WATER SOILS. 331 



the Mississippi and all of its bayous. They are made up of sandy soils 

 on which the characteristic vegetation is the live oak. The soils of the 

 back lands are finer in grain, and contain more clay than those of the 

 front lands. The clay breaks up under cultivation into small rounded 

 masses, which have given the name "buckshot" to these soils. These 

 2 classes of soils constitute at present the cultivated portion of the 

 Mississippi alluvium. It is difficult to obtain a sufficient supply of good 

 water in this region. It is suggested that the. difficulty may be over- 

 come, at least in part, by the sinking of artesian wells. 



"As the front lauds grade iuto the hack lands, so these grade into the swamp. The 

 areas thus designated, while not so easily drained as the hack lands, are neverthe- 

 less capable of thorough drainage. They are considered as swamp and useless for 

 cultivation only because under conditions that have existed in the past they have 

 been too frequently overllowed to make their clearing and cultivation profitable. 

 Under a system of protection that will shut out the flood waters from the master 

 streams they will become available for cultivation. At present they are not so. 



"Their tree growth consists chiefly of sweet and black with some tupelo gum, 

 large and abundant; abundant ash of sufficient size and quality to make it valuable 

 for manufactures; scaly-bark hickory; elm; red maple; white, water, and willow 

 oaks; sycamore; and cypress. The undergrowth, while still dense, is marked by a 

 failing of the cane. At present these swamp lands are chiefly valuable for their 

 supplies of hard-wood lumber. Their adaptation to cultivable uses, while possible, 

 must wait upon their greater security from inundation. 



'•The deep swamp area, chiefly valuable for its forests of cypress and gum, is sub- 

 ject to too deep and too frequent inundation ever to be used for cultivation; at any 

 rate, not until more available lands prove insufficient for the increased population." 



Attention is called to the large number of navigable streams in this 

 region, and suggestions are made regarding protection against over- 

 flow. Although the soils of the region have been heretofore considered 

 valuable chiefly for the production of cotton, recent experiments have 

 shown that they are capable of producing a superior grade of cigar- 

 wrapper tobacco. The bluff lands also produce sugar cane with an 

 unusually high sugar content. The famous Perique tobacco is grown 

 on the alluvial lands of this region, and they have also been shown to be 

 preeminently suited to alfalfa. Near New Orleans, market gardening 

 on the alluvial soils has proven very profitable, and in the extreme 

 southern part of the region orange culture has brought good returns. 

 The adaptability of the waters of the region to fish and oysters and the 

 rapid development of oyster culture in the coastal bayous and bays are 

 pointed out. The results of the examinations of the soils of the region 

 are reserved for a future report. 



The fertility of Oregon soils, (>. W". Shaw {Oregon Sta. Bui. 50, 

 pp. 56, pi. 1). — This is a continuation of work previously reported in 

 Bulletin 21 of the station (E. S. 11., 1, p. 4G1). A general discussion is 

 given of the importance of chemical analysis of soils, origin of soils, 

 functions of soils, constituents of soils and their functions, and texture 

 of soils. The natural divisions of the State are described, and analyses, 

 including determinations of coarse material, tine earth, water capacity, 



