Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1915-12-03


spring, grazed through the summer,
and sold in the fall. With the more
extensive growth of alfalfa, 1t is pro-
bable that beef cattle can be profitably
fattened in all of the counties.
SOILS.
! Twenty-eight soil types grouped in
IL series are found in the area survey
ed. In general, these soils are derived
from glacial drift.
The type encountered most extern
sively is the Gloucester silt loan. Soils
of the Gloucester series are light
brownish or often grayish at the inn
mediate surface with yellow subsohs.
| The drainage is usually fair to good,
but the soils are apt to be in more or
less acid condition. The Gloucester
silt loan occupies nearly % per cent
of the total area surveyed including
some of the best agricultural land in
northern Wisconsin, which is still un-
developed. The surface soil of this
type consists of brown or light brown
friable silt loan extending to an
average depth of IL to IA inches. The
subsoil is light yellow or yellowish
brown, the silt loan varying to silly
clay loan.
Much of the land is still owned in
large tracts and this accounts to some
extent for the factthat comparatively
little of it is under cultivation. AS
rapidly as the timber is removed, how
ever, and the land placed upon the
market, it is being taken up in small
tracts. The chief crops grown are po-
tatoes, hay and oats, with some corn.
Potatoes seem to be especially suited
to the soil and climate, the yields
ranging from 200 to $50 bushels per
acre or even higher. Glover and grass
es suited to the climate also do re-
markably well on this soil. The soil
has not been under cultivation long
enough to raise the question of main
tanning soil fertility. 1t should be re-
mem bered, however, that the moderate
amount of organic material now pres
ent in the soil will be exhausted in a
few years if system of farming is
followed which does not provide for
the return of a considerable quantity
of this material to the SOIL Where
the Gloucester silt loam prevails, say S
the report, the prosperity of the COM
munity depends chiefly upon it's devel-
Opment and improvement.
The Gloucester fine sandy loan oc
cupies about 10 per cent of the area
surveyed. 1t is good productive soil
well suited to wide range of crops,
but probably not over 10 per cent of it
is now in improved farms. Farming
on this type in this region is so new
that it has not yet been well developed
or defined. The chief crops are oats,
rye, potatoes. timothy and elover, hay
and corn. Success with alfalfa de-
ponds upon lining and incubation.
and this readily maintains or increases
the productiveness of the soil. Suf-
ficient corn for silage can always be
grown and, in consequence, silos are
being built on many dairy farms. 9th
er types of the Gloucester series en-
countered in the area are the fine
sand, the sandy loan, the stony sand,
and the sand.
Another one of the important series
of soils in this area is the Miami.
These soils are brown, light brown,
or grayish, and are underlain by vel
lowish and brown, manufactured
subsoils. The surface drainage is us
ually good, but on some of the heavier
types artificial means are necessary.
The soils are found on timber uplaDds
and have considerable range in tex
ture.
The Miami fine sandy loan is one of
the best, most extensive, and most
highly developed soil types encounter
ed in the present survey. 1t includes
large part of southern Marinette,
southern and southeastern Oconto and
southeastern Shawano counties. The
surface of this type is brown or
light brown, friable, fine sandy loan.
No steep abrupt slopes are found on it
and with few exceptions, modern farm
machinery can be used wherever ii
occurs. The subsoil is sufficiently
heavy to retain moisture for growing
crops, but porous enough to permit the
excess water to drain away. A large
proportion of this type is in improved
farms and probably as much as go per
cent is under cultivation. The tenden-
cy is toward more extensive develop
ment of the dairy industry on it, A
number of hogs,are raised, particular
ly on the dairy farms. Potatoes are
the most important cash crop. Much
of the corn is cut for silage. More |
apples are also grown on this soil than
on any of the other types and the fruit
10 of high quality.
The Miami loan also ranks as one