SOIL SURVEY OF BANNER COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 39 



and blackroot, which affords higher yields of hay and better pasture 

 than on most of the soils of the county, on account of the more 

 favorable moisture conditions. 



The grazing of beef cattle and holies is the principal industry. 

 The phase will support from 40 to 60 head of cattle per section the 

 year round. The native grasses giA'e one-half to 1 ton per aero, 

 depending upon the rainfall. AAHieat, rye, and oats are the principal 

 cultivated crops. Wheat any rye are usually sold outside the county 

 and the oats fed to the work stock on the farms where produced. 

 The average yield of wheat is about 15 bushels, rye 18 bushels, and 

 oats 25 bushels per acre. 



The soil is easy to handle and can be cultivated under a wide range 

 in moisture conditions. It is more retentive of moisture than the 

 typical soil, as it has a slightly greater organic-matter content. It 

 is also more favorably situated than the latter for the accumulation 

 of moisture. 



The selling price of the phase ranges from $20 to $30 an acre, 

 depending upon improvements and location. 



By increasing the acreage of cultivated crops, the gross income 

 from the soil could be greatly augmented. It is as well adapted to 

 crops as any of the valley soils, except those of the Tripp series. 



KPPIXG SrLT LOAM. 



The typical soil of the Epping silt loam is a gray to light grayish 

 brown, loose, friable silt loam with an average depth of 6 inches. 

 The type is not uniform over large areas, the depth and color of the 

 surface soil varying with the topography and the progress of erosion. 

 On the more level areas which have favored undisturbed weathering 

 and the acciunulation of organic matter, the soil is deeper and darker 

 in color than elsewhere, being a dark grayish brown, mellow silt loam, 

 8 to 10 inches deep. 



The transition in color between the soil and subsoil is rather 

 abrupt. The upper subsoil is a light-gray heavy silt loam. This 

 passes gradually into an almost white or pinkish-white, floury silt 

 loam to silty clay, which generally continues throughout, the 3-foot 

 section. In many places, however, the flesh-colored silty clay of the 

 Brule formation is encountered at 20 to 40 inches and it often out- 

 crops, giving the type a spotted appearance, similar to that of the 

 Eosebud soils. 



The organic matter content is low in the surface soil and almost 

 zero in the subsoil. There is an abundance of lime throughout the 

 soil profile. In places the surface soil has been considerably modified 

 by wind-blown sands and approaches a very fine sandy loam in tex- 

 ture. Where these areas were of sufficient size to warrant separation, 

 they were mapped as Epping very fine sandy loam. 



