History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 5

Author: Edwards, Lewis C
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1742

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RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

Where the subsoil is typical the soil withstands drought well. The type is subject to destructive erosion, gullies ten to fifteen feet deep, with numerous branching laterals, being very common.

The Shelby loam is derived from the Kansan drift sheet, but is more or less influenced by the wash from the silty upland soils. The large bowlders and pebbles on the surface and the gritty or sandy clay subsoil distinguish it from the Carrington silt loam.

The native vegetation on the Shelby loam consists of the prairie grasses common to this region. Along the drainage ways a large part of the type is forested. About forty per cent. of the Shelby loam is under cultivation, and the remainder is largely in permanent pasture, with some hay land. No farms are composed entirely of this type. The yields of crops are lower than on the Carrington silt loan, though the same crops are grown. Corn yields fifteen to thirty-five bushels, oats twenty to twenty-five bushels, wheat fifteen to twenty bushels, and alfalfa two and one-half to three and one- half tons per acre.

No definite crop rotation is practised on this type. The general methi- ods are about the same as on the Carrington silt loam. Owing to the steeper surface and the larger quantity of stony material present, this soil is much less desirable than the Carrington silt loam, with which it is closely asso- ciated. When cultivated too wet, the Shelby loam clods and bakes, and large checks and cracks form. A heavy farm equipment is required in cultivating this type, except in the sand spots. Only small quantities of manure are applied, and no commercial fertilizers are used. Land values on this type range from fifty to ninety dollars an acre.

For the improvement of the Shelby loam considerable care is necessary to prevent gullying on the steep slopes. The steep areas should remain in permanent pasture or cover crops as much of the time as possible. The content of organic matter should be maintained by turning under green crops and growing leguminous crops.

WAUKESILA SILT LOAM.

The Waukesha silt loam consists of a dark-brown, smooth, friable silt loam, having an average depth of about eighteen inches. The soil passes through a brown, heavy silt loam into a brownish-yellow silt loam which is heavier and more compact than the surface soil. The subsoil becomes lighter in color with depth, being yellowish in the lower part. The sub- stratum is open and very friable, and the material in the fourth foot is

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

calcareous. The soil section of the Waukesha silt loam is similar to that of the Marshall silt loam. As the color indicates. the Waukesha silt loan is high in organic matter.

In extent the Waukesha silt loam is very unimportant, having a total area of only 1.8 square miles. It occurs as small, isolated areas along the streams of the county.

This type occupies distinctly benchlike areas, modified to some extent by stream erosion. The terraces are from ten to fifteen feet above the present flood plain. The Waukesha silt loam is well drained and withstands drought over long periods.

Originally this soil was covered with a luxuriant growth of prairie grasses. Nearly all the type is now under cultivation to the staple crops commonly grown in the county. No farms consist entirely of this type. Corn yields twenty-five to forty-five bushels, oats thirty-five to forty bushels, and wheat twenty to thirty bushels per acre. Leguminous crops receive little attention.

The methods of cultivation, rotation, and fertilization are similar to those on the Marshall and Carrington silt loams. The productive capacity of this soil has been somewhat impaired by the failure to grow clover and alfalfa.

The value of farm lands on the Waukesha silt loam varies from one hundred and fifty to two hundred dollars an acre.

For the improvement of this soil there is a general need for more. thorough cultivation and the growing of leguminous crops to maintain the organic-matter content.

WABASH SILT LOAM.

The soil of the Wabash silt loam is nearly black, and to an average depth of about twenty inches consists of a heavy, smooth silt loam. This is underlain by a slightly heavier and more compact silt loam, which usually is somewhat lighter in color, though it is not uncommon to find little differ- ence in color or texture in the three-foot section. In places, usually along the edge of the bottoms, the subsoil is a black, compact silty clay. Lime concretions and also iron stains are common in the lower part of the subsoil. In poorly drained situations the lower subsoil usually is gray, mottled with yellowish brown. A high content of organic matter is characteristic of the surface soil of this type. In section 24, township I north, range 17 east. and section 19, township I north, range 18 east. there is a variation of the

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

Wabash silt loam, characterized by the admixture of large quantities of sand. Otherwise the soil is similar to the main type. The higher sand content has given it a somewhat more friable structure.

