6 SOILS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. 



except the thorough embankment of the most desirable tracts lying 

 within the area of the type, couple'd with careful attention to the 

 maintenance of open ditches for draining away surplus water of local 

 origin. The Trinity clay occurs almost exclusively in the southern 

 warm temperate region of the United States, and at the lower alti- 

 tudes. It is, therefore, suited to the production of the crops of that 

 region, chief among which is cotton, with corn of secondary impor- 

 tance and with local areas of sugar cane and rice. These crops are 

 supplemented by the growing of small areas of several other staples, 

 including bats, wheat, sorghum, and an increasing area of alfalfa 

 under the most favorable drainage conditions. 



IMPROVEMENT IN SOIL EFFICIENCY. 



Embankment and drainage constitute the most necessary improve- 

 ments in connection with the cultivation of the Trinity clay. 



In the soil survey of the Cooper area, Texas, a characteristic de- 

 scription of the Trinity clay is given, and the high agricultural value 

 of this land w r hen properly protected is pointed out. In this connec- 

 tion the author of the report states, " these black clay bottoms follow 

 the creeks across the whole of north Texas and comprise hundreds of 

 thousands of acres of land that ought to be of more economic value 

 than it is at present. In Lamar and Delta Counties strips of the 

 Trinity clay follow the streams throughout the counties and in places 

 attain a width of several miles." The additional fact is noted that 

 the type is only occupied for agricultural purposes to a very limited 

 degree, and that thousands of acres of it are overgrown with hickory, 

 oak. and bois d'arc. Similar descriptions of the Trinity clay may be 

 found in the majority of soil survey reports concerning areas where it 

 occurs. A consideration of the condition of the type throughout the 

 large number of areas in which it has been encountered shows that 

 this extremely valuable and wonderfully fertile soil is little used for 

 crop production. The one difficulty which prevents such usage is the 

 lack of proper protection from overflow. 



In the majority of instances it would be extremely difficult for any 

 individual farmer to establish the necessary embankment system for 

 the protection of such a portion of his farm as might lie within the 

 alluvial bottoms. The expense involved, the magnitude of the 

 engineering work and the necessity, in the majority of the cases, for 

 the use of the professional services of an engineer render this form 

 of improvement impossible for the individual. In consequence, in 

 those States where this valuable soil type chiefly occurs it would be 

 desirable that drainage and embankment laws should be so drawn 

 that drainage areas might be formed through the association of a 

 majority of the farmers owning lands which it was desired to protect. 

 Laws of this character have been in successful operation in many of 



