THE HOUSTON BLACK CLAY. 7 



LIMITATIONS UPON SPECIAL CROPS. 



The characteristic waxy texture of the surface soil of the Houston 

 black clay in itself limits the special crops which may be grown upon 

 the type. In general, only those vegetables which are needed for the 

 supply of the farmer's table, or which find a ready market hi nearby 

 towns, should be grown to any extent upon this soil. Attempts at 

 the production of onions upon the Houston black clay have been 

 fairly successful. Areas where the surface soil is somewhat sandy, 

 or where it is particularly well granulated and thus made friable, 

 should be selected for the production of this crop. The drainage, 

 both over the surface and through the subsoil, must be carefully 

 attended to before any vegetable or special crops may be grown. 



The tree fruits are not particularly well suited to the Houston 

 black clay. However, it is well in all circumstances for the individual 

 farmer to attempt the growth of his own home supply of apples, 

 peaches, and cherries, even though only a few trees of each variety 

 be planted. The prairie country does not appear well suited to the 

 production of the tree fruits upon a commercial scale. 



EXTENT OF OCCUPATION. 



Throughout the more humid portion of the region dominated by 

 the Houston black clay, and particularly in northern Texas and 

 southern Oklahoma, practically all of this type is occupied for agri- 

 cultural purposes. In the majority of soil survey areas where the 

 type has been encountered it is reported as "one of the most pro- 

 ductive soils in the area," or as "the most valuable soil in the 

 county for the staple crops." In other areas it is reported as " entirely 

 under cultivation, and the strongest soil qf the area." This local 

 reputation of the Houston black clay in the various areas where it 

 has been encountered is borne out by a study of the crop production 

 and of the agricultural prosperity of the regions where the type occurs. 

 Many of the most important and thriving cities of Texas are located 

 either within or adjacent to areas occupied and dominated by the 

 type. They constitute the great agricultural centers of this prairie 

 region where products are gathered for shipment to distant markets 

 and from which the supply of farm machinery and other commodities 

 demanded by the farmer are distributed. 



The statistics showing the distribution of the yields of cotton per 

 square mile clearly outline the region within which the Houston 

 black clay is principally developed. Within the area dominated by 

 this soil type the yields per square mile exceeded 50 bales in the census 

 of 1900. Only the alluvial lands of the Mississippi bottoms equaled 

 this production. The superiority of the type as a cotton-producing 

 soil and its high value for the production of corn, wheat, sorghum, 



