The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1916-12-07
SOIL SURVEY OF
DlCKEY COUNTY
JUST BEEN PUBLISHED BY U. s.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Twcnty.seven Distinct Types Of Soil
Mapped, Being Grouped Into
Ten Series

Washington. d. c.. Dec. IA report
of the soil survey of hickey County.
N. d., compiled by the Bureau of Soils
Of the u. S. Department of Asricul-
ture in cooperation with the North
Dakota Agricultural Experiment Sta.
tiOn, has recently been published. The
report comprises Sc pages. and is ac-
companied by sketch map showing
the areas in North Dakota covered by
soil surveys, and by colored map
showing the distribution of various
soils in Dickey County. The report
contains general description of the
county, a brief discussion of agricul-
tural and climatic conditions. and a
detailed description of each soil type
in its relation to agriculture.
In general. the agriculture of Dickey
County is new and there has been lit
tie adaptation of crops to soils. Wheat
is the principal crop though 1t is stead
lily losing it's lead in acreage over the
other crops. Oats. barley. and fax are
grown. the latter largely as a first crop
in newly broken prairie sod. The corn
acreage is steadily increasing. Much
wild hay is cut Rye and broom-corn
millet are grown to some extent. and
vegetables are produced for home use.
Soils
A total of q distinct types of soil
is mapped, in addition to rough brok
en land. a miscellaneous classification.
The soil types are grouped into 10 SER
les. All the soils are derived from gla-
cial drift. which ranges in the county
from a thin veneer to 80 or 80 feet
in thickness. The county occupies
two plains. differing several hundred
feet in elevation.
The Barnes series. consisting of 4
types, is the most extensive soil group
in the county. covering more than so
per cent of the area The chief type
of the series is the Barnes loan. which
is dark-brOwn to black, mellow loan.
8 to IL inches deep. underlain by 81
lighter brown. yellowish.brown or a
greenish highly calcareous moderate
ly compact loan. Several variations
of the type occur. Some areas of this
type require special attention to avoid
drifting or blowing. especially in the
spring. although several other types in
the county require even more care
than this in that respect. The type
constitutes one of the best corn soils
of the county and alfalfa can be grown
successfully on much of it.
The Barnes silt loan is dark,
brown to black silt loan to heavy
loan. underlain at an average depth
of about II inches by lighter brown
or yellowish-brown silty clay loan or
loan. often showing shade of green
and always highly calcareous. This
type is usually well drained. and prac.
tically all of 1t is available for agri-
culture. The soil was originally rich
in organic matter. but much of it has
been exhausted by a continual crop
ping to small grains. The soil may be
improved by the growing of legumes
and grass and cultivated crops in 70
tation. Manure also should be addict
The Barnes very fine sandy loan is
dark brown to black in color. and is
underlain by lighter brown loan
which grades into yellowish or grayisl
brown loan. This type is slightly less
productive than associated areas ol
the Barnes loan.
The soil Of the Barnes silty loan tc
depth Of 10 to IL inches is blacR
or very dark brown silty clay loan
This is underlain by dark grayisf
brown or drab silty clay looam or silly
clay which with increasing dept!
gradually becomes yellowish brown
mottled with gray and rusty brown
Spots of both heavier and lighter sol
are of common occurrence in this type
some areas of the type are heavy
Concluded on page seven)