10 SOILS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. 



an admirable reserve of cotton land which may be brought into occu- 

 pation at a reasonable cost per acre or per square mile whenever the 

 demand for its use shall become sufficiently great in the different 

 localities where the areas occur. 



The Trinity clay is almost equally valuable as a corn soil, although 

 the crop is not produced as extensively in the majority of areas 

 as cotton. Since the advent of the boll weevil, however, increas- 

 ing acreages of corn are being grown and the Trinity clay bids 

 fair to become one of the leading alluvial bottom corn soils in the 

 Southern States. There are some years when the overflows do not 

 subside at an early enough date to permit the planting of corn. 

 There are other years when the unusually late floods either destroy 

 the plantings of the corn or decrease the yield, but under anything 

 like favorable circumstances the Trinity clay rarely produces less 

 than 35 bushels of corn per acre, and in a large number of instances 

 the yield over considerable areas has been credibly reported at 50 to 

 60 bushels or even somewhat higher. Thus, the Trinity clay ranks 

 high among southern corn soils and its reclamation and occupation 

 for the production of this crop alone will be fully justified. As in 

 the case of cotton, the use of commercial fertilizers upon the Trinity 

 clay is scarcely required for corn production. Thorough preparation 

 of the land and thorough subsequent tillage constitute the principal 

 needs of the type for corn culture. 



Limited areas of oats are also grown upon the Trinity clay, but the 

 largest part of the acreage is usualty cut either to be fed green or as 

 hay. In consequence it is difficult to establish the average yield of 

 ats for the type. In the instances where the crop has been thrashed, 

 particularly in the northern Texas areas, yields of 40 to 50 bushels 

 have been secured. Under the warmer climate of the more southern 

 areas it is hardly probable that these yields of grain could be attained. 



A small acreage of wheat is occasionally sown upon the Trinity 

 clay in north-central Texas, and yields of 12 to 15 bushels per acre 

 are secured. The use of this type for wheat production is by no 

 means general. 



In certain areas where the Trinity clay lies well above the danger 

 from overflow and where the drainage of both surface soil and sub- 

 soil are fairly good, alfalfa has been grown to excellent advantage. 

 This crop thrives under the conditions of a deep fertile soil with a 

 calcareous subsoil, and these conditions are exactly fulfilled by well- 

 drained areas of the Trinity clay. In consequence, under favorable 

 conditions, an excellent stand of the crop is secured and yields of 4 

 to 5 tons of hay per acre are obtained. A considerable part of the 

 alfalfa grown upon the Trinity clay is used for the feeding of work 

 stock or hogs upon the plantations where it is grown. Part of the 

 hay is also baled and sold, bringing prices ranging from $15 to $20 



