SOIL SURVEY OF BANNER COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 27 



ever, to give the type its gravelly sandy loam texture. The soil is 

 derived by weathering from the beds of coarse sand and gravel of 

 Tertiary age. 



The type is relatively inextensive in Banner County. It occurs 

 chiefly in the southern part, as scattering areas around the escarp- 

 ment bordering the Rough broken land and as small areas along the 

 south county line. The areas -sary in size from a few acres to 1 or 

 2 square miles. The largest and most typical area lies about 5 miles 

 southeast of Harrisburg. A small though very uniform body is 

 mapped about 3 miles southeast of Flowerfield. 



The topography is rolling and in places hilly. The type often oc- 

 cupies hilltops and the steep slopes along drainage ways. Drainage 

 is in most places excessive. The soil is porous, is not retentive of 

 moisture, and is poorly adapted to farming in a region of light rain- 

 fall. The character of the topography also is unfavorable for farm- 

 ing, and the land is all included in pasture. It supports a fairly 

 thick growth of grama grass, buffalo grass, bunch grasses, and black- 

 root, which affords good grazing. Stock raising is the principal in- 

 dustry. The cattle are generally shipped in the fall after coming off 

 summer pasture. A small herd of horses is carried on most farms. 

 The topography affords protection to stock during severe weather. 



The selling price of the Rosebud gravelly sandy loam is difficult 

 to determine ; as the bodies of this soil are generally small, and most 

 farms include areas of other types. It has a tendency, however, to 

 lower the value of farms on which it occurs, as it can be used for 

 pasture only. 



EOSEIJUD FINE SANDY LOAM. 



The Rosebud fine sandy loam is a light-brown or grayish-brown. 

 loose, friable soil 10 to 14 inches deep. The upper 6 inches of the 

 surface contains considerable organic matter, and has a slightly 

 darker color than the lower part. Below 6 inches there is a defi- 

 ciency of this material. A relatively large percentage of silt and 

 very fine sand is generally present. In places the surface soil is quite 

 coarse, approaching a sandy loam in texture, but areas of this kind 

 are not of sufficient size to show on the map. The subsoil usually 

 differs but little in texture from the surface material, but is lighter 

 in color, ranging from pale yellow to light gray. In many places 

 it changes to a silt loam or very fine sandy loam at a depth of about 

 24 inches. The lower subsoil has a high lime content, and fragments 

 of white limestone or calcareous sandstone are often encountered at 

 about 36 inches. The Rosebud fine sandy loam is derived by weath- 

 ering in place from the more sandy strata of Tertiary age. 



The type is of very limited extent in Banner County, and only a 

 few areas are mapped. These occur chiefly along the Banner-Scotts 



