﻿Ill] 
  Special 
  Report 
  No. 
  i 
  : 
  Natchitoches 
  Area 
  147 
  

  

  Back 
  layids. 
  — 
  Passing 
  along 
  each 
  lane 
  or 
  path 
  that 
  leads 
  

   directly 
  back 
  from 
  the 
  large 
  stream 
  channels 
  one 
  observes 
  that 
  

   the 
  soil 
  becomes 
  heavier, 
  darker, 
  and, 
  when 
  wet, 
  very 
  sticky. 
  

   It 
  is 
  no 
  longer 
  cultivated, 
  but 
  allowed 
  to 
  become 
  wooded 
  with 
  

   gum, 
  hackberry, 
  locust, 
  sycamore, 
  water 
  oak, 
  intertwined 
  with 
  

   bamboo 
  and 
  greenbrier. 
  In 
  the 
  lower 
  places 
  a 
  few 
  scattering 
  

   cypress 
  are 
  seen. 
  

  

  Even 
  these 
  lands 
  are 
  far 
  above 
  the 
  normal 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  streams 
  

   and 
  by 
  a 
  comparatively 
  small 
  expense 
  could 
  be 
  well 
  drained. 
  

  

  Eocene 
  

  

  Calcareous 
  soil. 
  — 
  Most 
  of 
  that 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  township 
  west 
  of 
  

   Old 
  river 
  and 
  south 
  of 
  Texas 
  road 
  as 
  indicated 
  in 
  the 
  map 
  shows 
  

   a 
  decided 
  calcareous 
  or 
  limy 
  soil. 
  Occasionally 
  the 
  calcareous 
  

   matter 
  is 
  overlaid 
  by 
  a 
  few 
  feet 
  of 
  sand. 
  The 
  same 
  remarks 
  

   apply 
  to 
  the 
  uplands 
  in 
  the 
  few 
  square 
  miles 
  included 
  between 
  

   bayou 
  Bulbeaux 
  and 
  Chapin's 
  lake. 
  Some 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  marly 
  

   layers 
  from 
  the 
  streets 
  in 
  Natchitoches 
  are 
  now 
  in 
  the 
  hands 
  of 
  

   the 
  chemists 
  of 
  the 
  Experiment 
  stations 
  for 
  analysis. 
  

  

  Light 
  sa7idy 
  soil. 
  — 
  By 
  far 
  the 
  greater 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  soil 
  in 
  the 
  

   northwestern 
  portion 
  of 
  this 
  township 
  is 
  decidedly 
  sandy. 
  Sev- 
  

   eral 
  samples 
  have 
  already 
  been 
  collected 
  for 
  analysis. 
  Short-leaf 
  

   pine, 
  oaks, 
  hickory, 
  dogwood, 
  etc., 
  abound 
  on 
  the 
  ridges 
  ; 
  mag- 
  

   nolia, 
  holley, 
  etc., 
  in 
  the 
  valleys. 
  

  

  As 
  is 
  usual 
  with 
  soils 
  of 
  this 
  character 
  they 
  produce 
  well 
  for 
  

   a 
  few 
  seasons 
  after 
  clearing 
  but 
  after 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  fail, 
  unless 
  

   properly 
  cared 
  for, 
  to 
  yield 
  profitable 
  returns 
  for 
  the 
  labor 
  

   expended 
  on 
  them. 
  Many 
  old 
  cotton-rowed 
  fields 
  are 
  overgrown 
  

   now 
  by 
  forest 
  trees 
  of 
  considerable 
  dimensions. 
  Especially 
  is 
  

   this 
  the 
  case 
  in 
  the 
  northwestern-most 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  township. 
  

  

  Springs 
  

  

  Well-Known 
  Springs 
  

   Fourth 
  of 
  Jrdy 
  spring. 
  — 
  This 
  is 
  on 
  a 
  neighborhood 
  road 
  lead- 
  

   ing 
  out 
  from 
  Natchitoches 
  north 
  of 
  Sibley's 
  lake. 
  See 
  map. 
  

   It 
  supplies 
  an 
  abundance 
  of 
  good 
  water. 
  Its 
  name 
  is 
  derived 
  

   from 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  on 
  hot 
  mid-summer 
  days 
  its 
  cool 
  waters 
  are 
  

   sought 
  by 
  the 
  many 
  from 
  Natchitoches. 
  

  

  