6 SOILS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. 



stock, dairy, and beef animals of the plantation. Upon the gentler 

 slopes deeper plowing, the careful rotation of crops, and an effort to 

 maintain a winter cover crop to protect the surface soil during periods 

 of heaviest precipitation will prevent excessive erosion and maintain 

 the surface soil in its proper place. 



Under the older methods of tillage, where cotton was raised con- 

 secutively for a long period of time, or at the most was only alternated 

 with corn at infrequent periods, the surface drainage of the Houston 

 clay was adequately maintained by plowing the land in ridges and 

 permitting the excess water to flow off through the water furrows. 

 While this promoted erosion upon all of the steeper slopes, upon the 

 more gentle slopes it was adequate for the fairly effective drainage of 

 the type. Within more recent years improved farming methods 

 have been introduced, which require the rotation of cotton, corn, 

 and some forage grass, particularly alfalfa. This improved method 

 of farming tends to prevent the use. of the ridge and furrow method 

 of surface cultivation. It is rapidly bringing about the broadcast 

 plowing of the type even when the fields are ridged later with an 

 approach to the old water furrow method of cultivation. Then, too, 

 the maintenance of portions of the type for several years at a time in 

 alfalfa has necessitated greater attention to surface and subsoil 

 drainage. It is only upon the better drained portions of the type 

 that alfalfa is uniformly successful, and if the production of this crop 

 is to be extended upon the Houston clay the installation of tile 

 drains upon certain portions of the type will be necessary. While 

 the subsoil to a depth of about 2 feet is waxy and plastic, still there 

 is a constant tendency under proper methods of tillage toward granu- 

 lation in the surface soil and immediate subsoil. Fields may be 

 effectively tile drained, provided the tile are laid at a depth not less 

 than 2 feet below the surface, and strung at intervals of approxi- 

 mately 40 feet. In the majority of cases the results will not be 

 immediately evident, but increasing improvement will be noted from 

 year to year. Attempts along this line have been made so recently 

 that very little may be stated positively in regard to the outcome, 

 although soils seemingly as plastic and impervious in the prairie 

 regions of the North Central States have been effectively under- 

 drained in this manner. 



In addition to these two methods of improving the Houston clay 

 it is essential that rotation of crops should be practiced upon this soil. 

 A reasonably well-founded belief in the wonderful fertility of the type 

 has led to its almost constant cultivation to one or at most two crops 

 cotton and corn. In certain instances in the eastern Gulf States, 

 cotton has been raised continuously for 25 years upon this soil, 

 maintaining an average yield of one-half bale to the acre or better, 