This type is the most important bottom-land soil in the county and has a total area of 106.7 square miles. It occupies the first bottoms along the Nemaha river and its north and south forks, Muddy creek, and along the smaller streams of the county.

The surface is generally flat, with only slight topographic relief where old cut-offs occur. Originally the drainage of this type was poor, but by clearing and straightening the channels of streams the drainage conditions have been very much improved. About sixty miles of ditches have been constructed. Practically all the type is subject to overflow in the spring.

Along the stream channels the type originally was forested with elm, box elder, willow, cottonwood, ash, linden, hackberry, bitter hickory, and black walnut, and a large part of this timber remains. Other parts of the type support a luxuriant growth of marsh grasses. About sixty per cent of this soil is devoted to the production of staple crops, and the acreage in cultivation is rapidly being extended. Corn is the dominant crop, and there are about six acres of corn to one acre of wheat and oats combined. Higher yields of corn are obtained on this land than on any other soil in the county. The yields ordinarily range from forty-five to fifty-five bushels per acre, but with good cultivation in favorable seasons as much as ninety bushels has been obtained. About one-half the corn is fed and the remainder is sold. Where this soil has been devoted to the production of corn for a number of years, and is well drained, wheat does well, producng from twenty-five to thirty bushels per acre. Wheat, however, is not grown extensively. Kher- son oats do fairly well, yielding from thirty to forty bushels per acre. The long-straw varieties are likely to lodge. On farms that do not include some upland not enough oats are grown for the feeding of work stock. In well-drained areas alfalfa does well, although very little of this crop is grown. A large area of the type is hay land and pasture. Wild hay yields from one to two tons per acre. Owing to the fact that this type affords good pasturage and produces good yields of hay, the raising of beef cattle has been more extensively developed than on the upland. No crop rotation is practiced, owing to the high natural productiveness of the soil. In many cases it is reported that fields have been in corn continuously for ten years or longer. Occasionally is corn alternated with oats or wheat. The flat topography, silty texture, and desirable structure of this soil

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

make it very easy to handle. In the spots of heavier material there is a ten- dency for the soil to form hard lumps when cultivated too wet. No barn- yard manure or commercial fertilizers are used. The Wabash silt loam ranges in value from one hundred and twenty-five dollars to one hundred and seventy-five dollars an acre, depending on location and drainage conditions.

The important problem confronting the farmers on this type is that of drainage. The installation of a standard drainage system to remove the excess soil moisture as well as the overflow water is needed. In the better drained situations ditches would serve the purpose, while in the low, poorly drained areas tiles should be laid about three rods apart.

WABASH SILTY CLAY LOAM.

The soil of the Wabash silty clay loam is a black silty clay loam, ranging from twelve to fifteen inches in depth. It grades into a hard, compact silty clay, which does not smooth out, but breaks into small aggregates when crushed between the fingers. The subsoil becomes heavier and denser with depth. At twenty-four to thirty inches the material is lighter in color, being dark drab, mottled slightly with yellowish brown. The soil as well as the subsoil has a granular structure, a characteristic of soils consisting largely of clay. Locally this type is called "gumbo." The soil is very high in organic matter.

The Wabash silty ciay loam is an extensive bottom-land type. It has a total area of 21.2 square miles, and occurs in the first bottoms of the Nemaha river and the north and south forks of this stream.

The topography is flat to slightly depressed. The drainage is very poor, owing to the impervious character of the subsoil. The type is subject to annual overflow.

The original growth on this type consisted of slough grasses and water- loving plants. Most of the type is in hay land and pasture ; about 20 per cent. of it is under cultivation. Corn, wheat, and Kherson oats do well, except in wet years. Corn yields forty to fifty bushels per acre, wheat about thirty bushels, with a maximum of forty-five bushels per acre, and Kherson oats about thirty bushels per acre. This soil is particularly well adapted to wheat, owing to its heavy texture. In dry seasons a fairly good quality of wild hay is produced on this type, yielding from one to two tons per acre. though in wet years the hay is too coarse to be of much feeding value. In very wet seasons crops are practically a failure because of the frequent over-

RICHIARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

flows. Owing to the abundance of pasturage and hay, more live stock is kept on farms of this type than on the upland.

