10 SOILS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. 



smaller percentage of the land which has actually been occupied for 

 the more intensive agricultural uses. No further reference will be 

 made to the greater area of the type which still remains in forest. 



Corn is the one universal crop for which the areas of the Wabash 

 silt loam are especialh 7 sought out wherever it occurs. It is prac- 

 tically impossible to state any average yields for the corn grown upon 

 this soil. In many localities the crop may be planted successively 

 year after year for 20 to 40 years. Whenever, owing to fortunate 

 circumstances or well-selected location, overflows are avoided, the 

 yields are maintained at an average of 40 to even 60 bushels per 

 acre, even though corn is planted continuous!}^, year after year, in 

 such fashion as would speedily reduce the crop yields upon any of 

 the ordinary upland soils. In other instances, Avhere frequent loss 

 from overflow is encountered, it may be stated that the corn yields 

 range from 40 to 60 bushels or more whenever the crop reaches ma- 

 turity without encountering an overflow. While in any one year not 

 marked by overflow the yield may attain these high proportions, in 

 the succeeding year not over one-half a crop, and sometimes none at 

 all, will be secured, because of exceptionally high overflow or be- 

 cause the flood waters are maintained to such a late date in the 

 spring that planting to corn is rendered impossible for that season. 

 Consequently the production of corn upon unprotected areas of the 

 Wabash silt loam constitutes an agricultural lottery. While the 

 returns to the successful producer under favorable circumstances are 

 high, the same amount of care exerted in some other season will give 

 practically no return for the seed and labor expended. As has been 

 noted already, the majority of farmers who till this land to corn feel 

 well satisfied with their occupation of the land if they can mature 

 three good crops out of five plantings. The high yields of the three 

 successful years establish a very fair average yield for the entire 

 five-year period. 



Upon the higher lying portions of the Wabash silt loam and within 

 certain drainage districts where the overflow is not to be feared 

 winter wheat constitutes an important crop, though its acreage is 

 limited. The yields secured are excellent, ranging from 20 to 25 

 bushels per acre or even more, with a heavy growth of straw and a 

 fair quality of grain. It is only upon protected areas that wheat 

 may be grown w r ith any certainty, and they must be well provided 

 with drainage, either natural or artificial. 



Oats are grown to about the same extent as wheat, with excellent 

 results, yielding from 45 to 50 bushels per acre. Often the yields far 

 exceed the higher figure and aside from a tendency to rust, owing to 

 the moist bottom-land position of the type, maximum yields could 

 probably be attained annually on well-protected land. 



