Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1911-09-01
MISSISSIPPI SOIL SURVEY.
Soils in Every Section Are Explained,
Including the Delta and Prairie Belt.

Including the Delta and Prairie Belt.
Following are a few extracts
from the 1911 preliminary study
of the soils of Mississippi by DR.:
E. N. Lowe State geologist and
director of the survey:
THE black prairie belt of north
east Mississippi embraces all that
part of the State whera the selma
chalk (rotten limestone) outcrops
with the exception Of that part OF
Alcorn county which drllns into
Tuscumb;a river. The black
prairie is classed by the United
States Soil Bureau as Houston
clay. 1t is a heavy, tenacious,
calcareous, loamy clay, blackwhen
wet, dark gray when dry. 1t is
quite rich in lime, which is often
found as shells and concretions
distributed through the land. II
is very sticky when wet and
plows unsatisfactory, but when
dry can be put in good tilth. HUI
mus is usually present in abun-
dance, except in old fields that
have been cultivated for many
years. On dying, this soil has
the property of cracking and
crum5ling into minute fragments
not unlike the 'buckshot' soils of
the delta. This quality facilitates
cultiya ton, All the leveler areas
should be underdra mel, whether
they seem to need it or not. This
soil would be mellowed and would
resist better both wet and dry
seasons, and the increased yield
per acre would in a year or two
pay for the tiling. The black
prairie will produce from two
thirds to bale of cotton per acre
or from forty to sixty bushels of
corn. The yield of the lighter
soils near the prairies is much
less. With improved methods of
culture all these types Of soil may
be made to double their yield.
The influence of the corn club
movement has spre I'd to the
farmers of this region, and more
corn and better cotton are raised.
Toe most important innovation
has been the introduction of al
falfa as permanent crop. In
1903 Mr.. H. B, Strong of West
Point discovered that the prairie
SOL of Clay county was adapted
to the growth of alfalfa. His
first experiment consisted in
sowing to alfalfa one-half acre
of black land. The sowing was
made in March, and by the mid
die of October three cuttings had
been made, aggregating tow and
One-half tons to the acre. AL
falfa cut from the farm of Mr..
Strong was awarded the gold
medal over all competitors at the
ST. Louis exposition in 1904.
Since then alfalfa raising has
spread rapidly over over the
prairie belt, and large acreage is
now in cultivation in this most
valuable of forage plants. Un-
doubtedly the acreage in alfalfa
would have increased more rapid
ly but for the unprecedented high
price of cotton that has pre-
vailed for the past few years.
"On the market it brings from
S15 to 500 per ton, and in the
prairie lands four or five cuttings
are made a year, aggregating as
man. tons to the acre. In Clay
councy, lands growing alfalfa
have rented for $25 an acre, cash
rental. On these lands, adapted
to its gowth, it bids fair to be-
come the ban :er crop of the
State.
Besides cotton, corn and al
faIfa, the black soils are adapted
to all forage crops, esp, c ally
legumes. Mellilotus grows lux
uriantly, as does Lespedeza and
Bermuda gla's. The vetches
find in it a congenial soil. Whea+
outs. s)rgh m, timothy a! d
Joh lson grass tnrive on this SOIL.
while fruits and vegetables dn
better on lighter soils. The soils
Of the stream bottoms are wcII
adapted to the growth Of ezra,
c)tton, alfalfa AMI other forage
crops. These are natural alfalfa
soils, but let it be emphased that
all the heavy prairie soils would
be better adapted to all crops,
and the yield be doubled, if they
were properly tile-drained.
RECOMMENDATIONS
'The prairie belt IS one Of the
most fertile regions of the State,
and several respects it is in ad-
vance of other sections in it's
farming methods. This is largely
L. II IL