The Wabash silty clay loam is much harder to handle than the Wabash silt loam. Under favorable moisture conditions it granulates and works up into a mellow seed bed, but when worked too wet it bakes and forms in- tractable clods. The type receives no fertilization of any kind. This land is valued at twenty-five dollars to eighty dollars an acre, depending largely on. the drainage conditions.

The establishment of efficient drainage by supplementing the present (litches with tiles about three rods apart is necessary over a large part of the type.

WABASH CLAY.

The Wabash clay is a black, waxy, plastic clay, fifteen to eighteen inches deep, underlain by a dark slate colored subsoil of the same texture. The subsoil becomes lighter in color with depth, and below thirty to thirty- six inches is gray, mottled with bright yellowish brown. Small iron and lime concretions are encountered in the subsoil. Both soil and subsoil have a granular structure and are very high in organic matter. The soil checks and cracks considerably during periods of dry weather. The Wabash clay is similar to the Wabash silty clay loam, except that it is heavier in texture.

This type is relatively inextensive, and is confined to the southeastern part of the county. It occurs in the first bottom at the mouth of the Nemaha river.

The Wabash clay has a flat to depressed topography and is very poorly drained. The type has been provided with several ditches, although addi- tional laterals are needed to remove the surface water. It is subject to annual overflows, which usually occur early in the spring. It is sometimes inundated in the growing season.

The Wabash clay is largely utilized for pasture land. In dry seasons it furnishes good pasturage, but during wet seasons or when overflows occur little or no pasturage is available. About one-half the cultivated area is in wheat, which in dry seasons produces from thirty to forty bushels per acre. Corn does well, but is less extensively grown than in former years. It yields from thirty to forty-five bushels per acre. The soil is too rich for the production of oats. Wild hay yields from one ton to one and one-half tons per acre. The hay is mainly fed. Most of the stock raised on this type consists of beef cattle. few dairy cattle being kept.

This is the most difficult soil in the county to handle, and a heavy farm

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

equipment is required. When cultivated too wet it forms clods, though under favorable moisture conditions the soil works up into a mellow seed bed. No fertilizers are used. The value of this land ranges from twenty dollars to sixty dollars an acre, depending mainly on drainage conditions.

This type requires the same treatment as the Wabash silty clay loam. It is greatly in need of drainage.

CASS CLAY.

The surface soil of the Cass clay is a dark-drab to black, sticky clay, six to ten inches deep. It is underlain by a drab or gray clay, faintly mottled with brown and rusty brown. In places the mottling is reddish yellow. Below twenty-four to thirty inches a yellowish-gray mottled with reddish- yellow very fine sandy loam is encountered. This type differs from the Wabash clay in that it has a sandy subsoil. The soil is high in organic matter.

The Cass clay is inextensive in this county, having a total area of less than one square mile. It is encountered in the Missouri river first bottoms, occurring north of Rulo and in the northeastern part of the county.

The surface is generally flat, with a few meandering sloughs. Owing to the underlying light-textured material, this type possesses fair drainage. The sloughs occasionally are inundated.

Practically all this type is reclaimed. It is largely devoted to the pro- duction of corn, wheat, oats, and alfalfa. Corn is by far the most important crop, and yields from forty to fifty bushels an acre. Oats do fairly well. but are likely to lodge. Wheat does well, yielding about thirty bushels per acre ._ Alfalfa is grown quite extensively with seasonal yields of three to six tons an acre. Owing to the natural productiveness of this soil, the rota- tion of crops receives little attention, and the fields usually are planted in corn until an appreciable reduction in crop yields takes place, when some small grain crop is substituted for a few years. Corn, wheat, and alfalfa are cash crops.

This type is difficult to handle, although easier than the Wabash clay. A heavy farm equipment is required for thorough tillage. No barnyard manure is applied and no commercial fertilizers are used. The Cass clay is valued at sixty dollars to one hundred dollars an acre, depending on the extent to which it is subject to erosion by the Missouri river.

