THE CARRINGTON LOAM. 5 



heavy prairie sod to enable the farmers to produce crops upon the 

 type immediately. There still remain in all locations where the 

 Carrington loam has been encountered during the course of soil 

 surveys, local depressions, which may be greatly improved by the 

 construction of outlets and the laying of some tile drains to supple- 

 ment the natural drainage. In general, however, the drainage re- 

 quirements are not nearly so great as in the case of the Carrington 

 black clay loam and of associated types of other series. 



Nowhere throughout the total extent of its development is the Car- 

 rington loam subject to erosion sufficient to interfere in any degree 

 with the production of any of the farm crops. 



LIMITATIONS IN USE. 



The loamy and usually friable surface soil, well supplied with 

 organic matter, constitutes a seed bed favorable to the production of 

 a considerable range of general farm crops. The rather heavy and 

 compact subsoil forms a storage reservoir sufficient to supply mois- 

 ture during the crop-growing season in all cases, except those of 

 extreme drought. The natural drainage of the Carrington loam is 

 usually adequate, and the type thus constitutes one of the best gen- 

 eral farming soils of the more northern portion of the central 

 States, possessing at the same time a somewhat wider range of crop 

 adaptation than in the case of the more silty or the more sandy soils. 



The organic matter content of the Carrington loam in its original 

 prairie condition was excellent and over the majority of the type it is 

 still maintained, although the continual production of one grain 

 crop, whether corn or wheat, has in some instances impaired this 

 favorable condition and given the type a markedly gray appearance, 

 especially when the surface soil is dry. This contrasts ra,ther sharply 

 with the dark-brown or black color which is more representative of 

 the natural condition of the Carrington loam. Only in more eastern 

 areas has any serious attempt been made to maintain or restore the 

 organic matter content of the soil. In the sections where the grow- 

 ing of grain for sale is the prevalent system of agriculture upon the 

 type, the difficulty with the organic matter content of the soil is 

 most pronounced. 



The limitations upon crop uses incident to variations in natural 

 drainage have largely been eliminated by the construction of open 

 ditches and the laying of tile in the older settled communities. Some- 

 thing still remains to be done along these lines in the more northern 

 prairie States, and when this has been accomplished practically all 

 portions of the type may be occupied for the production of the gen- 

 eral farm crops. 



