The Columbia evening Missourian., 1922-12-13
s. TYPES OF
SOIL FOUND IN
BOONE COUNTY
University Is Sponsoring Sur
vey-Was Started in June
and Will Re Complet-
ed in Spring.
Is PER CENT IMPROVED
All Is Not Farmed ProGlably-
Thorough knowledge of
Soil Is Essential to
Farmer.

The work Of making a soil survey Of
Boone County has been suspended this
season on account of the unfayorable
weather. This survey is being made by
the University IN cooperation with the
United States Eureau Of Soils and is
made under the supervision oi members
Of the -pil- department of the College
of Agriculture.
More than llree-fourihs of the area
oi the county ha- been examined and the
sells Identified and mapped. More than
ihiuy-tye types Of soil have been recog-
pzed and established The survey was
started last June and it will take about
one month To complete the examination
Of all The soils in Boone County. This
will be done early next spring. The areas
yet to be SuFyeyed are two townships in
the extreme southern part Of the county.
In making a survey. the soils on every
forty acre area are examined as TO their
depth. color. texture. character of sub
soil and the subslratum. Attention is
given also To the surface features, amount
Of erosion. native vegetation and the diff
ierent cultivated crops grown on the
land. Areas Of each soil type as small
a, five or ten acres in size are shown on
TIE map. In addition 10 studying all Of
the soil 'eI,urcs. a careful traverse is
made of all Of the roads and the location
Of all streams. quarrles houses and rail-
Ioad- i Indicated
SOILS ARE VARIABLE
The soils OF Boone County offer an
Interesting subjects for study. In-general
they are characterized by their great
,ariablrness. This is due in part to the
varied materials, limestone. sandstone.
shlle glacial drift. from which they are
derived, and the changes in the soil that
have been brough, about by the action Of
wcalhering and erosion. To the average
layman all soils look alike. but there are
almost as many kinds of soil as there are
people. Some are good. some bad. Some
are deep and Others shallow. Some are
young and some are old. Some are
warm. responsive and generous. and 9TH
crs cold. sour and siiny. Each of these
qualities is found somewhere in Boone
County soils. In color. the soils vary
fron gray. brown. red, yellow and black.
each in many iims and shades. The pre-
dominating colOrs are gray and brown.
Excepting the river bottom lands. there
is only relatively small area of black
or dark colored -oils and this is con-
fined To the western parl o! the county.
les Than on,-fourth of the soils are Of
the prairie type.
About - per cent Of the land in
Bocne County is classed a. improved.
However. large per cent of the So
called improved lands is not proiiiably
fermed under economic conditions. Dur
ing the progress of the survey il was
observed that in some paris of the coun-
iy many fields and even farms are lying
idle and are not used even for pasture.
H. the soil survey. reports Of these va
rious kinds Of soils viii be indicated and
suggestions will be made as 10 their most
practical management and improvement.
In the roneher parts Of the county some
types of soils are better fitted for pas
iure and forests than for fields and
should be devoted to grass and timber
production without pretense that they are
capable Of higher development.
To the farmer who would utilize his