As on all bottom-land soils there is a general need for the practice of crop rotation on this type.

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

SARPY VERY FINE SANDY LOAM.

As it occurs in Richardson county, the Sarpy very fine sandy loam consists of a light-brown to brown very fine sandy loam to a depth of ten to fifteen inches, containing an appreciable quantity of coarse silt. This is underlain by a yellowish-gray, lighter textured very fine sandy loam which contains but little silt or clay. Below twenty-four inches the subsoil is mottled with light gray and shows bright yellowish brown iron stains. The low percentage of organic matter is indicated by the light color of the soil.

This type is very inextensive, occurring as small areas in the Missouri river bottoms. It lies usually about eight feet above the normal flow of the stream. The surface is generally flat, though marked by slight ridges. Between stages of high water, the drainage is good; at high stages of the stream the low areas are overflowed.

The greater part of this type is under cultivation, and is almost entirely devoted to the production of corn. In seasons of favorable rainfall corn does well, yielding from twenty-five to thirty-five bushels per acre. Some wheat and oats are grown. Wheat yields fifteen to twenty bushels, and oats thirty bushels an acre. Potatoes of good quality are produced on this soil, though the crop is grown only to supply the home demand. Some alfalfa is grown and does fairly well.

The Sarpy very fine sandy loam works up into a very mellow seed bed and can be tilled under any moisture conditions as long as there is 110 water standing on the surface. Small quantities of manure are added to the reclaimed areas ; no commercial fertilizers are used. Land valties range from thirty dollars to eighty dollars an acre.

For the improvement of the Sarpy very fine sandy loam it is recom- mended that green crops be turned under to increase the organic-matter content.

SARPY SILT LOAM.

Areas of the Sarpy silt loam are indicated on the soil map by inclusion symbols in the Sarpy very fine sandy loam color. The soil of the Sarpy loam is a light-brown to brown silt loam, twelve to fifteen inches deep, con- taining a high percentage of very fine sand. The subsoil is a yellowish or brownish-gray very fine sandy loam with streaks of coarser as well as heavier material. The change in color between the soil and subsoil is not marked by a distinct line. although as a rule the lower subsoil is a shade lighter in

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

color and streaked with rusty-brown iron stains. The soil is not nearly so high in organic matter as the Wabash silt loam.

This soil occurs in a single small area east of Rulo in the Missouri river bottoms; it covers two hundred and fifty-six acres.

The type is flat, but owing to its sandy subsoil it is well drained between stages of high water. It lies about eight to ten feet above the normal level of the river. Owing to the high water table, it is very drought resistant.

Practically all this type is under cultivation, being devoted mainly to corn. This crop does well, yielding from forty to fifty bushels an acre. Some alfalfa is grown, and this is a very profitable crop. The value of land of this type ranges from eighty dollars to one hundred dollars an acre, depending on the extent to which it is subject to erosion by the Missouri river.

For the improvement of the Sarpy silt loam the incorporation of organic matter is needed. Liberal applications of manure should be made.

ROUGH STONY LAND.

The areas mapped as Rough stony land consist of land too' stony and rocky to permit cultivation. The soil is seldom deeper than eight inches, and over large areas the bedrock is exposed. What little soil has remained is chiefly a black silt loam to silty clay, underlain by rotten limestone or shale of the Pennsylvania formation which vary in color from white to red. In local spots the soil contains some sand and is a loam in texture. Consid- erable coarse material, such as bowlders and gravel, is scattered over the surface. It is probable that most of the soil is derived from the bedrock and not from glacial debris.

Rough stony land is rather extensive in this county. It occurs as small areas mainly in the southwestern part of the county, scattered throughout areas of the Carrington silt loam.

The topography is broken and marked by an intricate drainage system. Along streams the slopes frequently are precipitous. The areas mapped include rock bluffs along streams and occasional low . knobs in the higher lying land.

Along the drainage ways most of the Rough stony land supports a scrubby growth of bur oak. The other areas support a fairly luxuriant growth of the prairie grasses common to the region.

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

This land is used only for grazing. Beef cattle, mainly Herefords, are raised, and are sold chiefly in Kansas City and St. Joseph. Land values range from ten dollars to forty dollars an acre.

