Soil Survey of Cass County, Indiana. 199 
slowly filled with organic remains from the surrounding higher land in 
addition to the rank vegetation that flourished in the swamps them- 
selves. The organic matter settled to the bottom, where it decayed and 
became mixed with the fine clay sediments that were washed into the 
depressions. The poor drainage produced the heavy phase, while the 
better and more free drainage gave rise to the silt loam with a bright 
yellow to reddish subsoil at a depth of two feet. 
Drainage.—The Clyde series of soil types requires artificial drainage 
to lower the water level below the surface of the soil. In fact, when 
the country was first settled, the black land was all under water, but 
after thorough drainage it was considered the best soil type. 
The Clyde silt clay loam contains a very high percent of humus, 
which, united with the clay, forms a porous, friable soil which absorbs 
moisture readily and is easily cultivated. 
Crops Grown.—The Clyde soil is the leading corn land of the country. 
It yields fifty to seventy-five and sometimes eighty to ninety bushels per 
acre. Timothy is a good crop to grow on the more chaffy phases, where 
other crops have a tendency to dry up. Oats yields well and wheat does 
good, but both crops tend to produce too rank a growth of straw and 
consequently to lodge. Wet, open winters are bad for wheat. The 
open, loose texture admits water freely, and freezing heaves the soil, 
pulling the wheat out of the ground. A relatively dry winter season, 
with a few inches of snow for protection, is followed by good results. 
» The Clyde silty clay loam, or silty loam as it is sometimes called, 
occurs typically south of the Wabash River. The Muck is always asso- 
ciated with or surrounded by this soil type. 
CLYDE LOAM. 
Properties.—The Clyde loam is a grayish brown to a brownish black 
soil with an average depth of about ten inches. The subsoil is a grayish 
brown in color, increasing in clay content as it descends, and at about 
eighteen inches to two feet grading into a mottled bright yellow material. 
It is sometimes streaked with a reddish color and with the steel gray. 
This type occurs in shallower depressions, and the color of the surface 
soil is sometimes almost midway between the surrounding Miami soil 
and the darker Clyde silty clay loam. 
Crops Grown.—The Clyde loam is well adapted to the growing of 
corn, clover, wheat, oats and timothy. It is first and last a corn soil; 
in fact, in some parts of the county that crop seems to be the only 
one grown. 
A crop rotation should be practiced, including a crop of clover or 
some leguminous crop, every four or five years to enrich the soil. The 
