THE MAEION SILT LOAM. 7 



manuring crop. It would be the better practice to grow the crop for 

 forage purposes, to feed to dairy or beef animals, returning the re- 

 sulting manure, and to plow under only the roots and stubble of the 

 peas. 



At present practically all of the vegetative growth of the usual 

 crops on the Marion silt loam is sold from the farm. Even the wheat 

 straw is sold to the strawboard millSj and practically no humus is 

 reincorporated in the soil. 



As a result of experimental tests it has been found that the crop- 

 producing capacity of this soil is satisfactorily increased, especially 

 for the small grains, by the application of phosphoric acid. The 

 finely ground Tennessee rock is used and also acid phosphate. Ap- 

 plications range from 350 pounds to 500 pounds per acre. Other 

 commercial fertilizers are little used except for special crops. 



LIMITATIONS UPON SPECIAL CROPS. 



Apples constitute the chief special crop grown upon the Marion silt 

 loam. During the past 30 years thousands of acres of this soil have 

 been planted to apple orchards in south-central Illinois. The Ben 

 Davis largely predominates in all of the plantings, although Jonathan, 

 Grimes Golden, Rome Beauty, and Winesap have also been grown. 

 The tree growth upon the Marion silt loam is generally satisfactory, 

 but there is a wide variation in the production of fruit. The better- 

 managed orchards, where cultivation, spraying, and proper pruning 

 are practiced, are profitable, but there are hundreds of acres of land 

 already set to apples which are so poorly managed as to give little or 

 no profit in ordinary years. The better drainage of the land devoted 

 to orcharding., the breaking up of the " hardpan " layer, the frequent 

 tillage of the orchard, spraying, and the growth of leguminous cover 

 crops in the orchard are all essential to the success of commercial 

 orcharding upon the Marion silt loam. 



Irish potatoes are grown to some extent upon this soil, the crop 

 averaging from 100 to 125 bushels to the acre. The method of mulch- 

 ing the potato crop with wheat straw instead of the intertillage of 

 the crop is frequently practiced. This method gives a fair yield of 

 clean, smooth potatoes. 



The Marion silt loam can scarcely be recommended as a special 

 soil for any other crops. 



EXTENT OF OCCUPATION. 



Practically all of the more level areas of the type are occupied for 

 crop production. In east-central Missouri some of the steeper slopes 

 have become so eroded that they have been abandoned for the grow- 

 ing of tilled crops, but even these are frequently grassed over. 



