18 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1919. 



one-fifth to one-fourth of the crops, the use of the pasture land 

 generally being given the renter without charge. 



It is difficult accurately to determine land values in this county 

 on account of the newness of the country. The valuations given are 

 based on the estimates of reliable farmers. The best grade of farm 

 land in the southern and south-central parts of the area ranges in 

 price from $40 to $76 an acre, depending chiefly upon the location 

 and improvements. The heavier land on the slopes of Pumpkin 

 Creek Valley sells for $20 to $35 an acre, and the light-textured 

 sandy land for $15 to $20 an acre. The Rough broken land sells 

 for- $12 to $18 an acre. The land areas in which the bedrock lies 

 close to the surface and which are shown on the map as Rosebud 

 very fine sandy loam, shallow phase, are valued at $12 to $15 an 

 acre for pasture. The alluvial soils along Pumpkin Creek range in 

 value from $20 to $40 an acre, depending upon drainage and im- 

 provements. 



SOILS.2 



The typical soil profile in Banner County, the one that prevails 

 over as much as three-fourths of the area in more or less perfect 

 development, consists, in the virgin soil, of a surface horizon vary- 

 ing from 1 to 3 inches. It is loose in structure, not flocculated, con- 

 tains a relatively small amount of grass roots, is light brown in 

 color, and usually lighter in texture and more thoroughly leached 

 than any of the other horizons. It varies considerably in the per- 

 fection of its development, being somewhat less perfectly developed 

 in most of the smooth upland areas, ^^'lien the second or underlying 

 horizon is best developed the uppermost may be absent altogether, and 

 in general, the less perfectly developed this horizon is, the better is 

 horizon 2 developed. The latter is dark brow^n in color, rather com- 

 pact, breaks up in clods when first broken from the virgin condition, 

 has a more or less pronounced columnar structure on exposure, and 

 may be a little heavier in texture than the surface horizon. It ranges 

 in thickness from about 5 inches to 12 or 14 inches, the columnar 



2 Banner County adjoins Scotts Bluff County on the north, Morrill and Cheyenne Coun- 

 ties on the east, and Kimball County on the south. In certain cases the mapping in 

 the counties does not agree along the boundaries. This in most places is due partly to 

 the extension into this county, of very small soil areas and partly to changes in corre- 

 lation resulting from a fuller knowledge of the soils of the state. 



The soils mapped as Rosebud loamy fine sand in Scotts Bluff County is called in this 

 area the Rosebud fine sandy loam, and the area mapped as Marsh is in this area called 

 Laurel fine sandy loam. 



Tb" type mapped in Morrill County as Bridgeport loamy fine sand basi been combined 

 in this area with the Bridgeport very fine sandy loam on account of its small area and its 

 similarity to the hitter type. In like manner the Tripp loamy very fine sand is com- 

 I)ined with the Tripp very fine sandy loam and Riverwash has been called Chevenno 

 gravelly sandy loam. 



The soil called Canyon gravelly sandy loam in Cheyenne County has in this area been 

 combined with the Rosebud very fine sandy loam, shallow phase. 



