The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-09
'SO|L SURVEY OF
 !. LAWRENCE COUNTY
 GIVEN ID PUBLIC Made by H. c. Lewis of Gov ernment and J. F. Stroud of the State
AND
 VALUABLE DATA
Seventy Per Cent of Land Is in Small Farms-Thirty Soil Types Shown
 in Survey-Alluvial Soils Are Not Extensive
By HIGH w. ROBERTS


 The soil survey of Lawrence county by H. G. Lewis of the United States de- lpartment of agriculture, and J. F. Stroud of the Alabama department of las an interesting and valuable docu- ment..
 It's summary is herewith reproduced: Lawrence county IS located in the lnorthwest-central part of Alabama. It has an area of 700 square miles, or 44S,000 acres. It includes a part of the Moulton and Tennessee valleys, eX- tensions of the Cumberland pateau, consisting of Little and Sand mountains, and small area of the coastal plain. The valley sections lie 525 to $50 feet above sea level, and the mountain sec- tions 675 to 1000 feet.
 The climate is mild and pleasant. There is long growing season. The rainfall is ample for crop needs and is well distributed throughout the year. l WAS ORIGINALLY FORESTED The county was orIs.nally forested. At present nearly 70 per cent of the land is in farms. The Tennessee and Moulton valleys are thickly settled. The interests of the county are primarily lagricultural. The farms are generally small.
 | The principal agricultural products are cotton, corn and hay, crops rank ing in importance in the order named. Most of Lawrence county is in a high state of cultivation, especially the val ley and Little mountain sections The raising of live stock and the production of fruits offer good oppor- tunities.
 The soils of Lawrence county are largely residual, and are derived from Ilimestones, sandstones and shades. The alluvial soils are not extensive. T Thirty soil types, including rough stony land, are mapped.
 The Decatur clay loam is the most extensive type in the county. It is a valley soil and is considered very strong soil for general farm crops. The Decatur clay, silty clay loam, fine sandy loam and gravely loam are inextensive types. They are productive
 
 sirable on account of it's stony charac- ter
 The Colbert silt loam is the most ex- tensive type of this seriE and occupies ldepressions in the valley regions When properly drained and Timed it is pro- ductive. The hardpan phase of this type occupies flat, poorly drained areas in the Moulton valley.
 I The Colbert fine sandy loam occupies low slopes or elevations slightly high CT than the silt loan It is good soil for cotton, corn and other farm crops It's inextensive shallow phase is less valuable.
 The Colbert silty clay 1oam occupies swales or depressions. It is largely forested and is poorly drained. l VERY LITTLE EARNED II The Colbert clay occupies isolated patches along Little and Sand noun tains and some flat areas in the Moul- ton valley. Very little of the type is farmed. It is best suited to forestry and pasturage.
 The Hagerstown fi..e sandy loam is quite extensive in the valley regions,
  lareas, slightly lower than the Decatur soils It is light and easily cultivated soil, and produces good yields of corn, cotton, fruits and truck crops | The Hagerstown loam occurs in the Moulton and Tennessee valleys It oc- |cupies flat to gently rolling areas. This soil produces good yields of general farm crops.
 The Hagerstown stony loam is the least extensive type of the Hagerstown series, occupying kEolls, ridges and blufflike slopes in the valley regions, and as whole is excessively drained. The type is not so generally farmed as the Other types of this series. l. The Clarksville silt loam is developed mainly in the northwestern corner of the county. It has a gently rolling to broken topography where found along stream courses. This soir is we'll adapted } to farming.
 The Hollywood clay is of small ex- tent, occupying level to fiat gladelike areas in the Moulton valley. During season of moderately aeavy rainfall it produces good yields of corn and : cotton. With thorough drainage this : soil could be made very productive The Hollywood loam forms large areas in the Moulton Valley occupying low basinlike situations having poor : drainage. It produces good yields ot corn and grasses where properly drained. This type and the Hollywood : clay are locally known as ''black lands"
 The DeKalb fine sandy loam is quite extensively developed in the southern lpart of the county. It occupies plateau like areas and ridge crests, and has , a broken topography. Cotton. corn . grasses, fruits and garden truck dc wlel on the greater part of this type. n The DeKalb stony loam occurs on Sand and Little mountains It occupies rough broken mountain sloapes. Very little oi ,. the type can be cultivated successfully ! It has a value for forestry and grazing The DeKalb loam is a very inextensve type It occupies knolls. ridge crests and ridges on Sand mountain. The DeKalb silt loam, the most exten- sive type of the Dekalb series, is found : on Little mountain where it occupies gen. tie slopes and plateau-like areas. A.larse part of the type is farmed. It produces good yields of cotton, fruits, potatoes and grasses. Crops do best in seasons oi moderately heavy rainfall. IS EXCESSIVELY DRAINED
 The Hanceville fine sandy loam is en. F countered on the north-rac;ng slope oi Little and Sand mountains, with some , isolated bodies surrounded by the De- ! N<-f- sk s.- --<.sx- -~f~