6 



2. The Jordan sandy loam is the most important soil, both in point 

 of area and of quality. It is a light sandy loam, ranging from one 

 to several feet in depth and varying somewhat in its underlying 

 strata. The most usual profile is two feet of sandy loam, one and 

 one-half feet of loam and one foot of sand, all of which is underlaid 

 by clay to a considerable depth. 



3. The next most important type of soil is the Jordan loam, which 

 is somewhat heavier than the sandy loam and, like the above, varies 

 much in depth and underlying strata. Its most usual form is three 

 feet of loam underlaid by clay, which frequently .contains veins or 

 pockets of fine sand. 



4. An unimportant type of soil, agriculturally, at present is that 

 of the clay and clay loams, which are low, level, wet areas lying 

 near the lake (usually called "playas") and extending back into the 

 better lands like fingers of a bay. It is all very salty and usually 

 void of any vegetation. The clay is quite continuous to a consider- 

 able depth, although frequently inlaid with veins, or pockets, of very 

 fine sand. The fingers, which extend far back like wide, irregular 

 canals from four to eight feet deep, would furnish efficient drainage 

 outlets for the adjacent good lands. 



5. The Jordan meadows comprise a narrow belt, from a few rods 

 to a half mile in width, which borders on the river Jordan. The soil 

 being formed from the sediment of the river, is black and contains 

 much organic material. It varies in depth from one to several feet, 

 and in texture from sandy loam to clay. The most common form, 

 however, is two feet of loam, two feet of clay, and one foot of coarse 

 sand, all of which is underlaid by gravel. Where the gravel is not 

 present, the soils are now usually very wet, and but little used ex- 

 cept for pasture. The wetness is caused by seepage from canals and 

 irrigated lands above. If drained, they would be fertile and pro- 

 ductive. 



6. Lying for the greater part above the irrigation canals is a large 

 area of good land, which contains gravel within three feet or less of 

 the surface. The gravel frequently comes to the surface, but it is 

 here too small to materially interfere with cultivation. Below the 

 surface the gravel becomes larger, and at several feet in depth may 

 approach the size of bowlders. This area, considerable of which is 

 dry-farmed to wheat, is called the Bingham gravelly loam. 



7. The Bingham .stony loam comprises a small and unimportant 

 area near the foothills, which is too stony to be cultivated. 



8. The Salt Lake sands (oolitic sands) are chiefly carbonate of 

 lime, spherical in form and about the size of No. 10 shot. This sand 

 is probably formed by the throwing down of carbonate of lime in the 

 water of the lake, which is washed to the shore where the wind still 



