Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-01-23

preSSlOnS in the southern and eastern
parts of the county. The streams
flow through broad valleys with gen
tie slopes. There are no elevations
sufficiently abrupt to be classed as
hills. Excepting the numerous lime
sinks, the upland soils are generally
we'll drained. Drainage is usually
poor on the aIluvial lands along the
sluggish streams.
The one-crop System
In common with other counties of
the section, Terrell county has fol-
lowed the one-crop system in her ag-
riculture. Until recently cotton was
the chief crop grown, and the whole
system of farming centered around
this crop At present, however, a
more diversified type of farming is
being practiced, in which live stock
and feed crops are coming to be more
and more important. Legumes and
other soil building crops are extern
sively grown, and many of the better
farms are becoming more productive
under the new system.
Soils
Soils are classified on the basis of
the material from which they are
formed, the manner of formation,
color of soil and subsoil, drainage,
topography, structure and texture.
The United States bureau of soils
divides the country into more or less
geographical divisions, termed soil
regions and provinces. Parts of five
soil provinces occur in Georgia: The
Appalachian mountains and plateaus
in the northeast part of the state;
the limestone valleys and uplands in
the northwest; the Piedmont plateau,
extending from the mountain section
to the fall line; the coastal plains
south of the fall line; the river flood
plains, which includes the alluviaI.
or bottom soils, of all the provinces
Each of these sections includes def
mite and distinct classes of soils, and
soils OF the same general appearance
IN different provinces should not be
confused. Thus, the red soils of the
Piedmont plateau province are en-
tirely different from the red soils of
the coastal plains province.
Within each of the provinces those
soils which have similar features
with respect to the kind of material
color of subsoil, drainage, etc., are
placed in group termed the series.
The series are named from some geo
graphical point like a town, river
Or community. An example of the
series is the Cecil series, which rep
resents some of the soils of the Pied
mont plateau province having a red
subsoil. The Durham series includes
those having a yellow subsoil. Each
series is further divided into types
on the basis of texture. Thus. we
nave sands, sandy loans, clay loans.
etc., depending on the amounts of the
dltterent sized particles making lid
the soil. The types are preceded by
the name of the series in which they
are classed, as Cecil sandy loam.
The soil type is the unit of clas-
sification, and it should have iden-
teal characteristics wherever it oc-
ours. In other words, the GreenvilIe
loamy sand in Terrell county will be
the same as soils mapped as that
type in other counties of the coast
al plains province of the state as
well as other states within that
province. 1t will be seen, therefore,
that the soil survey furnishes a
means of comparing soils of differ
ent sections and aids in determining
their relative value.
Many Types Mapped
Including muck and swamp, there
are So types Of soil mapped in Ter
rell county. These are included in IA
series. The soils of the county may
be divided into two general groups,
the upland soils and aIluvial soils,
the latter including both terrace and
first bottom formations.
The upland soils include eight Sc
ries, ranging in color from red to
gray and yellow, and varying in tex
ture from sands to clay loans.
The Greenville series includes the
upland soils of the county which
have red or reddish brown surface
soils, and bright red subsoils. The
loamy sand, sandy IL am, loan, clay
loan, gravelly sandy loan, graveIly
clay loan and stony clay loan types
are mapped.
The Orangeburg series differs
from the Greenville in having gray
surface soils. They have red sub
soils similar to those of the Green
willie series. Three types of the
Orangeburg series, the sand, sandy
loan and gravelly sandy loan, were
mapped in Terrell county.
The Norfolk series is characterized
by gray sandy surface soils and
bright yellow subsoiIs. Norfolk sand
and Norfolk sandy loans are the
only types of the series mapped in
the county.
The Triton series differs from the
nJ,in ~,
merous brown pebbles, or iron con-
cretions. This is known as Red
pebble land" The sandy loan is the
only type of the series occurring in
the county.
The Ruston series includes soils
having gray to grayish brown sur
face soils, and yellowish brown to
reddish brown subsoils. In the cal
or of the subsoil, this series is in
termediate between the yellow sub
soils of the Norfolk types and the
red subsoils of the Greenville and
Orangeburg series. Ruston sand, san
dy loan and clay loan are included
in this series.
Some characteristics
The Grady series includes the lime
stone sink soils. They occur in de-
pressions and sinks often having no
surface outlets. They are dark gray
in color on the surface with gray
notified subsoils. Gray sandy loan
and clay loan are mapped.
The Sumter soils have yellow sur
face soils and light yellow subsoiIs
which become compact and plastic
in the lower part. This series in
cludes the sandy loan, stony sandy
loan and clay types.
The Hoffman soils are locally
termed white challly lands" They
are light gray on the surface with
reddish gray subsoils, including nu-
merous nodules of white chalky ma
terial. The clay loan type is the
only type of this series mapped in