REPORT ON UNION COUNTY SOILS AND AGRICULTURE 



By C. B. Williams, W. E. Hearn, J. K. Plummer, and W. F. Pate. 



Union County lies in tlie southern part of the State, about midway 

 between the coast and the mountains, and contains 630 square miles, or 

 403,200 acres. It is bounded on the north by Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, 

 and Stanly counties, on the east by Anson County, on the south by South 

 Carolina, and on the west by South Carolina and Mecklenburg County. 



The general surface features of Union County are by far smoother 

 than most of the Piedmont region in North Carolina. Most of the 

 county consists of broad, smoothly undulating or gently rolling inter- 

 streani areas which become more rolling and somewhat hilly as the 

 streams themselves are approached. Some of the flatter areas are 

 found in the vicinity of Indian Trail. The roughest surface area is 

 characterized by steep slopes and broken ridges are developed in the 

 northern end of the county along Rocky Kiver in a belt about 3 to 6 

 miles wide and to the south of Stallings along the western border of the 

 county, and also in a small area in the southeastern corner on each side 

 of Brown Creek. 



The streams in these localities have cut narrow channels of about 50 

 to 150 feet below the general level of the country, while through the 

 greater part of the county the streams have cut shallower channels and 

 the approaches to these are more gradual. Bordering all the streams 

 are narrow strips of level first bottom-land which is subject to overflow 

 during freshets. The greater part of the land's surface of Union County 

 occupies a very favorable position for the operation of all kinds of mod- 

 ern farm machinery. 



The highest elevations so far determined in the county are in the 

 Avestern part, and the elevation at Weddington is 725 feet. There is a 

 gradual slope from this point in both an easterly and southeasterly di- 

 rection. Other elevations along the Seaboard Air Line Kailway are 

 Indian Trail, 690 feet; Waxhaw, 645 feet; Monroe, 576 feet; Marsh- 

 ville, 554 feet ; and Wingate, 545 feet above the sea-level. 



All of the county is exceptionally well watered by numerous running 

 streams, and good natural surface drainage exists except on a few of the 

 flatter and more level areas. Even in these localities open ditches or 

 tile drains would serve the purpose. On the more rolling and hilly areas 

 drainage is excessive in many places, resulting in such rapid run-off 

 of the rain water tliat gullies are frequently formed. Rocky River is 

 the only stream in the county that has sufficient fall for the develop- 

 ment of any great amount of watci'-power, and it furnishes ]iower for a 

 few grist mills and cotton gins. 



The county as a whole has good transportation facilities. The Sea- 

 board Air Line between Wilmington and Charlotte passes through tlie 



