Vernon Parish Democrat., 1922-05-04
VERNON PARISH SOIL
By George D. Coleman


The original soil at Newllano is sim
Iilar if not identical with the soil Of
West Georgia red clay with some
little sand, and limestone soil as in
West Georgia, being underlaid with
1.-THE Vicksburg formation; but the ac-
Itual soil is a wash soil, that is, as
calculated by the geologists. there was
a big wash from the north that can be-
traced as far north as the Missouri line
some 10000 to 100000 years ago,
and all the heavy materials were drop
ped farther north. Hence there is no
gravel here, and the material brought
here is a fine grey sand. clay, and
quicksand. In places clay is found at
the surface, like that where our brick
factory is located. and the clay is often
unGerlaid with quick-sand. Our gar
den is Of the fine grey sand. Hence
the soil is varied. In places the wash
soil is probably 20 feet deep, and in
others only few feet, as there are roll
ing or undulating ridges where the
wash soil did not reach or the ridges
were elevated after the wash and the
Tighter soil has been washed off by
the rains. Hence the leachable mater
iaIs have had most of the potash, lime,
and phosphates washed out of it, and
what remains is silicates or so-called
unavailable forms" There is no need
TO be discouraged at this, as, except
where clay is on the surface, which is
the exception, it is an easily worked
soil, but has, being generally short of
humus, been inclined to pack and lie
so closely that little air can get into
lit. There are plenty of ways to rem
|edy this Humus can easily be added
by plowing under crops, and the humus
thus made not only lightens up the
soil and lets air in, but it makes the.
insoluble parts soluble. Hickory, black
walnut, and growths that must have
potash grow finely on the bottom
lands. 1t was heavily-wooded coun-
try; hence, though the wash soil is
short of lime, there is lime. The only
element markedly deficient is phos-
phate. but only small quantity of
phosphate is positively required, and
that can be easily supplied. Besides,
there is one place on our land where
| think there is a possibility Of phos-
phate being found, as there is every ev-
idence that the Vicksburg formation is
close to the surface, and the slope of
the land, the range of the ridge and its
break is quite Identical with the same
formation in Citrus County, Florida,
where phosphate is found. We will in
vestigate this when there is little slack
in our present rush of work. Lacking
humus as a rule, it also lacks nitrogen
But we have made start with Kudzu
vines, the best nitrogen-gatherer there
is; besides the peanuts we grow add
nitrogen to the soil, also the cow-peas.
velvet beans, and some other crops
But above all the use of sulphur of
which we have considerable (see arti-
Gle on the fertilizer resources of our
Colony, following). There is no rea-
son why this soil here cannot be made
as fertile as the best West Georgia
lands; and when SO brought into fer
tility, it can be worked with less labor
than the heavier lands around Thomas
vile, Ca; and that is a distinct ad-
as these light grey sands when
opened up to the access of the air, with
humus and lime added, can be handled
and plowed and narrowed when the
heavier lands cannot be handled until
and then are likely to
give trouble with clods and humps that
need more labor than need ever be ne
cessarY here.