The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1914-04-17
GRENADA COUNTY
SOIL SURVEY.
Brief Description of the Methods and
PURPOSES of Work Now Being
Carried on in this County.

with the MISSISSIPPI State Geological
Survey. The work is under the i'm
mediate direction of the Bureau of
Soils, division of the first named or
ganization, and the results of the sur
vey will be published in the Field OPP
erations of that bureau for 1914. In
addition advance sheets, or paper bound
separates, each containing the soil
map of this county and the complete
report will be printed soon after the
field work is finished, and be available
for distribution. Since many people in
the county may not be acquainted with
the soil Investigations now being con-
| Quoted by the Department of Agricul-
/ it is possible that brief description of
the methods and purpose of this work
will be of interest.
| A soil survey is essentially a descrip-
| ton and classification of the soils of a
given area. A map is first prepared
showing in colors and by appropriate
symbols the extent and location of each
type of soil fourd. The separation of
the soils, or surface materials, into
types is according to scheme classifi-
cation adopted some years ago by the
Bureau of Soils. The origin and char
acter of the material, its color, depth
and relative proportions of silt, sand
and clay are taken into consideration
and the several groups, types and phases
express these soil characteristics. To
illustrate, the uplands in the western
part of this county are covered to a
depth of several feet by brown, silty
deposit known geologically as loess. 1t
consists largely of the grade or size OF
soil particles termed silt. To its me-
chanical composition is due the admir-
able physical properties the brown loan
possesses. 1t is friable, and the tex
ture and structure is such that it is ca
pable of absorbing large amount of
rainfall and what is of greatest mpor-
tance, of regularly supplying this moist
ure again to growing crops. This loess
is also omparatively rich in the mineral
elements of fertility as lime, potash and
PHOSPHORUS 1t is true much of this
brown silty loan is now very deficient
in humus, and consequently in nitrogen,
but this is due often to careless meth
DDS of tillage or to other conditions that
may be controlled. The permanent ard
essentially Interchangeable factors as
physical properties of the material and
its mineralogital composition are every
where very similar. so that one type
name may be consistently applied to
| this soil wherever found. In our scheme
| of classification it is known as Memphis
| silt loan. and this term-to a person
who has occasion to keep informed re-
garding lands in different sections of
the country up the agricultural
value of this particular soil in some
what the same way that range, town
ship and section numbers describe the
location of a particular tract.
| In like manner each of the other u;
| land types, as well as those of the Wide
second bottoms and the flood plains ol
the streams, is given type name that
practically identifies it with the same
soil wherever found, either in this or
other areas, and expresses its teXtura
character as sandy loan, clay loan, etc.
The soil map will show all areas of
each of these types and in the accom-
panying report they are described il
detail. Questions pertaining to drain
age, fertilization and crop adaptation.
will be discussed and such recommend
ations made as are suggested by study
of local field conditions ard comparison,
with similar soils in other areas where
like surveys have been completed. As
a rule considerable attention is giver
the tillage requirements and to the
more practicable methods of increasing
the humus supply, which, as is wei
known, is very deficient in most south
ern soils.
A soil survey does not solve all the
problems encountered, but it does clear
up many of them by indicating tht
cause. 1t points out local condition,
and shows how established principles il
agricultural practice may be applied t(
the best advantage. 1t is to be hopeC
that the surveys will be followed by
carefully conducted field experiment:
on each of the more important types
In this way the fertilizer requirements
or rather the most economical use OF
manures and soil amendments can be
determined much more satisfactorily
than by applying the results if sucf
work on one type to other of very diff
erent character.
While the detailed type description:
comprise most of the report, the physi.
cal features of the county will b,
briefly described, with such information
concerning markets, transportation fa
cilities, density of settlement, price Of
land size of farms and labor supply a:
would wish to obtain. The crops growr
and present agricultural methods gen.
orally followed are given in some de-
tail, while short chapter on climate
includes rather full meteorological dat;
pertaining to the area.
In this survey it is necessary to con
struct base map, as no suitable bast
is available. This map will be drawn to
scale of inch to the mile and will show
practically all cultural features as sec
tion lines, roads, houses, railways AM
towns, as well as all drainage practica
BILE to indicate on this scale.
AS previously stated. paper bount
copies of this soil survey. each contain
ing the soil map. may be had later OIL
application to Congressman Sisson
either of the U. S. Senators, or to tn
Superintendent of Documents, Wash
ington, d. c. W. E. THARP,