measured variability in species richness and relative abundance before harvest at 5 sites in the Jefferson National Forest of southwest Virginia and compared the effects of 7 silvicultural treatments on terrestrial salamander richness and relative abundance at 1 site. / Master of Science

Delineations of Applinq, Cecil, and Davidson soils were sampled on a grid pattern (4 to 9 m spacings), using a bucket auger, to determine their modal character and variability with regard to various chemical and morphological parameters. Delineations were located on south-southwest facing, 5 to 12% slopes, in gently rolling landscapes that typify the Virginia Piedmont. Appling soils had the thickest A horizons and sola and were highest in A horizon P but were lowest in A horizon pH, K, Ca, Mg, and organic matter and B horizon pH, P, K, Ca, and Mg. Cecil soils were highest in A and B horizon pH and in B horizon P, K, and Mg, but had the thinnest sola. Davidson soils were highest in A and B horizon Ca and in A horizon organic matter but were lowest in A horizon P. Soil variability was considerable at all sites, with A horizon thickness and pH and B horizon P and K varying the most over short distances. Subsequent to the grid sampling study, we dug soil pits in areas in which approximately modal soil characteristics had been observed. pit studies revealed negative effects of agriculture upon these soils; A horizons were high in clay, had high bulk densities, and had low organic matter contents. Predictably, tilth was poor. pit studies also showed that locally supplied colluvial materials cover a significant portion of the upland Piedmont soilscape. Of 18 pedons studied, 12 appeared to be formed in colluvial materials. However, colluvium-derived soils were usually distinguished from their residual counterparts only by the presence of a stone line that roughly paralleled the present soil surface at depths of 0 to 2 m. Therefore, these colluvial inclusions should rarely affect soil interpretations for Appling, Cecil, and Davidson map units. / Master of Science

There is inadequate basic information available on the reproductive efficiency of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivars and a need to determine the sources of yield improvement made in peanut over the past four decades. Therefore, a study of the reproductive efficiency (RE) of 14 virginia market-type peanut cultivars was conducted using field experiments at the Tidewater Research Center, Suffolk, Virginia, in 1983 and 1984. The 14 cultivars vary in maturity from early to late, in release dates from 1944-1981, in breeding method of development from selection within an existing cultivar to hybridization followed by selection, and in growth habit from erect to spreading. The traits studied included flower total (FT), mature pod total (MPT), seed total (ST), pod total (PDT), peg total (PGT), immature pod total (IMPDT), mature pod dry weight (MPDW), plant dry weight (PLDW), vine weight (VW) and seed weight (SW). The five methods used to measure RE were (1) MPDW/PLDW (Harvest Index), (2) MPT/FT, (3) PDT/FT, (4) PGT + PDT/FT and (5) ST/(2*FT). The results indicate that the five most recently released cultivars produced more plowers, 10% more mature pods, 9.7% more mature seeds, and 11% more plant dry weight than the nine previously released cultivars. Using Harvest Index (HI) there was a 4% increase in RE for more recent vs. older cultivars, and about an 8% higher RE for early maturing vs. later maturing cultivars. Also, there was a 3% increase in RE for erect vs. similar advantage for hybrids spreading cultivars and a vs. pure lines. A slight decrease in RE for cultivars released since 1970 vs. those released earlier was observed using Methods 2, 3, 4 and 5. In addition, there was a 4-10% advantage in RE for the two earlier maturing classes over the medium or late classes using the same methods and also a 6% increase in RE for erect vs. spreading cultivars. The growth habit of the 14 cultivars was a very important determining factor for all trait differences. HI appears to be the single best measure of RE in peanuts; however, at least one other method should also be used for obtaining the truest estimate of the RE of a cultivar. It appears that the total peanut cultivar is early maturing and erect with a high RE. This study shows that plant breeders have increased yield in peanuts by (a) increasing apparently the total number of flowers, (b) increasing the HI and (c) increasing reproductive efficiency by increasing the proportion of flowers that form mature pods. Any further increase in yield must combine these three methods of increasing yield as well as overcoming any limiting factors, such as photosynthetic capacity, in order to surpass the present yield plateau. / M.S.

The purpose of this study was to explore politicians’ attitudes toward the Equal Rights Amendment. It was hypothesized that certain social, background and political variables would influence the politicians’ attitudes toward ratification or rejection of the Equal Rights Amendment. Data were collected from legislators and former legislators from the states of West Virginia and Virginia. Approximately 70.2 percent of the 195 delegates and former delegates responded to the survey. The findings indicated that the social, background and political variables under investigation were not related to politicians’ attitudes toward the Equal Rights Amendment. Further, lobbying efforts in both states were generally ineffective. The general lack of relationships among the variables toward the Equal Rights Amendment was considered to be influenced by the traditional one-party political control of the state of Virginia. / Master of Science

Field collections of grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae, Tetrigidae, and Tettigoniidae) from twenty hayfield and pasture sites in twelve counties in Virginia were made in 1979 and 1980. Fifteen Acrididae, two Tetrigidae, and six Tettigoniidae species were found among the 20,793 grasshoppers collected. Melanoplus femurrubrum femurrubrum (DeGeer) dominated the acridid fauna in both years, comprising 76.0 and 86.97 in 1979 and 1980, respectively. Two collection methods, sweepnetting and drop trapping, were used. It was assumed that the drop trap gave an absolute estimate of population densities and that discrepancies between the two collections were due to failure of sweepnetting to reliably sample the complex. Sweepnetting was found to bias against Acrididae in favor of the tettigoniidae in the complex studied. With species grouped by feeding preferences (quilds), sweepnetting sampled head (inflorescence) feeders above mixed-forb feeders, and mixed-forb feeders above grass feeders. Compared with other Acrididae, M.f. femurrubrum was over-represented in sweepnet samples above the composite of the other acridids. Within its quild its representation did not differ from the drop trap samples. Differences in the composition of the species complex from site to site were examined according to quilds based on diet, and were correlated with measurable properties or the vegetation. The proportion of head feeders was positively correlated with the plant height. Mixed-forb feeders were negatively correlated. Other vegetation properties (grass/forb ratio and percent of ground cover) were themselves highly correlated with plant height, and yielded no patterns that were as strong as those with plant height. / Master of Science

It is the purpose of this paper to give the results of the study and investigation of the sand deposits in various parts of the State of Virginia. The chief stress is laid on those sands coming from points west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The reasons for stressing the western and southwestern Virginia sands, as they will be called throughout this paper, will be brought out in the pages that follow. The study and investigation of these sands was started in the spring of 1928 and has been carried on continually up to the present time, May 1929. At the present time practically all of the building sand used in the State of Virginia comes from a sand deposit at Petersburg, Virginia. (By building sand it is to be understood that we mean sand used in concrete building construction). During this investigation of different sands, it has been found hard to produce a sand that will absolutely satisfy A. S. T. M. (American Society for Testing Materials) specifications. Results of this work point to the possibility that these specifications might have certain limitations put on them which would allow the use of sand other than that from Petersburg. The chief aim in finding a sand to replace that coming from Petersburg is due to the high freight rates which make the cost of this sand laid down on the job in this part of the State (southwest Virginia) practically four times the cost at the pits in Petersburg. / M.S.