24 The Bulletin 



cecil clay 



The Cecil clay, locally known as "heavy red clay land," comprising 

 39,168 acres, consists of a red or reddish clay loam or clay underlain to 

 a depth of several feet by a red stiff clay. The soil is hard and crumbly 

 when dry and plastic when wet. There are included with this type a 

 few spots of dark reddish brown clay loam called "sassafras land" or 

 "dead land," the last term referring to the difficulty which is experienced 

 in making it turn or slide off of the plow wing. 



This Cecil clay occurs indiscriminately throughout the county. Its 

 greatest development is in Steele Creek and Charlotte townships, to the 

 east of Croft, just west of Huntersville, and along the Catawba River. 

 Other bodies are situated east of Davidson, near Wilson Grove Church, 

 Arlington, Amity and Doren's churches, while many smaller bodies and 

 patches are associated with the Cecil clay loam. 



The surface features of this type vary from level and gently rolling 

 areas to hilly and broken areas near streams. The steep hillsides in 

 many places near the Catawba Eiver, particularly in the southwest part 

 of the county, have been cut in deep ravines and gullies. The surface 

 drainage is excellent, but the heavy clay does not allow the free and 

 rapid moj^rement of water downward. This is one reason for the severe 

 erosion on this soil, as much of the rainfall runs off the surface. 



Much of the hardwood growth, consisting of white, red, and post oak 

 and hickory was fine merchantable timber and the greater part has 

 been cut. Most of the present second growth is usually old field pine, 

 cedar pine (pinus Virginianus) , sassafras bushes, and sweet gum. About 

 one-half of the Cecil clay is under cultivation. 



The Cecil clay is inherently a strong soil, being one of the best soils 

 in the piedmont section of North Carolina for wheat, oats, and clover, 

 and also a fine soil for corn and cowpeas and other leguminous crops. 

 It is a grass and dairy farming soil. Large yields of wheat were secured 

 prior to the Civil War, and even now on this same soil in near-by coun- 

 ties from 20 to 44 bushels per acre are produced. The leading crops at 

 present are corn and cotton. The yields of corn range from 15 to 60 

 bushels and of cotton- from one-third to one bale per acre. Wheat is 

 gro^vn to a very limited extent. It yields from 15 to 30 bushels per acre. 

 From 20 to 60 bushels per acre of oats may be secured. In Rowan 

 County, North Carolina, as many as 115 bushels per acre have been 

 obtained on this soil. Cowpeas do well, yielding from 1 ton to 11/2 tons 

 of hay per acre. In addition to the general farm crops a few cabbage, 

 Irish potatoes, vegetables, sorghum cane, apples, pears, cherries, figs, 

 and peaches are grown. A number of grasses, such as orchard, Ber- 

 muda, and crab grass, do well. 



Cotton is usually fertilized with 200 or 300 pounds of 8-2-2 or 8-3-3 

 fertilizers, or with a home mixture of acid phosphate, cotton-seed meal, 

 and kainit. Some barnyard manure is applied to the crops, particu- 

 larly in dairy districts. 