RIVERWASH.

Riverwash, as mapped in Richardson county, comprises mainly areas of mud, silty flats, and sand bars in the Missouri river. The material is very light colored and ranges in texture from a clay to a fine sand. . 1 large part of the Riverwash supports a growth of young willows, and is in the transitional stage from Riverwash to soil of the Sarpy series.

There are two and six-hundredths square miles of Riverwash in this county. The surface is only a few feet above the normal level of the river, and the areas are overflowed with slight rises of the stream. The Riverwash changes with each overflow and even during the normal flow of the stream the outlines of the areas are constantly changing. The new deposits are considerably modified by wind action, and in stormy days form dust clouds.

SUMMARY.

Richardson county lies in the extreme southeastern corner of Nebraska, bordering the Missouri river. It has an area of five hundred and forty-five square miles, or three hundred and forty-eight thousand eight hundred acres.

The topography varies from gently undulating to steeply rolling or broken, though most of the area is rolling. The elevation of the county above sea level ranges from eight hundred and fifty to one thousand two hundred and twenty feet. The greater part of the area lies between one thousand and one thousand one hundred fect above sea level. The general slope of the county is southeastward. All sections are provided with ade- quate surface drainage by a complete system of drainage ways belonging to the system of the Nemaha river, an important tributary of the Missouri.

According to the census of 1910, Richardson county has a population of seventeen thousand four hundred and forty-eight, of which eighty-one and three-tenths per cent. is classed as rural. The principal town is Falls City, the county seat. The transportation facilities, except in the north- eastern corner of the county, are good. In general, the county is provided with excellent dirt roads. Kansas City, St. Joseph, and Omaha are the

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

principal markets. All parts of the county are provided with rural mail delivery and telephone service and good schools.

The climate of Richardson county is pleasant and is well suited to agri- culture. There is an average growing season of about one hundred and seventy days. The mean annual precipitation is about thirty-three inches, and the mean annual temperature about fifty-three degrees F.

Grain farming is the main type of agriculture. Corn, oats, wheat, timothy and clover mixed, alfalfa, and wild grasses are the principal crops, ranking in acreage in the order named. The raising of hogs and beet cattle and dairying are important industries. The farm buildings are sub- stantial and the surroundings present an appearance of thrift and prosperity.

Systematic crop rotations are not practiced. Only small quantities of barnyard manure are applied, and scarcely any commercial fertilizers are used. There is an abundance of farm labor, but it is hard to obtain efficient help. Most farms consist of one hundred and sixty acres, though the average size is reported in the 1910 census as about one hundred and fifty- eight acres. About fifty-three per cent. of the farms are operated by the owners, and practically all the remainder by tenants. About ninety-five per cent. of the area of the county is reported in farms and of the land in farms eighty-six per cent. is reported improved. The value of farm land ranges from twenty dollars to two hundred dollars an acre. Land is rented mainly by the share system. Cash rents range from about three dollars to six dollars per acre.

The county lies almost entirely within the glacial and loessial region, with only a small area belonging to the River Flood Plain province. The soils of the glacial and loessial region are derived from the weathering of the loess and drift. The loess material has given rise to the Marshall. Grundy and Knox soils and the drift to the Carrington and Shelby soils. The second bottoms are occupied by the Waukesha soil. The recent deposits along the streams are classed with the Wabash, Cass, and Sarpy soils, and Riverwash.

Small areas closely associated with the drift have been formed through the disintegration of the shales and limestones of the Pennsylvania forma- tion. This material is classed with Rough stony land.

The Marshall silt loam is one of the extensive soil types in Richardson county. It is well suited to the production of corn, oats, wheat, and hay. The utilization of the Grundy silt loam is similar to that of the Marshall.

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

The Knox silt loam is chiefly devoted to corn and alfalfa, as it is too hilly for the production of the small grains.

The Carrington silt loam is by far the most extensive and important type of soil in the county. This soil, together with the Marshall silt loam, dominates the agriculture of the county. The Shelby loam and Rough stony land are best used for pasture.

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History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 5

Author: Edwards, Lewis C Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1742

Author: Edwards, Lewis C
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1742